But I’ve gained ..
The boundaries are physical, yes. They are foot dras, fences, pins, stream beds, lines of recognition, legal descriptions and court orders. But they are also psychological. They tell people how or you expect to be treated. They tell you how far you are willing to be pushed before you stop negotiating with disrespect. When someone crosses a boundary and you go back just to keep things nice, you may think you’re preserving peace. Sometimes you’re just putting off a bigger transgression.
I’m not saying that every dispute needs a bulldozer. Most people don’t. Some need a conversation, a survey, a handshake, an apology, a shared repair bill, a cake on the porch, a little humility on both sides. I would have welcomed some of that before the lake. It would have helped to correct an honest mistake.
But an honest mistake stops when it proves wrong.
