Thursday, August 17, 2017

Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I've been at our cabin the past two weeks, and boy, did what I envisioned as relaxing retreat become a right speech challenge immediately.  The cabin next door was having a roof put on, but that was not the problem, that was just the unexpected annoyance.  The roofers wanted to traipse through our front to carry heavy equipment, and then, when I reluctantly agreed, the next day the weight and number of trips caved in a hidden septic tank that we didn't even know was there.  A man fell in six feet, but fortunately was unhurt.  Then I had to talk to the roofing owner and say no more crossing the property:  I was liable and it was too risky.  He agreed, but the next day they were crossing again.  I had to confront the guy and have another clarification, that now, no, we did not want them using our property.  They had by that time unloaded the lot, but on the weekend the couple who own the cabin came up and we had to have an hour talk to clarify our position and insist that no more use of our front was acceptable.  They were nice, and brought two bottles of wine.  But next they are doing some foundation work, and we won't be up there, and we have water and sewer lines under that bit of earth, and I'm afraid that this habit of using our property will persist.  I have to let it go now.  I was friendly, respectful, but crystal clear.  But the situation is not in my power to control, and I know it.  I did my best.  We'll see.

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