It is downright hellish if you have to live next door to toxic people. If your neighbors are sloppy, entitled, and hate cleanliness with a fiery passion, it impacts your quality of life, not just theirs. But what do you do if your neighbor refuses to clean up the rotting Halloween pumpkin they’d left out on your shared porch for over a year?
That’s the dilemma that u/weenzmagheenz faced. She turned to the internet for advice, asking whether they’d be a jerk if they were to celebrate the nasty pumpkin’s one-year birthday. Scroll down for the full story and to see what the internet had to say about the bizarre situation.
Take a moment to digest just how nightmarish a pumpkin would look if your neighbor left it outside for a year
Image credits: weenzmagheenz
A frustrated person wanted to throw a one-year birthday party for their nasty neighbor’s pumpkin after she left it out on their shared porch
update
Image credits: weenzmagheenz
Later, in an update, the author shared more details about the bizarre situation they found themselves in
Image credits: weenzmagheenz
Avoiding any and all confrontation isn’t healthy. If your neighbor’s behavior makes your life worse, you need to have a chat with them, instead of dodging the question
Not all confrontation is bad. And you can have arguments that are positive. The simplest, most straightforward way to handle any situation where your neighbor’s actions negatively impact your day-to-day life is… to talk with them. Directly.
If there’s a problem (say, a rotting pumpkin that’s plopped on your shared porch), you need to address it. People aren’t mind-readers. And some folks have the self-awareness and emotional intelligence of a rusty teaspoon.
So, until you tell them that there’s an issue, they might not even realize their behavior is causing a problem.
Of course, you don’t have to be overly blunt or disrespectful to get your point across. Quite the opposite. Be calm and diplomatic so that your problematic neighbor doesn’t take things personally and doesn’t get defensive.
Meanwhile, don’t be a pushover either. You have to be firm and clear about your expectations. Get on the same page about whatever issue is bothering you (like the nasty one-year-old remains of a pumpkin that has literally melted into the porch).
Obviously, all of this is easier said than done. Most people don’t enjoy conflicts. They’d rather have the issues solve themselves. Or they’d prefer to leave a (passive-aggressive, often anonymous) note and hope that their toxic neighbors take the hint and, well, change their entire personalities.
In our experience, if you don’t address serious problems head-on, they tend to get worse over time. This applies equally to dealing with your neighbors, friends, family, coworkers, etc.
Avoiding all conflict isn’t healthy. Be friendly, kind, caring, diplomatic, whatever you need to be, but don’t rely on sheer luck for your issues to go away.
If your neighbor turns out to be less than friendly and doesn’t see the rationality in getting along with you, escalate things from there. Get in touch with your local homeowners’ association or landlord. Ask them for advice or to step in and mediate the conflict.
Meanwhile, get in touch with the authorities if your neighbor is damaging your property. If things continue getting worse, have a chat with a lawyer about potentially taking the problematic individual to court.
Just weigh how much time, money, and energy going to court might cost you, when you could settle things by having a few (not so pleasant but very honest) conversations with your neighbor.
Depending on the size of your pumpkin, it can last a few months if it’s uncarved and stored properly. But it definitely won’t survive a year outdoors
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle /unpslash (not the actual photo)
Neighbors aside, let’s talk about pumpkins. Obviously, you shouldn’t leave organic Halloween decor out in front of your home for a year. It’s embarrassing. It’s yucky. And it’s likely going to get you shamed by your neighbors online.
Broadly speaking, how long your pumpkin lasts outdoors will depend on factors like whether or not it’s carved, its type and size, and what the heat and humidity are like.
As ‘Country Living’ points out, uncarved pumpkins can last from 2 to 8 months, which is an incredibly big range.
Typically, smaller pumpkins fare better than their larger cousins. Meanwhile, if you want them to last longer, you should store them in a cooler, shaded place. If it gets really hot outside, bring your pumpkin decor into your home.
However, your carved pumpkins are far more susceptible to decay. They likely won’t last much longer than a couple of days in hotter climates and just a week when it’s cooler.
“Once carved, mold, bacteria, and critters work quickly to break down the pumpkin’s flesh. […] So ideally, wait until the day before Halloween to carve your pumpkin. If that’s not possible, store your carved pumpkin inside, preferably in the refrigerator, until it’s time to put it on display,” ‘Country Living’ suggests.
A few small things you can do to make your pumpkin last longer include leaving the stem intact, rubbing the outside of the pumpkin with petroleum-based gels (such as Vaseline) to prevent bacteria from entering, and placing flameless candles inside.
What would you do if your neighbor left a pumpkin on the porch you share for over a year? When is the last time you called out the people next door for their behavior? Have you ever had to deal with Halloween-related toxicity in your neighborhood? You can share your experiences and advice in the comments.
The internet had mixed opinions about the pumpkin drama. Here are some people’s perspectives
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