Today’s my birthday, and since it’s a rather significant one, it got me thinking about all of the things I used to worry about and how a lot of it isn’t important to me anymore. For instance, does it really matter if the dinner I prepared for friends didn’t come out just perfect? After all, isn’t it more important to enjoy the company rather than the pot roast? And how about those winter guests you always felt obligated to invite? Well, guess what, after a certain age you no longer feel obligated. But one of the really important issues that you just have to let go of are problems with neighbors, specifically condominium neighbors and condominium regulations.

After having lived in a condo for almost 18 years, the best advice I can give anyone thinking about buying one is don’t sweat the small stuff. Condominium life on paper is a wonderful carefree lifestyle, and it can be, but you have to have what I like to call a condo personality.

A condo personality is one that is happy to see the grass being cut and doesn’t really care if the landscapers missed a six-inch patch. A condo personality is one that is happy to see a new coat of paint on the building and overlook the inconvenience of having the painters wash their equipment where you have to walk to your car. A condo personality loves the heated pool and forgets the controversy about the legal and environmental use of noodles in the pool, and a condo personality is one that will tolerate your neighbors’ loud TV from time to time since they’re 90 and hard of hearing, but lovely in all other respects.

Basically condominium living is designed for the good of the community and not necessarily for the good of the individual, meaning that sometimes you need to put your standards on the back burner. That said there is a wonderful sense of community that exists in most condo complexes. Residents pull together to make decisions on property improvements and maintenance and enjoy companionship and social activities that may not be available in single-family home communities.

Serving on the board of directors in the association in which you live can be a very fulfilling experience. Most of the time residents who do not serve on the board are happy and grateful that someone else is taking care of business, but there are certainly plenty of residents who do not participate and complain no matter how equitable you try to be.

Board members have an important as well as a fiduciary responsibility to all residents, and unless there is gross mismanagement or incompetence, other owners should voice their opinions, make carefully thought out suggestions and not sweat the small stuff. I love the condo lifestyle and have decided that I would rather adopt the live and let live motto than clean the pool.

So happy birthday to me. I plan on having my husband buy me an obscenely expensive dinner and then get on a cruise ship and enjoy it all with very good friends. And if it’s not absolutely perfect, believe me, I won’t care because I’m at the time of my life where I refuse to sweat the small stuff, and you should be too.