Oprah’s advice on bullying was very helpful to me today. I’m up against a powerful bully who doesn’t respond positively to assertiveness. Retaliation is her game. So, I may be compelled to move from the idyllic atmosphere I call home.
Why? Did I fail to pay my rent? Nope. My crime is feeding the squirrels and stellar jays who light up my life each day. My crime was escalated to a capital offense because I decorate my balcony with beautiful flowers.
What was I thinking?
My neighbors pause as they walk their dogs. Some neighbors walk by my apartment just to see my flowers. It gives them a psychic boost during these troubling economic times. Folks who don’t know who I am know my apartment because of my flowers and the abundance of wildlife romping around. Birds of every feather. Goldfish and koi. Squirrels. Jays. Hummingbirds. Chickadees. Finches. Ducks. Sounds like a sanctuary, eh?
I had several posts I planned to write on Thursday. Instead, I spent the day on the phone with government officials. I spent the evening at a walk-in clinic to see a physician about a horrendous PTSD episode. My doctor thought I was exaggerating when I told her I had received a notice of eviction for feeding squirrels and planting beautiful flowers. . .until I showed her the documents.
It’s no joke, folks. Abusive, controlling people come in all stripes. Some are our lovers. Some are our bosses. Some are our landlords.
So, I’m going to assemble myself a posse. The government officials I spoke to today don’t have a sense of humor about this. Me either. I’ll let y’all know how it turns out. Wish me luck?
Anne Caroline Drake 
Pingback: Practicing What I Preach, Part 2 « Anne Caroline Drake·
Your flowers are very beautiful!
Thank you! Since I posted this, my landlord has killed all the koi and goldfish in the ponds and banded the feeding the abundant wildlife that lived here.
I like your new blog and your ideas, There’s a right of habitability in most states. If landlords fail to make repairs, tenants can legally withhold rent. In many cities, there are also on-line sites where tenants can review their landlords. I wish the tenants who lived here before I moved in had been more honest with their comments.