Riled Up

You're feeling a bit riled up over some recent trouble at work or at home and that might carry over into other parts of your life. Try not to inflict too much torment on those who don't deserve it!

Some days the horoscope hits right on. This is one of those days, although "riled up" may be putting it a bit mildly. Pissed off may be closer to the mark. Have I mentioned lately how much I loathe some of my neighbors? The narcissistic twit above me, the one who recently moved back in, would be one of them, along with her rude-ass friends.

I was run out of my living room Friday night and again this evening by them. These people have absolutely NO consideration for other people in the building, or for the rules they agreed to abide by when they signed their lease. They are constantly cranking the stereo or stupid Guitar Hero game up as loud as it will go, then talking over it, loud enough that I am either forced to listen to their conversation (every other word of which begins with the letter F), or vacate to the bedroom. In addition to which, the Twit likes to antagonize people, intentionally dropping large objects or drumming/stomping on the walls or floor to try to tick off the people around them. And if you tell them to knock it off, or give a little of your own, you're the one in the wrong because she, of course, is a virtuous angel (NOT). It's beyond ridiculous.

And then there was an incident with the chick next door two weeks ago. Way back in December, we asked a few people if they could please not stomp the way they were upon entering the building, to please have a bit of courtesy for those living next to the exits (six apartments total). Didn't raise my voice, didn't use profanity, just asked if they could please have consideration for others and stop stomping so hard. We're not talking about a little tap to knock the snow off their boots. People coming in were stomping their feet as hard as they could, often for several minutes at a time, with no consideration for time of day, or other people in the building. Not only was it completely unnecessary and rude, but stomping the feet doesn't remove the salt and crud from the bottom of one's shoes, it only compacts it into the soles. Wiping one's feet is far more affective--not to mention quieter.

Anyway, it seemed to work for a while, but a few people (ie: the Twit and friends who do it intentionally--seriously, they stop inside the door, and do it en masse, trying to best each other) have started up again. Yes, I've complained about it, but haven't said a word to anyone directly since December, so you can imagine my surprise when, a couple weeks ago, we received a letter from the office saying they had complaints we were yelling at people about the stomping. What?! Excuse me??

Come to find out, chick next door was apparently listening outside our door one day as I was talking to someone on the phone. Now see, you know the stomping is loud when people on the other end of the phone ask what the noise is. As was the case here, to which I replied it was one of my rude neighbors, and that I wished people would learn how to wipe their feet instead of stomping like uneducated rubes. So chick next door is apparently standing outside our doors and hears this, and runs crying to the office that I'm yelling at her.

First of all, if you're going to eavesdrop outside other peoples' doors, you deserve to hear whatever bad things people say about you. Second, the fact that she took something I said to someone else so personally tells me someone has a guilty conscience, and maybe she should ask herself why it hit so close to home. Third, though he did send us a letter about it, he also suggested to her that maybe she should be a bit quieter when entering the building. (HA!)

The fact is, I have far more consideration for my neighbors than most of them have for me. I don't crank the TV or stereo up as loud as they will go, no matter what the hour or day of the week. I don't run loud appliances such as dishwashers, vacuums or washing machines after 10pm, in accordance to property regulations. I make sure guests understand that I do have neighbors, as well as rules to abide by regarding noise and behavior. I have no qualms about asking people to quiet down a bit, or suggest that maybe it's time people leave if the kids won't behave. (IMO, far too many adults give control to the kids instead of being the one in control.)

My niece and other young guests know better than to race through the halls, or jump stairs. I don't have a dog, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't go racing through the building with it/them, so that it sounds like a thundering herd of elephants has just entered the premises (you are supposed to be the one in control, NOT the dog!), and I certainly wouldn't chase the animal around over other peoples' heads, especially not late at night, as does the Twit upstairs. Taking your pet for regular walks is part and parcel of being a dog owner, whether rain or shine, cold or hot. If you can't handle the responsibility, you shouldn't have the dog. Some people simply should not have pets; these are usually the same people who shouldn't be allowed to breed.

Me, riled up? Ha! I bet you couldn't tell from this post. What it really all comes down to is living by the "Golden Rule" -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat people the way you want to be treated. No one knows more than I how difficult this can be--hard not to, with neighbors such as mine. But if you want people to respect you, to have a modicum of consideration for you, try having some respect for them. Consider how your actions affect other people, because whether you like it or not, almost everything you do directly affects someone else. When you have complete disregard for others, when you treat them like garbage, you give people permission to treat you the same or worse--and you have no right to complain when they do so.