Neighbors...my voice

I have been a home owner for almost one year. It's a wonderfull feeling to have something that actually goes up in value instead of depreciating. Living in an apratment for the last several years had it's conveniences such as utilities included as well as the upkeep of the lawn and landscape. Living in a townhouse I have a little patch of grass in the front and what amount to a plot of 12x20 square feet of grass and yard space in the back. Through the spring months we were pretty good about keeping the grass cut after we purchased our shiny new electric lawn mower. We've purchased other supplies such as a rake, grass seed, weed killer, shears, water hoses, etc., etc. In September the vacant place next to us was finally occupied by a man, his wife and two daughters.

One day while driving up to the house from work. I became a little disoriented. I did not know which driveway was mine because the patch of high grass I left that morning was no where to be found. It was cut VERY low, so was the neighbor's grass who'd just moved in a few days before.
he was standing outside as I approached and got out of the car. I walked over to him and asked, 'did U cut the grass?' He looked very cautious like "oh lord, did I mess up?" I read this look on his face and immediately wanted to put him at ease and let him know that it was appreciated. After all it was my turn to cut grass and I had not down it since I returned from the Bahamas at the end of August. I thanked him, but thought to myself 'that way too low'...

Since then he's offered to do all sorts of things. The thing is...while I appreciate it, I do not want him doing things around my house without asking if I want it done. I cut the grass on Thursday to show- hey, we got this! And this evening when I returned from shopping I noticed that the grass that I cut and racked on Thursday to show that I am capable of doing my own lawn was cut again by my neighbor. He didn't rake. He left the cut grass there and cut my lawn down so low I'm afraid bald and browning spots are imminent. Without permission he cut my grass...

It goes to show that complacency sends a message of compliance. And now I'm kinda ticked off because I have to tell him to NOT cut my grass anymore because I do not want him to. I have to look at his sad eyes when I request that he not violate my right to choose what I wanna do with my lawn.

Some say it's not that serious...Maybe it isn't...but it's a little more than grass being cut. It's a woman who has allowed others to have there way in the past finding her voice and her courage to say what she does and doesn't want. In that sense, it's very serious.