The Eternal Question...Who's Weeds Are They?

 Oh, I suppose it's not the eternal question, but an eternal question. I took a philosophy class at the University of Utah (and passed with my faith intact, if not strengthened...). There are several eternal questions discussed in that class, but tonight as I straddled the property line separating our lot and my neighbors and pulled weeds, I wondered...

Who's weeds are they?

The assumed answer is ours, of course. Instead of grass or some other ground cover, we decided to place rocks in the few feet separating our driveway and our neighbor's lawn. It's too steep on our side to grow grass and I didn't want to run sprinklers on that side of the house so rocks it was. I thought--problem solved! Of course an occasional weed will pop up from time to time. I can handle a few weeds.

Turns out, it's more than a few. I remember talking to my neighbor and letting him know of our intensions to spread rocks between our properties. He said it was okay--if he had an issue with it, he didn't tell us. Tonight as I plucked pesky weed after pesky weed, I wondered...are these our weeds or his? I mean, they're right on the line.

The back half of our lots are fenced. He installed his last year. We followed suit this spring. There's a distinct line separating things. If a weed grows on our side, it's ours. But, where there is no fence, it's up for discussion.

I guess, at the end of the day (and the property line...), they're our weeds. The reason is he planted grass. His grass stops weeks from exploding--sort of like a natural fence.

I could be a jerk about things. I choose not to. I'll pull them. I guess the question isn't as eternal as I thought.