Mantra: HOA trash isn't worth my attention 🗑️
I Focused on Something That Doesn’t Really Matter — and I Snapped at My Kid 💔
Our HOA has been messing up trash collection lately — they skipped picking up our biodegradables again. On top of that, they’re rolling out a new vehicle sticker system which, in theory, is fine… but the stickers themselves are cheap, not even weather-proof (print fading after a week as per those who got them already).
Little annoyances like that have been running in the back of my head, stacked on top of bills to pay and work deadlines (these doesn't usually bother me. I prolly just woke up annoyed because of the trash thing).
Meanwhile, Kai — my son, who’s completely innocent in all this — has been extra clingy. Like velcro. He's 9 months old, teething, and of course deserving of all our love and attention.
We had just finished dinner, and I was still glued to the HOA group page waiting for some kind of response about the uncollected trash. Right then, Kai let out the loudest, most dinosaur-like screech 🦖 the moment his mom stood up to grab the dishes.
And I snapped.
“KAI!” — in my full “authoritative” voice.
He froze for a bit.
I felt terrible immediately. The anger and annoyance I’d been carrying from the HOA bled straight into that moment, and Kai caught it.
Now, looking back — I don’t even care that much about the trash. Let it pile up outside. Who cares?
What I do care about, more than anything, is how my kid feels.
That’s what matters.