Wise, But Grumpy Uncle

Mr. Şevki had reached important positions in his professional life. Afterwards,

He continued providing consultancy for five or six years due to his knowledge and competence. He was a disiplined, knowledgeable man. He had a good intellectual capacity. He was now retired and it had been a long time since he left business life.

When the weather started to warm up, he went to his summer house like every year. He loved to spend time there. The was satisfied with the clean air and sea.

He wanted to spend nice days in his summer house. He had his own program. 

He would get up at six in the morning and go for a walk. He walks to where the stone oven is. Then he was coming back the same way. Sometimes he walked with friends of the same age group, sometimes alone.

Without having breakfast, he was walking to the beach with his towel. After swimming in the sea, he was coming back walking. While he was on his way home, he was picking a handful of fruit from the fruit trees around.

He also offered one to each of the neighbors he met on the road. He was eating healthy. The amount of food he put on his plate was obvious. He eats fish every Wednesday evening. He would leave the table at a certain time. In the evenings, neighbors would go to each other and play cards or backgammon. It had almost become an after-dinner ritual.

It was a forty year old residence. Over time, everyone in the summer residence became familiar with each other. Very few houses were sold later. Therefore, the grumpy, helpful, hard-working person of the residence was obvious. There was a tailor, a repairman, a doctor in the residence. Holidays, special day celebrations were organised in a modest way. Even, at the beginning of the summer, jams and fruit pulps are made with apricots collected from apricot trees. Towards the end of summer, winter preparations were made with tomato paste and tarhana,the winter soup. The ladies were giving recipes to each other and making preparations together.

There were also residence meetings. It could be competitive. Here, Mr. Şevki’s involvement in the residence management as the Chairman of the Council was beneficial for everyone. He knew the procedures and the rules. He could also provide the authority. He was always pleased to be able to share his experience and knowledge in this way. There were a lot of chores responsabilies in the management.

According to him, his own choices were the best way of life. He always thought that he was doing the right thing and that he knew best. His neighbors could also remain silent to his directives for the respect of his age and knowledge.

The houses were detached, with two-storey; it was in blocks lined up side by side with small gardens in the back and front. It was like a paradise for children and grandchildren. Families could feel comfortable by letting their children out in the garden with nature.

Şevki Bey was famous for being right on every issue. He also got angry at his neighbors from time to time.

His first target was children. He was constantly interfering. Sometimes he got angry at them making too much noise, sometimes at the way they rode their bikes or sccoters.

One day, they even had an argument with the mother of the child who left the gate of the residence open. Seeing him pulling his ear, his mother shouted, "You can't pull my child's ear, if there is a problem, tell me." Bu he did not mince his words or he did not take a step back.

He also calls their parents to him with a hand gesture. He was trying to train a 45-year-old woman like his child." Look at what I’m saying my dear, why are you running after the child so much? Leave him alone." He was literally holding her back by saying come and sit here. When the woman tried to get up, he could go so far as not to allow it.

He had a fight with a neighbor over trees and said, 'Why don't you pick up the fallen fruit? ' he shouted. Once he started, he wouldn't stop. It starts with the type of fruits and their effects when they rot. He gives a speech about not wasting them. He could continue until it was disturbing and felt them inadequate.

He was constantly warning his other neighbor that his balcony was not being washed at the time he wanted. The lady was fed up now. Mr. Şevki wanted the place to be dry in the evening. But she had to clean the balcony in their house according to the everybody’s arrival time from the sea. But Mr. Şevki was definitely not flexible enough to accept any way of life other than his own order and truths.

He dressed appropriately and cleanly. He knew how to behave properly. That's why people were able to show respect for it for a long time. But he couldn't be flexible. He could not deviate from what he knew and could not listen to anyone else.

At the same time, he was very attached to his property. He did not spend easily. He would even repaired the broken plastic outdoor table, glues it from several different places. Even when it was ready to be thrown, he couldn't throw it. Even if he was eventually convinced that it couldn't be used, he would make sure it was used somewhere else on the residence this time. He would also keep track of when he was there.

Of course, life continued to bring stories accordingly.

Everyone on the residence now had to have maintenance done. He was replacing the balcony stones that had worn out over time. There were people who enlarged the balconies, had cabinets built, and had windows and shutters installed.

His neighbor next door had a similar renovation done. He had his balcony completely surrounded by gray glass. A few years ago, Mr. Şevki trimmed his neighbor's vines nicely, saying they were blocking the sea view. But now half of his view was completely blocked. He was extremely uncomfortable with the situation. There was a man on the residence with whom he got along well. They would play backgammon together for a long time. When the house next to theirs became vacant, he moved there. He was telling to the whole residence, how bad his old neighbors were.

He continued to publicly declare the correctness of his decision by saying, "Oh, that's what being a neighbor is like," and appreciating his new neighbors. However, when his friend passed away less than a year later, he was left alone.

A person eventually gets the reward of whatever he did. When man had everything in his life, the more he saw himself as right or find hımself fullfilled, the more he lost. 

Relationships requires bonding. A person cannot be won by telling every truth that comes to his mind.

There were no people left with whom he was walking, nor could he find anyone to chat with or even fight with. People were passing by greeting each other from a distance, but they were constantly finding excuses to avoid being a guest. His own children and grandchildren would come to visit him without staying for a long time.

Having knowledge and skill makes a person strong. This power makes people attractive in communication. But with that power, you also need to learn to be compassionate  and merciful to people. It is necessary to be flexible and tolerant while being helpful to people.

In other words, in order to master the relationship, it is necessary to be able to provide mutual benefit. 

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"Since the existence of humankind on Earth, the greatest friend and foe have never changed. The person in the mirror..." 

Yahya Hamurcu 

Who’s Who? The Art of Understanding People 
Mastery in Relationships 
The Psychology of Success
Mastery in Avoidance
Designer (Strategy Design)