Rant #3,763: Up In Smoke

We have lived in our current community since November 2023, and i must say, I have grown to like where we are, to a point.

We aren't that far away from where we lived--where I lived for more than 50 years--so I can still easily visit my usual places without too much trouble.

This is our second location in this community, with my family and I moving to our current apartment in April, and even though the rent is much more expensive in this apartment, we are getting so much more for our money, including a larger apartment, a room to put stuff that had been in a storage facility, and a terrace--we are the only people in the development with one.

Yes, even with all that, take it from me ...

There is nothing like living in a house, and this latest place simply can't compare with a house.

And we are living in a 55-and-older community, which has taken us more than a year-and-a-half to get used to, if we are used to it at all.

There are younger people who live here--some grandparents who have custody of their grandchildren and, of course, my son.

Other than that, we only see older people here, and that, in itself, is a bit of a drawback.

It is better to be in a community with people of all ages, but you kind of get used to it.

Kinda.

Being in our late 60s, my wife and I are probably in the middle here as far as the age span, so there are some people in their 50s, and some others in their 80s, or older.

There are no real amenities here; there is a community center, where our apartment is located, and where the mailboxes and laundry room are, as well as a large meeting room, but that is it.

They do have weekly activities, like a book club and bingo, if you are interested.

It is a busy area, but honestly, it is pretty quiet.

And when you have people living here ranging from 55 years of age up through the 90s, you get a real cross section of those we consider to be senior citizens--

And yes, you have these general stereotypes of older Americans here.

You have a lot of crabby and nasty people here, as well as pleasant residents too.

Some people here are nosy, some people just want to go about their business.

On Saturday, I had a slight altercation with some of my fellow residents here.

It wasn't the first little tussle I have had, and I have found that whatever the age, some people are just simply nasty.

Since my family and I live in the community center, we park right in front of that building.

I had a couple of things to do on Saturday morning, so at about 9:30 a.m. in the morning, i left our apartment and walked down to my car.

People have a habit here of stopping their cars in the middle of the street and talking with friends, and Saturday morning, someone did just that, but they were standing in the middle of the street behind my car.

Again, this is a busy part of the development because not only are there apartments in the building, but the mailboxes and the laundry room are in the building, as is the comminity room.

As they were talking away, I needed to do what I needed to do, so here is what happened.

"Excuse me (no acknowledgment from them)."

"Excuse me (finally acknowledged) ... Excuse me, can you move your car, I need to back out? Thanks."

The woman talking to the driver turned around and said to me--

"We aren't done yet. You will have to wait," and then went back to talking as if I wasn't even there.

"Look, I asked you nicely ... could you move the car?"

The driver in the car yelled at me to get in my own car.

"You know, i don't think I asked you something so terrible. All I asked is if you could stop yakking and just move the car so I can get out. God, what is so difficult to do?"

The woman mimicked me, repeating exactly what I said, and then she and her friend went their separate ways as the car finally moved out of my way.

The woman proceeded to the front of the community center, and she gave me a nasty look as she opened the door and entered, and I pulled away.

She must have been in her 70s, and like I said, you get all kinds here.

I just had to shake my head in disbelief at this little bit of nonsense.

Again, I don't mind living here, I miss the old house, but it is what it is.

On Sunday, we had a small barbecue, so until I wrote to you about this slight tussle, this altercation pretty much went up in smoke.

Poof!