Hound Dogs and Tow Trucks

I have my friend, the mail man, to thank for this latest story. It was standing room only at town council last night. Two people, with opposing views, taking shots at each other. Towns people privy to the inside story had been tipped off with the announcement of the agenda for town council. I know some of those in this story and I was laughing with tears, as I heard some of the details. It is the age old story of feuds. 

The Hatfields and McCoys of 1878. That’s the one that comes to mind first. ”The Carter-Wakefield feud” from The Andy Griffith Show was a fictional story that I watched a while back. It doesn’t really matter what names you fill in. It doesn’t really matter how it started. Whenever you get to a point in your life where you can’t get along with a neighbor or family member. There is always a price to pay.

I bought a small house in Albuquerque, it was a small neighborhood. We had fences but it was hard not to hear your neighbors when they were out in the back yard. Arguments seemed to spill out of the house when things got out of hand. Cops were called and tempers flared.

I went for a walk and noticed my neighbor was doing some illegal activity, not hurting anyone, except himself. I thought it was my duty to let him know, and I did. Whoops. Did I start something! He then accused me of something he didn’t like in my yard. I could see a big red flag waving in my face and knew I had better resolve this quick. I called him and asked if I could come and talk. He didn’t give me a chance to say anything. The **** hit the fan and I got it smack in the face. I probably deserved it.  He said a lot of things, I remember feeling a little overwhelmed at his anger. One thing I heard him say was, “You are on a slippery slope.” He said a lot of other things, most of them I forgot. I didn’t forget the feeling that I had during that week, when we traded insults and threats. I felt terrible. Couldn’t seep at night worrying that my truck might be vandalized or worse. Fortunately for me, I am a quick learner. I went to his house, hat in hand, and admitted to being wrong. I apologized and said that I would be a good neighbor and that it would not happen again.

Funny thing about feuds, at least in my case. Once I admitted to being human and apologized to him, he became a good friend. He helped me out on a broken water pipe and I was able to help him when he needed some support when his father’s health was taking a toll on his own health. He had given up a regular job so he could bring his father into his home and take care of him. Full time care of someone who is sick is a big responsibility. His only outlet was this little bit of illegal activity in his back yard. I could tell when things got bad, I could see the rising smoke coming from next door and I could smell the odor. I would call over the fence and we would have a visit. With a 6 foot fence, I couldn’t see anything, but we could visit and share bits of life. He and I talked that way for the next couple of years. It was much better than trading insults or worse.

As for the Hound dogs and tow trucks, time will tell. There are already lawsuits. Others are being drawn into this drama. I can watch from a safe distance and be so grateful for that first red flag that tipped me off in my life. I heeded that caution and I was able to make a potential enemy my friend. I need all the friends I can get. Life can be a challenge at times. Slippery slopes are hard to navigate so I go out of my way now to find the peaceful path.