Lavender picking neighbor gets told off by homeowner

You're not supposed to take things that aren't yours—this is something that is ingrained in us from a very young age (or at least it's supposed to have been.) We were all taught that taking Little Jonny's red ball out at recess without his permission wasn't ok. Although we might still hold a grudge against Jonny for being a tattle tale (we were going to give it back), it doesn't change the fact that some valuable lessons were learned. These lessons and new-found boundaries should have stayed with us into our adult years—yet many people haven't quite gotten it right. 

The ethics and application of this rule become more difficult when you encounter things that could be yours but aren't. If you wanted to take it, it's yours… and the thing's not really that important anyway. Plus, no one can see you taking it anyways. So do you take it?

This homeowner has an elderly neighbor who frequently walks by their home, picking lavender along the way. The lavender is the homeowner's, and it grows quite close to the boundary of the pathway and the neighbor's walks. The frequent picking is enough to make a dent in the bush and just be what the homeowner found disrespectful and gear-grinding. When confronted about it, the neighbor was dismissive, offering a snide comment in the form of unsolicited advice. Frustrated, the homeowner turned to this online community to see whether or not they were in the wrong for their feelings and the confrontation. Readers offered their advice and passed judgment in the comments.