I have a neighbor for whom we have no use, so here's what I did about it in today's snow/ice storm.

[NNadir]

First: Let me tell you why we have no use for her.

One day, she came up to my wife and informed here that (to use her exact words) "One of your squirrels, took one of your walnuts and stained "my sidewalk" and you're lucky I was able to get "your stain" out of "my sidewalk."

It would be one thing if this was the first such communication, but it was the last in a long series of similar commentaries about my property and, for that matter, the property of everyone else on the block.

We had a magnificent black walnut tree at the time. They release a chemical called juglone that can leave orange stains.

She left a message on our phone to let us know how happy she was when we had to take it down to get a $40,000 new septic system. I was, of course, livid, especially since they regraded their yard so rain would flow across my septic field, but I didn't say a fucking thing, because we weren't speaking:

After about five or six years of this stuff, we stopped talking to her and her weirdo husband, while feeling sorry for her kids.

Anyway. We're having a huge snow and ice storm. I have an battery electric snowblower; I know they don't have a snowblower.

So here's what I did about it: I took my snowblower and cleaned their sidewalk with it.

Why did I do that?

Because I don't want to be like a fucking Trump like MAGAT. That's why.

[MIButterfly]

1. I'd say it's because you're a good, decent human being.

Good for you. The phrase "kill them with kindness" comes to mind.

I have to keep reminding myself over and over again: I cannot control what other people say or do; I can only control how I react to it, what I say or do. Sometimes it's really hard.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Hope she asks u why u did it

'just being neighborly'. she prob hates the civic-minded.

[NNadir]

5. I won't say a damned thing if she does. We're still not speaking.

[waterwatcher123]

3. I hope you were able to salvage the black walnut (they are like gold to woodworkers).

It was magnanimous of you too to clear the sidewalk in front of her house. Maybe just ignore her and/or wear ear buds when she and her husband are in close proximity to your house. You can take the Husky (dog) approach to suggestions or orders too (which is to ignore most everything unless it involves treats).

[dem4decades]

4. We have new neighbors across the street, last snowstorm they were away.

I went over with my snowblower and did their driveway so that they wouldn't have to deal with it when they returned. I was out cleaning up my sidewalk when they returned, I didn't notice but my wife did, and she's not happy they didn't give a wave over my way. She let me know that I will not be doing their driveway again.

[nuxvomica]

6. Nice gestures always confound difficult people

They either think you must be up to something or it just plain confuses them, like challenging an evil robot with a paradox (which based on my study of sci-fi inevitably causes their heads to explode).

[Skittles]

7. I hear you

I refuse to let the disgusting behavior of assholes influence my own.