Harriette Cole: My neighbor’s bossiness about parking has gotten out of hand

DEAR HARRIETTE One of my neighbors is an older woman who treats everyone on our street like we are her children Related Articles Harriette Cole My boss follows my social media and I don t know what to do Harriette Cole After my wedding she blasted me as pretentious Harriette Cole I threw myself into planning our parents party and this is what I got Harriette Cole My son won t forgive me for being a mama bear Harriette Cole I m on a new path but my boyfriend wants the old me She has chastised people about their trash and lawns and her latest focus is parking We live in New York City and I understand that parking is generally hard to come by but our block is pretty quiet and multiple people have driveways Over the past sparse weeks she s noted something to me four or five times about how I park my car at the curb She wants people to be as close to each other s bumpers as practicable to ensure we are leaving maximum space for others to park Sometimes I just walk away but the preceding day she stopped me and requested if I heard her and if I planned to move my car I think this is getting out of hand What is the best way to ask my overzealous neighbor to take a chill pill Parking Police DEAR PARKING POLICE You can tell her that you hear her about whatever gripe she is addressing without changing your action What will happen She will be disappointed as she also discovers that she does not have complete control over the neighborhood DEAR HARRIETTE I am one of the various people who have lost their job this year due to the pushback against diversity equity and inclusion programs I have an advanced degree and decades of experience in my field and it doesn t seem to matter I am having a complicated time finding work in this conditions What s worse is that a few of my friends and colleagues have been saying that they think people of color have been wrongfully advanced and have taken their jobs Particular are questioning my credentials saying I possibly wouldn t have gotten as far as I did without a handout I am shocked I worked more than years to build to my level How does this anti-DEI mindset get to wipe out my entire career What can I do or say to defend myself Under Attack DEAR UNDER ATTACK I am sorry that you are in this situation One thing that is happening is that people don t understand what DEI programs are for The notion of leveling the playing field so that people of all backgrounds have a fair chance at opportunities was the driving force behind any of these programs It was not to give anyone an unfair advantage Related Articles Miss Manners My grandson calls this woman Nonna and I m not OK with that Dear Abby I picked my baby s name and now I m recounted a hypothetical child has dibs Asking Eric My rituals to keep my loved ones alive have taken over my life Harriette Cole My boss follows my social media and I don t know what to do Miss Manners I d been growing my hair out and the barber blithely chopped it off That mentioned plenty of people of diverse backgrounds have gotten educated and built their careers dynamically without any added assistance People aren t generally given a job they must earn it For jobs and programs to be wiped out because various don t want a woman person of color veteran or disabled person to apply seems unfair Talk to your friends and colleagues When on job interviews tell your story Let people get a window into who you are and how you have built your life When people discover the fullness of others who are different from them an opportunity arises for them to have a broader understanding of who they are Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams You can send questions toaskharriette harriettecole com or c o Andrews McMeel Syndication Walnut St Kansas City MO