Funny how life can take you by surprise. I never thought I’d be talking to my kid about superhero knickers. The bright laundry that our neighbour Lisa seemed to wave at us every day got my son Jake interested. He thought she was a secret superhero wearing knickers that made her move more smoothly.
As Jake became more interested, I felt more uncomfortable. As soon as he asked to hang his Captain America boxers next to Lisa’s “crime-fighting gear,” I knew I had to step in.
With tact in mind, I walked up to Lisa’s door and was ready to talk about the problem. She didn’t want to change how she did her laundry, though. She told me to “loosen up” and even gave me fashion tips with a laugh.
I didn’t give up, so I came up with a way to beat her. That night, I made the craziest, biggest-than-normal granny pants I could think of. The next day, while Lisa was away, I proudly put my work in front of her window.
The pants war in the neighbourhood had begun when the stakes were raised. The next step would depend on how Lisa responded. Would she give up, or would the fight of wits and laundry keep going?
During my wait, I couldn’t help but think: had I gone too far? Or was this the best way to get back at them?
Lisa may never say why she did the crazy things she did in the laundry room, but our neighbourhood will never look at pants the same way again.
How would you have handled things differently? If you could have chosen, would you have played a game of one-upmanship for fun or taken things more seriously?
