One nice thing about my medication - the ability to pick my battles.

We have a house next door. It's in a deed restricted subdivision. Most basic things are covered, no home based businesses, no junk in your yard, etc. Many homeowners who suffered property damage invested some of the money into landscaping, for instance.

Our little orange home sits amid it all. I like the fact that it's welcome.

When we moved in, we had problems. Particularly, the next door neighbor. They have a 2 car garage that's empty. They also have a large driveway that can park up to 6 cars, as I saw when they had a party one night.

So why did the take the one parking space in front of our home? The driveways are graded and the "new" Metrolift paratransit taxicabs (the drivers are 1099 contractors and are paid daily) scrape terribly, especially if they have a large wheelchair strapped down in the back. The modifications required to install the folding wheelchair ramps make them "low riders". I don't want a driver ripping out their drivetrain; and the drivers don't either.

Remember some of them own their own vehicles, they can't afford an expensive repair. So, they park in front of the house, in the street.

Or they would have if the woman next door didn't park her expensive sedan in front of our house every day. Maybe she thought ... who knows.

I kept asking her to move it. She would get an attitude. I finally gestured at my husband, staggering down the driveway and attempting to climb over the curb down the street to get into the cab. He almost fell, more than once.

"You should go help him" she says.
"If he falls because you wouldn't move your car, will you take him to the hospital? It's hard for him to walk, we need the space free!" She gave me a rude gesture and never parked in front of the house again.

Then, one day she came to me irate. "You have a problem" What's that?
Your cat is staring at me.
What?
Yes, your cat is staring at me. I don't like animals and I don't like black cats! Make him stop, or I'll kill him.
Even though I was COMPLETELY unmedicated, God intervened and dropped some common sense on me. Trying to kick her butt or curse her would have no effect, and probably make her determined to murder Bubba. What to do? I knew she was a teacher.
You're a teacher. I'm sure your principal would love to know that you're threatening felony animal cruelty. It's a felony to kill someone's pet. The first thing I do after I file charges will be to fax the report over to your principal. I'm sure he'd love to know he had an animal abuser on staff.

A month later, they moved out and about a year later they began renting to various family members. The family member comes for about a year, always has a few young boys, and ALWAYS have to be told "Don't go in my yard without permission".

But they leave the parking space in front of the house.
They either like, or are indifferent, to my cat.
They're NORMAL. I don't worry if I turn my back on them.

Today, a small annoyance. They've left their empty trash cans in front of my house, again. It makes US look bad.

So what? Bubba is safe and Ron can get into Metrolift without falling.

I like that - I can pick my battles now.