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So tonight our little family group was sitting in the living room chatting when our doorbell rings. It was 9:25 pm. Always freaks me out badly when the doorbell rings at night due to some past events--but I go to the door, and there's an older guy standing there with some kind of gadget in his hand. He's not smiling.
"Hi, I'm your neighbor one house over," he says (meaning one after our next door neighbor, and around the corner.) I then introduce myself and invite him in. He's not very friendly but does shake my hand and tells me his name. He goes on to say, "I'm an amateur astronomer, and your porch light in the back is on. I have an extra one of these sensors and thought you could use it so it only goes on when someone goes outside. It's not always/usually? a problem and it'll probably get better when the greenbelt leafs out. But this will keep it from being a problem down the road."
So while he is going on about his problem with us I'm still sort of in PTSD mode due to the late doorbell-ringing, not really comprehending what the heck this guy is doing complaining about my porch light and handing me a gizmo, not even saying a hello to my husband (who went and turned out the light) or my DD. But essentially I finally understand I'm being told that putting my backyard light on so I can see the yard while my dog goes out to do his business is a problem at 9:25 pm.
Not just this, but we also have a newly finished deck out back that has multiple lights. Am I now to feel guilty whenever we are enjoying our deck at night?
I honestly do try to be a thoughtful neighbor, but this seems extreme. He wasn't apologetic for coming over so late or even asking a favor so much as making a demand that we not pollute his night sky before 10 pm. Oh, and I'm pretty sure his dogs are the ones that go nuts barking all day and night at times. And, also, we do live in the city.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive but this feels like a violation of our space and our peace. It has disturbed me more than it should, but there it is. We just finished a huge outdoor project to be able to enjoy the back yard and new deck and now this. I am really creeped out and sort of angry.
Uranus will be squaring my Mercury when it hits 2 degrees. Unexpected, brash communication from a neighbor about lights, anyone? Am I getting an early warning? How does this liberate me? It feels like just the opposite.
Anyway, this too shall pass, I'm sure... :hi:
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