I was thinking about my next door neighbor this morning.

when I first moved in last fall I went out onto the back porch to smoke. i didn't know I wasn't allowed to smoke outside or anywhere on the property, I just knew there was no smoking inside.

this was in the middle of the night. Suddenly I heard loud yelling and protesting from him, "SHE'S SMOKING!!!!!!!" He was saying to someone. his windows must have been open.

so I went back inside. 

This was all followed up by two-year-old banging on the wall into my apartment by him that ensued for the following hour.

i had a resentment. Who did this man think he was? The apartment police? And what is he, perfect? That he's judging me to such an extent? didn't he have the gonads to face me with his complaints?

I wrote it out. I saw I had assumed i could do something without asking. It's ok. No one died. going forward I never smoked on the property again. Simple.

over the next few days I saw this man again and again and each time I saw him I was cordial and polite but I didn't people-please him Or apologize to him for anything. I simply ignored what had happened. He looked embarrassed. I didn't feel embarrassed at all because I didn't hide OR react.

ever since then he still takes measures to avoid me in the hallway or front walkway. I go about my business freely.