This is What It's Like to Be Me

I am so so so put off by those whom lack a simple, small sense of consideration for fellow humans. I don't get it. Often times, even in the worst of circumstances, I can rationalize, (not to be confused with excusing or understanding) even the meanest of people or their actions, but inconsiderate? I just don't get, and of all the things in the world that could bother me, an inconsiderate adult tops my list every time.

We have a new neighbor. A single guy. We share a 2/3 duplex with him and he has the larger of the apartments. We are so blessed to live here because it's quiet, in Nowheresville, and only sometimes does the other neighbor to the left scare the bejeezus out of me when she screams relentlessly at her untrained dog. (newsflash dog owners: Your dog doesn't know the meaning of "shut up!" so stop repeating it.) But our new neighbor is quickly joining the inconsiderate cast of characters in my life that I know are there just for a good, cosmic laugh.

Our duplex sits at the bottom of a small hill lead by a steep driveway. In the winter time, it's impossible to park at the bottom of the hill, so we have parking for both us and the neighbor at the top of the hill. Here's the thing, our neighbor has a two car garage connected to his side of the duplex, and we have parking spots at the left of his garage off to the side of the drive way. We have a trailer that takes up the space of, in a perfect life, could be a second car for us. Our neighbor has the BIGGEST truck in the world, a two car garage, a two car garage, a two car garage and a two car garage. But apparently, he chooses not to use his two car garage for his worlds BIGGEST truck, (side note: he's also a very little man,) and he would rather park his truck, diagonally in the middle of the drive-way, sometimes making it difficult for us to pull out of our spot with out executing a 5-point turn. I don't get it.

So the other night, while we left for our midnight walk through Rhinebeck, he stopped us and asked if we would move our trailer a little bit in the grass (which I know our property manager would NOT like) so he could park his world's BIGGEST truck next to our SUV, all the while making it a tight squeeze in our parking space, an empty two car garage and an empty spot at the top if the hill. I'm getting worked up just thinking about it.

We just replied, confused with an "Uhhh, okay?"

And then he said, "Unless it's alright with you that I keep parking like this."

I just don't get it.

He knocked on our door when he first moved in and said he was sorry for parking diagonally and we thought no harm done. He's new. Now he knows that's an annoying place to park. But apparently our "aw brah, it's cool, man" attitude gave him the wrong impression.

My first thought was to say (in my head) buzz off, and then remind him out loud that since we share space, it's a good idea to be considerate of each other. You don't park diagonally in the middle of the shared driveway, and I won't write all about you on the world wide web. Oh wait....

But now I have this nagging feeling in me. I'm annoyed every time I get home and I see his world's BIGGEST truck and every time I'd like to back out, maneuvering around his world's BIGGEST truck, but I'm also wondering the state of my heart when I am annoyed and I just don't feel like moving my car over to accommodate his inconsideration.

I rationalize and excuse my "but that's OUR parking space" and then I think about Jesus commanding that we give our coat away if asked and even our shirt, too. ( even though, you know, awkward.)  It's a small thing. It's just parking. But the guy just bugs me. Entitlement bothers me.

But maybe I should be concerned about my own heart and thoughts more than his. What do I gain by ignoring his request? What do I gain if I don't?

I don't know the answer to that yet. I'm still just annoyed. But that nagging annoyance that I'm allowing is hardening my heart, and I gain nothing from that.

The fact is, in about a month its going to be impossible for either of us to park at the bottom of the hill for at least 4 more months. And if I ignore his request, there will be another equally if not more inconsiderate person taking the stage somewhere else in my life. And I'm sure I am inconsiderate to some. And maybe oblivious to more. But the only thing I can control right now is my heart's response to my neighbor. So I will pray for that. And for my neighbor, I guess.

May the saga continue....