Living in a community has its pros and cons. However, lately, I feel like the cons are winning and I would seriously consider hauling ass someplace else if our girls wouldn’t care.
Why am I wanting to leave? A few reasons. And, yes, I will detail them here. Enjoy!
First, we live in an HOA community… but the HOA enforces rules like grandparents do. Which is to say they don’t. And if they do, the rules they seem to care about are stupid ones. For example, we have received 2 notices so far about our garbage cans being left out one day after garbage day. One MF’ing day. Yet, the people across the street from us have been street parking since the dawn of time. Normally, I wouldn’t care. I don’t mind rule breakers because I myself like to skirt around the rules. However, these MF’ers park right in front of my driveway, making it difficult to back out or reverse park. Might I inform you that backing up is not my strong suit. I have hit telephone poles, parked cars, road barriers,etc when trying to back up. It’s been an ongoing life battle.
Thankfully I haven’t hit them….YET. You aren’t allowed to street park in my area, but apparently the HOA folks see my garbage can and not the two beat-ass cars hanging out on the street.
Second reason I want to leave: the amenities are lacking. Yeah, yeah. We have a lagoon. Does that sound snobby of me to poo poo the US’s first man made crystal lagoon? I’m sorry. I really am. I want to love it, but this lagoon is a glorified public pool. It’s not restricted to residents, so you have ‘outsiders’ coming in and trashing the place. I literally found a used diaper just tossed in the sand one day. I can handle poop and vomit like a champ…but it really bothered me that people can be so disrespectful of a place. The lagoon, even though it’s one year old, looks dingy and gross…IMO. Plus, it’s not very family-friendly during the summer. There’s a bar so people are constantly getting wasted. Parents not watching their kids because they are boozing it up. People making out in the water and dancing on tables like it’s MTV’s Spring Break.
Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy drinking. But I don’t think it’s healthy for kids to be around adults constantly getting trashed. Sure my kids have been around me when I’ve been drinking and usually it’s fine. But I’ve had a handful of moments that I’m not proud of. Specifically involving me hitting a mailbox and puking in my driveway. Let’s leave it at that. Very, very embarrassing and a life-changing moment for me.
Since then, I have drastically shifted my own behaviors and what I expose my kids to.
I’m not telling anyone how to parent… I wouldn’t dare because I’m not perfect. But because of that atmosphere, we really don’t go to the lagoon. That’s the main reason people buy in my neighborhood. It’s literally the only amenity we have, and my family doesn’t use it. Why am I here?
Final reason, the parents/people that live here. Ok, not all are bad. There are some really great people here. However, recent events on Facebook have me irritated.
Here’s the deal. High school kids in our neighborhood have apparently started a boxing club. They meet 2x week on a dead-end street and beat each other with gloves on as other kids watch. They have an Insta account and post their fights.
Well, people in my neighborhood found out about this club and lost their shit. They took to Facebook where all problems are solved, and complained about the kids. Why aren’t the parents doing anything? How can we let this continue as a community? Somebody needs to call the cops!
I read all this and thought…I clearly had a different childhood then these folks. I’m not at all horrified by what these kids are choosing to do. Am I alone? Am I wrong?
I’ve done some messed up stuff. Things that could have really gotten me hurt. Hell, my friends in high school used to have hard core fights where they would jump off ladders and land on each other. They’d hit the other person with folding chairs and land in a pile of thumbtacks. Crazy ass shit!! And we would all go to watch them beat each other up. Think Jackass meets WWE. It was entertainment.
Is that right? Probably not. As a parent… I wouldn’t want my kid getting beat up or hurt. But my kids also wouldn’t choose to get beat up or hurt. That’s not their thing.
Thing is, there literally isn’t a lot to do for teenagers…
So, maybe I’m desensitized to the fights because of my childhood and sensitive to the fact there’s nothing in this community for teenagers to do. The lagoon doesn’t host events for their ages….there’s no community center or basketball courts like other developments. So they found something that brings them together. It’s organized. They are choosing to box. I don’t love the idea. I hope they stay safe and don’t get hurt. But I’m not about to call the cops or go yell at them.
Shoot, part of me wants to go give them advice. Like, why TF are you having your boxing event in such a public place? Of course you’re going to have people get involved and get upset. Go somewhere more private. There’s plenty of clearings around us where they could stage their matches without people knowing. Half the reason some of these people are angry is because they can’t sit out on their patios in peace and quiet enjoying their Seagrams Wine Coolers.
Location location location.
All kidding aside (because I would never really give tips like that to kids), I just think that sometimes it doesn’t “take a village.” Sometimes you have to let parents handle their kids. I’m pretty sure these kids’ parents know their kids are boxing. If they don’t have a problem with it, why should I?
What is ranting on Facebook going to do? Besides annoying the hell out of people like me?
Did I say any of this to the folks on FB? I started to type an opinion…but then stopped. Mainly because I know it won’t do a bit of difference. These people will go forth with the mindset they have now. Regardless of what anybody else says. So, I’m using my blog to spew out my opinion. Because that’s what this is here for.
Sigh….so here I am. Living in a community and feeling like an outsider because I’m not all rah-rah for this place. If anyone from my neighborhood reads this and you’re upset with what I’ve wrote, I’m sorry for offending you but I won’t take back what I said. This is how I feel. And you might feel differently. That’s cool. We’re different, and I respect that.
Let’s move on….and someday, I will eventually move out. Or just leave the Facebook group. Ignorance is bliss after all.
This so spoke to me! I’m going thru issues living in a plan. Love that I’m not alone! Lol
I agree 100% with your sentiments about parenting- I don’t understand why parents are so bothered by kids boxing. Seems like the alternative is for all kids to meet up online or gaming, from the safety of their bedrooms for some good quality social-skill building.
I think things will get better in here and we’re having some growing pains right now with the lagoon. I know there’s a lot of good quality families in here. Hope you guys hang tight!!!
Agree. 100%