Cowardice And Deception

There are some really strange people in this world. I always like to give other people the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes I just have to say -- what on earth...!? I have lived in my place for 11 years. It has always been a friendly, neighborly community. We're sort of like a family, and the people here look out for each other. I have spent a lot of time looking after other folks' cats, feeding them, emptying out poopy litter boxes, watering plants. I have even acted as a rental agent for one neighbor who lived overseas for many years. And it has made me feel safe as well, knowing my neighbors are close by and are looking out for me. Once a year we have a community garage sale, and we clean out all our unwanted items, pool the money and buy pizza. It's fun.

Unfortunately, over the past couple of years there has been a change in many of the residents here, and the feeling of community has gone by the wayside somewhat. We have become a community of strangers. One of the "newbies" has become the high priestess head of the strata coven council, and it has literally gone to her head.

A few weeks ago I had a very pleasant conversation with this woman -- Su-Marie (not Sue-Marie, but Su-Marie, oh goodness...). Anyway, I was landscaping my terrace, and she was admiring a little bird house I have that my daughter gave me for Christmas a few years ago. We are not permitted to feed the birds here -- it is against the coven council by-laws, so it is decorative only, and I explained that to Su-Marie. It was obvious there was no bird seed in it, and no birds feeding from it. She thought it was very pretty, and she said my terrace "looked so nice" it inspired her to landscape hers as well. Su-Marie and I have had several pleasant conversations over the past few weeks, but my internal vibes always detected something strange. Beware of people who smile at you but their eyes stay dead.

Yesterday I received a letter from the Property Management Company as follows:

Your strata lot has been fined $50.00 for the bylaw violation as it relates to the bird feeder. Please issue the cheque payable to "The Owners of Strata Plan VR XXXX" in the amount of the fine and forward to the agent.

It was a three-page letter setting out the bylaws, yada, yada. I was shocked. A $50.00 fine over a decorative bird house? Su-Marie knows my phone number, my e-mail address, and where I live -- she lives on the same floor that I do. All she had to do was say, "Please remove the bird house." Five words. That would have been honest, straightforward and perhaps brave. It is not always easy to do something like that, but usually it works out for the best. And I would have said, "Okay, sure..." and offered her a cup of tea, or maybe a gin and tonic on the terrace. It's no big deal, and certainly nothing to get bent out of shape about.

Well, in any case, I am beginning to hear horror stories of things this witch woman is doing to other people in our building as well, in the form of harassment. What makes people behave that way to their neighbors? It boggles the mind. I see people behaving that way at work as well. Smiling and feigning friendliness, and all the while they're hiding behind their deception and cowardice. At 3:00 in the morning, how do they live with themselves?

I immediately sent a cheque for $50.00 to "the agent" with a brief letter stating that I am very disappointed, and it was not how I would have handled the situation. Maybe they can put the money towards fumigating the smell of cat urine out of the stairway carpets where the upstairs neighbor has let her cat relieve himself.

And you know something? I would rather be on the receiving end of nonsense like Su-Marie pulled, than to be the one dishing it out. When I smile, my eyes aren't dead.