Poo-Gate 2013

By Liz

 

It is amazing the amount of security and courage that we have behind email or written word vs. face to face contact.  This is something that I have frequently thought of, especially as a person that writes her thoughts pretty freely in a weekly blog.  Now, I have mentioned before that our connectivity with each other is something that is few and far between as technology is readily at our disposal.  As a recent addition to the neighborhood email distribution, this has become even more relevant to me. 

I love my neighborhood, it is lovely, full of relatively nice people.  I’ve only met a few folks and know them by name and recently was added to this email list for other folks that live on the street.  I did not know there was such a thing.  I guess the person that was in charge figured the two girls that live at the end of the street with no kids could care less about being added.  Okay, now  I’m just projecting my assumptions here.   I smile and wave when I see folks out and about, they do the same.  I guess I should have made jam or cookies for each of the neighbors as a ‘Olive Branch’ so to say. 

Anyhoo, less than a day after being added to this list, one of our neighbors that I’ve actually have had conversed with on more than one occasion in the last 2 ½ years emailed a concern about the house cat.  Essentially, my roommates cat that has adopted me as a lap provider, behind the ear scratcher, food dispenser, and cuddle buddy on occasion.   However, I received the e-mail that provided a well written, non aggressive recount on the cat pooping in their yard.  Ugh!  Sorry dude’s, that does suck.  Umm, he’s a cat.  Nocturnal by nature and for some reason has been pooping on their lawn.  I understand the frustration, cleaning up the poo of a pet that is not yours, well stinks!  Literally and figuratively! 

Here is the kicker though, my disappointment with the e-mail.  If this has been going on for a year plus, why not tell me or my roommate during all the times we are outside or even saying hello.  It’s not until the safety of an e-mail is given that this issue has been brought up?  Why?  I may be wrong, but I think we are both pretty approachable people. 

Well, again I do get the irony as a person that writes out her thoughts freely in blog and most likely will opt for e-mail vs. in person communication on some sticky situations.  Nevertheless, this recent encounter has made me think and reflect.  Maybe I need to grin and bear it, or buck up and have those ‘hard’ conversations in person too.  Not that they come up all that often, but why not challenge myself to rise to the communication task.

In the mean time, there has been a lot of conversations about poop in my house, which is both odd and funny!