So my parents live at this college in faculty housing and there’s a hot tub with a beautiful view.
Especially pretty at night… Looking out over the ocean, watching planes fly into LAX… It’s really pretty.
Anyway, because it’s nice, a lot of students from campus try to sneak up there and take a dip. I don’t blame them. However, especially to homeowners around there, it can get loud in a hurry when they’re trying to sleep.
Anyway, I was up there one night mindin my biz’ and ‘Harry’ walks in. There were about 50–60 houses up there so you knew who most people were. I recognized him, he didn’t recognize me. I was 18 at the time, just back from a year at college. Anyway, he starts asking me questions thinking i’m a student and not ‘faculty’. I get it, told him I lived there, said my name was Brian. Well he didn’t believe me and wanted last name, address, etc. Fine, we’d gotten off on the wrong foot, I went over, shook his hand, introduced myself, and thought that was the end.
Well about 3 weeks later, my dad asks me, ‘hey, did you have a run in with Harry at the hot tub?” I was like ..”what?????” Apparently, Harry had told our neighbor ‘Sal’ that I was some disrespectful kid or something. I was incredulous, beside myself. I was a good kid, mostly shy, and my dad could tell by my reaction that I was telling the truth. I think this guy was mad that he didn’t ‘get’ me, and felt embarrassed or something. My dad said, “well, he doesn’t have kids, he just doesn’t know how to relate” or something like that. Fine, but I was 18. Anyway, whatever… my dad didn’t care and wasn’t mad so I could tell he knew that guys was off…. but I was stewing.
I went to the library or wherever I needed to. Actually think I found the Homeowner’s rules on the internet or something.. (1998- no small feat). Anyway, of course !!! I was reading the rules, and it hit me. This guy had brought his dog with him to the hot tub. That is most certainly not allowed, and while I couldn’t have cared less and would never have said a word… I wrote a beautiful piece of prose to the Homeowner’s Board… (anonymously of course… what am I, brave?) talking about how I love being a part of the community, but I’ve seen some people breaking the rules lately, and I don’t know how to tell them to stop when the VP of the board at the time flaunts the rules by bring his dog into the hot tub area while clearly bylaw 2.xx23 states that pets are not allowed. It really was a thing of beauty. I spent hours writing, re-writing, etc. (lol at my younger self.. I probably could have just said ‘hey… tell Harry to keep his dog out of the hot tub area)
About a month later I was at the hot tub again and Harry walked in… by himself this time. I imagine he knew it was me who’d written the letter, but neither of us said anything and I just went on looking at the ocean and the stars. It felt so good.
Funny thing is,now I feel so proud and so guilty at the same time. I was a shy kid and I really like that I stood up for myself, but I really kind of dislike that I take so much pleasure in ‘getting’ someone and it makes me feel like a bad person. The guy’s dog wasn’t doing any harm, and that was his companion. He deserved it, yeah, but it’s not really my job in life to go around making sure people get what they deserve. It’s kind of a great thing to look back on and as much as I love it, I think it makes me less likely to want to take revenge in the future. If I feel ‘bad’ about such a small thing, it’s a good reminder to stop and think long and hard before doing something, and not do it lightly.
Thanks for reading!