When our new neighbors, the Thompsons, installed glaring floodlights that disrupted our sleep, my wife Gia and I faced a dilemma. Susan Thompson, who was afraid of the dark and other things, insisted on keeping the lights on all night for safety. Despite our efforts to resolve it diplomatically, Susan’s resistance continued.
In a bid to reclaim our peace, I devised a subtle plan. During a day when Susan was away, I loosened the bulbs on their floodlights, making them flicker and eventually turn off. This brought us relief, and we enjoyed quiet nights for weeks. However, Mark, Susan’s husband, soon noticed and retightened the bulbs. The cycle of loosening and tightening continued until one day Mark suggested we leave the lights off, citing the frequent issues with them.
Our strategy worked—Gia and I finally enjoyed peaceful, uninterrupted nights.
