I wrote about my neighbors' chit-chatting just minutes after the earthquake in July. Now I am writing more about their chit-chatting. They are actually my neighbor's tenants.
Every morning (read again: every morning), they convene along the pathway in front of our house with their coffee cups or cigarettes on hand. How early in the morning? Around six to pass seven o'clock. It is not just in the morning but several times a day. The morning routine is the consistent one.
I got a tick on my eyes every time I see this sight. I can't help cringe and be amused as to how people can afford wasting precious time every day. Six, or even earlier, until eight o'clock in the morning is supposed to be very busy in starting the day. But for these people, no. They seem to have no plan than to chit-chat as their day-starter.
But mind you, it's even at night!
I am not supposed to care if that is what they want with their lives. However, they are causing inconveniences to others especially us who are right across their meeting place.
The noise
There were instances when they wake me up as early as pass five o'clock with their noise. They talk on the pathway as if they own the world at that early morning. There were also instances when I was still working from home with my corporate job, I had online meetings and they were so noisy on the background. It was a shame with my colleagues.
The negative influence
Their convening attracted other neighbors who join in. Our house front looked like standby area of bums.
One early Sunday morning on my way to the church, I caught one of the neighbors (a housewife) got inside our front yard and was chatting with one of my tenants. "Now you even come inside my property just to gossip!" I thought. I can't help commenting.
"It's too early and you're already chit-chatting. Don't you two have anything better to do?" I asked without looking at anyone of them to avoid singling out.
My tenant took the hint and she just smiled timidly. However, the neighbor seemed insensitive and answered me back.
"All are already done."
Ah, I am not a housewife but no one can convince me that all morning chores are already done by just pass six o'clock in the morning. So I answered.
"Maybe so but find any other productive tasks to do other than chit-chatting this early." I was so careful not to use the word gossip. Then I left them. The scenario did not happen again.
The garbage
Cigarette butts, candy wrappers and other garbages accumulate in their meeting area.
The negative outlook
Once I was passing by them from a store with one tray of eggs. One of them commented in local dialect, "Good for you madam. You now have stock." Who can't buy a tray of eggs if you make use of your time wisely? There was also a time when I heard one of them ask for coffee from someone else. The latter answered that they also ran out of coffee. Then a few of them commented about how hard life is.
You expect coffee to just appear if you keep wasting time like that? It won't fall from the sky. You have to go earn it. If you keep wasting time and living like a king when you're a bum then you don't have the right to complain about life.
A few times I politely told them to stop convening in front of our house. I explained to them the negative consequences I mentioned above. I even pointed out the garbages around them. They denied the garbages. I told them that it may not be them but I cannot point at anyone else because they are the ones there on a regular basis. So if they don't want to be suspected then they should stop. Somehow they stopped, but only when I told them to. Then they forget after few days and go back to their old ways.
One time, I saw my tenants were the ones standing by. I called their attention not to do that again. I told them that I am trying to stop our neighbors so they, my tenants, can't be like the neighbors. They stopped.
How I wish I can make these people realize that they are wasting a lot of time which can be used for more productive tasks. If you don't have a job, go find one. Do not stop until you do. If you are waiting for a confirmed opportunity, use the waiting time to find side hustles or useful stuff - create paper, needle, wood or any craft. Just make yourself productive instead of gossiping. If you think "it's just few minutes" that you are wasting, think again. That is like throwing away one peso every day and saying "it's just one peso." It cannot be "just one peso" if you cannot afford a tray of eggs or are asking coffee from your neighbor.
Few minutes can mean a lot if used in a productive way.