I got a note on my door today from my neighbors letting me know that my dog barks when Im not home and it keeps them awake. Ill be honest, my first instinct was Well screw you guys because Im a human and shes my baby and Imma get defensive when someone calls her character into question. But that only lasted for a second. I thought it out and said to myself that they wouldnt leave a note (it was polite and respectful) if there wasnt an actual problem. I dont believe that she barks the entire night, but thats irrelevant. Whether she barks for five minutes or five hours its obviously bothering them enough to put themselves into a rather uncomfortable situation. I figure I can have neighbors who hate me because I crumpled up their note and tossed out, thinking Up yours, you can deal, or I can have neighbors who love my guts because they never heard another peep after the first note. Either way I have to see them at the pool in two months, so Im gonna take the latter. The instinct to become defensive is powerful, you know? To have someone come to you with a problem can be jarring and I think a lot of peoples reaction is to consider it a personal attack and to attack back. To communicate, to attempt change, is harder. But its better. Its better just to nip these terrible feuds right in the bud. This is how you build a harmonious life. And thats what I want. Im not going to kowtow to every demand placed on me, but Im done going to war over reasonable requests just because they hurt my feelings.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 06:49:24 +0000
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