I’m a 35-year-old guy living in a quiet neighborhood with Mrs. Johnson, our beloved elderly garbage woman. She’s in her 70s and always goes the extra mile. Enter Jake, a 20-year-old brat new to the area, living off his parents’ money, and acting like he owns the place.

One day, I saw Jake throw a big bag of garbage in front of Mrs. Johnson, sneering, “Pick it up. It’s your job.” Furious, I was about to step in when karma intervened. Jake slipped on wet leaves, landing in a puddle of mud, his fancy clothes drenched.

I called a couple of neighbors, and we surrounded Jake, who was struggling to get up. Mr. Parker, a retired police officer, told him, “Mrs. Johnson is respected here. We don’t tolerate disrespect.”

Mrs. Johnson handed Jake the trash bag he’d thrown. Humiliated, he apologized. Then Mr. Daniels, another retired officer, suggested Jake help Mrs. Johnson with her rounds for an hour.

Jake reluctantly agreed. He tried to avoid touching the trash, but Mrs. Johnson made sure he did it properly. Sweaty and dirty, Jake was out of his comfort zone, but had no choice but to keep going. By the end, he was thoroughly humbled.

As he handed back the gloves, he muttered another apology. Mrs. Johnson nodded, “Respect is earned through actions, not words.” Jake trudged back to his car, looking defeated. Since then, we haven’t seen him, and the neighborhood feels more peaceful. What goes around truly does come around.