I met negative neighbor again today. “I love your dress,” I said truthfully.
“It’s not a dress. It’s a skirt and top.”
“Well, it’s beautiful.”
“It’s old.”
“Well, you couldn’t buy anything new that is any prettier.”
“I’d like to try. I’d like to go shopping. This stupid lockdown has messed everything up.”
“The lockdown is easing,” I said, “A lot of stores are open again already.”
“I can’t go shopping now. I’d be afraid of getting covid.”
Moment of silence. Couldn’t get away from her. She blocked my escape route. “How are your mom and dad?”
“Fine, thanks to me. They take a lot of looking after.”
“But I’m sure you’re glad to still have them. So many people have lost their parents.”
“Looking after them takes up all my time.”
“They are fortunate to have you.”
“My dad wants to get a dog.”
“Dogs are wonderful companions.”
“I’m the one who would have to take care of it. I don’t like dogs.”
Still blocking the escape route…
“And Mum wants me to do more in the garden.”
“Well, it’s been lovely, warm weather for working in the garden.”
“It’s too hot. It hasn’t rained enough. I have to water everything. It’s hard work.”
“Well, it’s good exercise.”
“I hate exercise. Mum won’t do her exercises. She would be better if she did. She would be easier to look after. I hate exercising, but I do mine.”
“I’m sure you set a good example for your mom. She might decide to do what you do.”
“She won’t. She’s stubborn.”
Me: edging toward what I hope is an escape route.
“I also play the organ for two different venues.”
“How lovely that you have musical talent. Playing beautiful music must lift your soul.”
“It makes my back hurt.”
Me: edging closer to the car next to mine that has me trapped in the parking lot and hoping I can make it around her. Escape foiled. She moves directly in front of me.
“And now they have other instruments joining in with the organ. I have to practice a lot.”
“God created music. All musical instruments glorify Him. God must be pleased by the lovely praise.”
“It’s more like the instruments are talking to each other than it is like music.”
“But the final outcome is still praise to God.”
“With all those different noises? It’s confusing. I don’t like confusion.”
I push around her and run for the store—forgetting that I can’t run because of my knee replacement and the hip that still needs replacing. Sometimes fleeing negativity is the best answer. Especially when the negative person missed the Bible reading on the day it focused on 1 Timothy 6:6, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
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Stephanie Parker McKean 
Oh Steph, you couldn’t win, could you? Isn’t it exhausting when people are so negative? I’m glad that despite your knee and hip you were able to escape, and I hope she sees the light one of these days. Negativity is the fastest way to lose sympathy!
PS Still, conversations like these have an upside. They are food for your fabulous books!!
HaHaHa! Thanks, Val! You are right…material for building characters!
I’d say you are long-suffering, my friend. Not sure I would have been quite so gracious with her. The words out of my mouth might have been, “You should spend time thanking God for what you have instead of complaining about everything.” But you handled that beautifully. Praise God for you. And those words you said to her will have an affect. Our memory is wonderful for storing up things we say that we shouldn’t have and for bringing to mind things that others tell us which we need to hear.
Val is right. If nothing else, good material to use for another of your fantastic characters. 🙂 Or maybe I will in one of my stories. LOL
HaHaHa! Feel free to use her as a character in one of your books, Sharon – there’s plenty of her to go around!
She was in a fine fix. Positive neighbor was very patient.
Thanks, Oneta. I feel sorry for her and her missing joy.