The responding officer spoke with both of us, confirmed that the gathering was taking place on my property, and made clear that Linda had no right to treat my driveway as her permanent parking space.
Her SUV wasn’t damaged.
Nobody threatened her.
But because she’d parked on someone else’s property before an invited gathering, getting out required waiting until enough vehicles could safely be moved.
Eventually, one of the club members repositioned his car.
Linda drove away without saying goodbye.
A few days later, she came to my door.
“You embarrassed me.”
I looked at her.
“I asked you repeatedly not to park here. Then you made me miss a medical appointment.”
She didn’t offer much of an apology.
But she finally admitted she shouldn’t have been using my driveway.
She never parked there again.
Months later, when the weather warmed, I hosted another breakfast.
Fourteen cars came this time.
Linda’s SUV remained exactly where it belonged.
On her property.
But standing outside that morning, smelling coffee and old engines while Robert’s friends laughed around me, I realized Linda hadn’t been the only person who needed to learn something.
