Hey Ken, this whole situation with your old neighbor reminded me of a letter that was being forwarded around the net about 10 years ago. I thought I might take this oppurtunity to share it with everyone here. Keep your chin up fella, this too will pass....
Here's the letter:
Garbage Truck Advice
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels; however, the mark of a successful person is how quickly they can get their focus back on what's important.
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was friendly! So I said, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
So this was it: 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore.'
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie, 'The Sixth Sense,' the little boy said, 'I see dead people.' Well, now 'I see Garbage Trucks.' I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One of my favourite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.
Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.
What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...
Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT! If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy ... just that it would be worth it!
From one Ken to another, if you deal with this with more class than the other guy, you win, and you will have no regrets later Karma will give this guy what he deserves anyway.
I guess it's too late now but 3x3 of grass would be three sods about $6. That's a lot cheaper than any lawsuit, even if you didn't do it.
Oh, Ray-you are so correct. I guess the problem lied with the accusing and swearing suggesting it was deliberate-had he said "Ken, it looks as though this could have happened by accident when moving". ?The results would have been different---the lawyer adviced on monday not to fix it cause that is an admission of guilt opening the can of worms. The insurance company tells me its quite a can of worms what has been opened now with the MOE involved. I think with the MOE saying that it still smelled yesterday that is possible that he's adding to it himself ! we had a ton of rain last sunday.
Hey Ken, this whole situation with your old neighbor reminded me of a letter that was being forwarded around the net about 10 years ago. I thought I might take this oppurtunity to share it with everyone here. Keep your chin up fella, this too will pass....
Here's the letter:
Garbage Truck Advice
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels; however, the mark of a successful person is how quickly they can get their focus back on what's important.
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was friendly! So I said, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
So this was it: 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore.'
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie, 'The Sixth Sense,' the little boy said, 'I see dead people.' Well, now 'I see Garbage Trucks.' I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One of my favourite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.
Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.
What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...
Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT! If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy ... just that it would be worth it!
That's too bad Ken. Do what the lawyer suggests. This neighbour sounds like a real wack job to swearing at you and calling MOE. Move ahead and enjoy your new place.
That's too bad Ken. Do what the lawyer suggests. This neighbour sounds like a real wack job to swearing at you and calling MOE. Move ahead and enjoy your new place.
It would be a great time to have Hillar around for straight advice.
My wife and I really like the new place-the kids love it ! I always thought it would be nice to be in the country-its been a week now-this spill problem is probably the clear sign I needed to move-it sort of hurts though-all those years I thought I had good neighbours-or at least that I was a good neighbour.
if you didnt do it you have nothing to worry about!its that simple,they must prove you guilty and if you didnt do it purposely it aint a criminal matter.Dont touch it withn a 10 foot pole.Maybe there is an old underground oil tank?Even if there was and it was your tank on your property and you didnt know it was there cause it wasnt disclosed i would think insurance would handle that.Enjoy yer new digs id watch and see what the system does!(KINDA SCARY...)TIMBUK
Sounds like the bad neighbour is giving his last shot at you while 'welcoming' the new people to his world!. If there was a genuine problem it should've been raised while negotiations were underway, not later so the best advice now is to leave it alone and hopefully it's all behind you!. Enjoy your new place...and neighbours!.
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I like real cars best...especially the REAL real ones! ----------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, not that it helps but I'm sorry to hear that you have to deal with such an ignorant situation. You've long proven on here that you're a level headed guy. As stated, if you treat this situation with class you've long won the battle.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
