Courtesy
I was working at home today in my workshop (winter is finally kicking in here) when i noticed a car that i didn't recognise parked in my driveway. I stepped outside thinking someone was stopping by for a visit, no one was there. Then i saw my neighbours driveway packed with cars and clicked - "Ah yeah it's wednesday..." Wednesday is when they have their church group over for their weekly meeting on all things holy and jeebus.
Now dont get me wrong their harmless folks, semi retarded uhh i mean retired, a little irritating with the religious fliers in the letterbox about what jeebus supposedly did for me etc etc and the passing chit chat over the fence that quickly becomes 20 questions about my personal life....sure whatever, they're 60 something yr old neighbours.
But the fact they felt they could use my driveway as a public carpark without asking, wasn't sitting well with me.
I tried to forget it and keep working - "Whatever, im not working out there, there's plenty of room..."
Then i thought - "Nah Fuck that! they know i'm home, they just expect i'd say yeah sweet as (which i would if asked) so they have helped themselves to the use of my property.
Now i know the mature thing to do if it's really bothering me - and to be honest i'm still a little surprised at myself that this really is bothering me - is to go over and calmly and politely say that yes it is ok you park there but next time please extend me the courtesy of asking if it's ok first. Fair to say, if i needed somewhere to store a packet of timber i wouldn't dump it on their front lawn and expect it was all good..?
But the thought of going over there and carrying on like some anal parent at their kid, when these people should know better, wasn't really appealing to me either.
So just as quickly an alternative came to mind that put an eager smile on my face! Now if this was a few years prior, the alternative would have been in the form of a brick penetrating a windshield and then thinking about it. (I'd like to think i have matured some what these past few years:whatever
So i cranked up the volume on my Makita radio and bought up "Lamb of God"'s Wrath on my ipod. Yeah yeah i know - childish. But i was equally surprised how good this made me feel instantly! And it was fucking loud i had my earmuffs on!
I carried on working, smiling, thinking about the impending verbal conflict, checking if the car was still there every couple of songs, - nothing yet. "What the fuck?" Then i realised my error, even though they were only sitting about 10-12m away from my radio in their lounge next door, i didn't have any windows or doors open and my workshop's pretty well insulated and lined with ply.
With the uninvited car still in the driveway, the window now open and the radio shifted over right beside it, i decided to increase the aggression with some "Gallows" - Grey Brittan.
As the O'rrible' Mr Carter and his band belted out lines like "YOUR HAIL MARYS WONT SAVE YOU NOW!! BURNING ALL YOUR CHURCHES DOWN!!! and YOUR ALL LEECHES!!!"
I was working away sniggering at the thought of their tea cups rattling in their saucers when "OSH BY GOSH GOSH!" after three songs of the Gallows sounding like their playing Live in my workshop, the cars off my driveway and parked on the street!!
Seeing that the other cars were still on their driveway I figured they got the message and may want to come warn me of the dangers of the devil and other assorted sin, so I let Mr Frank Carter sing em one more little ditty before i returned the volume to a more subdued tone.
Again don't get me wrong, if religion's your thing that's fine, it's never the defining reason that causes me to like or dislike a person. No, no, IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU DO, and to a lesser extent what you say. I dont give a fuck what you wear, what you drive or how "Phat" your bank is.
Remember folks, respect is earned and a little courtesy and some basic manners go a long way!
Get what you give - give what you get
I was working at home today in my workshop (winter is finally kicking in here) when i noticed a car that i didn't recognise parked in my driveway. I stepped outside thinking someone was stopping by for a visit, no one was there. Then i saw my neighbours driveway packed with cars and clicked - "Ah yeah it's wednesday..." Wednesday is when they have their church group over for their weekly meeting on all things holy and jeebus.
Now dont get me wrong their harmless folks, semi retarded uhh i mean retired, a little irritating with the religious fliers in the letterbox about what jeebus supposedly did for me etc etc and the passing chit chat over the fence that quickly becomes 20 questions about my personal life....sure whatever, they're 60 something yr old neighbours.
But the fact they felt they could use my driveway as a public carpark without asking, wasn't sitting well with me.
I tried to forget it and keep working - "Whatever, im not working out there, there's plenty of room..."
Then i thought - "Nah Fuck that! they know i'm home, they just expect i'd say yeah sweet as (which i would if asked) so they have helped themselves to the use of my property.
Now i know the mature thing to do if it's really bothering me - and to be honest i'm still a little surprised at myself that this really is bothering me - is to go over and calmly and politely say that yes it is ok you park there but next time please extend me the courtesy of asking if it's ok first. Fair to say, if i needed somewhere to store a packet of timber i wouldn't dump it on their front lawn and expect it was all good..?
But the thought of going over there and carrying on like some anal parent at their kid, when these people should know better, wasn't really appealing to me either.
So just as quickly an alternative came to mind that put an eager smile on my face! Now if this was a few years prior, the alternative...