Picking my battle

So I am learning quickly people are not what they seem.  

Yes, I am just figuring this out.  

I know I am too old not to know this by now but I always figure people are good at heart they just need a chance to show it. I am learning and to my pessimistic friends chagrin (feel the sarcasm), when it comes to people they are right on. 

People are not good at heart.

This was one pass worth of dirt caked inside the cabinets.

I guess it comes from the nature of the human.  At the core of our instincts we take care of ourself first and then our family or our pack, screw everyone else who is in the way.  

I subscribe to a very different mind set but lately it has not served me well.  I have been walked over and treated badly and drug through the mud, for what seems to be mostly for the sport of it, by these people who always hide behind the idea they are taking care of themselves and theirs and they do so by kicking the nice guy.

What ever happened to helping a brother out? What happened to paying it forward?  What happened to doing the right thing because it was the "right thing" to do?  Why is it people still subscribe to the mentality that this is a kill or be killed style society?  We are long past the days where this mind set applies.  Just think, if we all spent more time holding ourselves accountable for our actions we would spend a lot less time in court fighting over who's fault it is.  I have to believe those who are wrong know they are wrong, they are just trying to get away with something.

This is the trash that was left for me when I
 moved in, yep just sitting on the floor.

And sometimes they do.

That's the real shame of it.  There is a benefit for being a jerk.  A benefit for getting one over on someone else and there are people who feel good about it. (I feel bad if the checker forgets to charge me for something at the store and have been known for going back in so I could pay for it).  So those who get enjoyment out of pulling one over on someone else really cause me to stand back and ponder.  

I made the mistake of moving a carpet, this was
what was underneath.

As I settle into what is the inevitable fight with my current landlord, I wonder why he is choosing to fight this with me.  He has to know in his heart of hearts that he did not do what he was supposed to do.  He has to know I shouldn't be responsible to live with his mistakes and he should know the right thing to do to make the situation better would be to fix the problems the right way or to let me out of the lease and he can visit the place in the summer and live in it any way he wants, plumbing and electrical issues and all.  But no he insists on making me live through this mess. 

This was the mess on the floor that was
left in just part of the bathroom.

The courts will have their say but the part that makes me uneasy is that I could quite possibly lose.  I could possibly be told not that he wasn't right in doing what he did but that in my case the law may not protect me.  And through no real fault of my own, except I refuse to pay good money to not live in a clean and healthy environment, I could possibly have to pay this man lots of money for not wanting to put up with being treated like crap.   Sending him the message that not only can he not take care of his rental property but then he can also treat people like crap and when they stick to their guns and say this is not ok, he can still profit.  

I am hoping of course the opposite message is sent but either way, I am sticking to my guns.  This time I'm not playing. I picked my battle win or lose, when it comes to this  there is no more Mr. nice guy...er...gal.

All the personal belongings they left me, well not
 all just what was on this desk ..in one room.