Several times a week I ride my bicycle to the supermarket. Just before the crest of a short hill I cross the exit ramp from a major highway. I have never had a problem before, but I always try to look in the eyes of any driver waiting to enter from the highway as they will be crossing in front of my path. I usually have traffic on my left (continuing straight ahead) and this traffic on my right trying to exit the highway. The road is loaded with potholes, and usually glass from fender benders. I have done this enough times that I have worked up a good head of steam to crest the hill at a good pace.
This morning, after I had crossed this intersection, I pulled to the right as I needed to cross the road and enter the market parking lot on my left. There is a traffic light as it is a four way intersection. As I pulled over someone exited from a car (cars were backed up waiting for the light to change) ahead of me and started running towards me arms waving and screaming obscenities.
I am used to people yelling at me...usually, for some strange reason, they tend to drive trucks. However, someone getting out of a car and charging towards me raises the fear factor to a whole new level. Service repair people who feel they own the road weekdays 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is one thing. Psychopaths, in a violent rage, well... I'll be honest, I was scared.
The strange thing is that the individual was not really screaming obscenities, by the purest of definitions. An obscenity (in Latin obscenus, meaning "foul, repulsive, detestable"), is that which offends the prevalent sexual morality of the time, is a profanity, or is otherwise taboo, indecent, abhorrent, or disgusting. As I mentioned, I have been called everything under the sun by "truckers". Actually, since most of them drive utility vans, they may be too wimpy to be called "truckers"! The wimps in their utility vans usually yell out something with a sexual connotation. Tough guys, venting their frustrations before they make their noontime Comcast installation or Roto-Rooter call.
This guy was using religious terms. He was waving his arms and screaming at the top of his lungs. I was wearing a backpack, to carry my groceries, and a bicycle helmet. To the best of my knowledge, my attire was not traditionally religious.
As my fear mounted, the traffic lights changed and horns started blaring. I raised my arms up and down to encourage everyone to join in. The guy stopped short, looked around and walked back to his car.
I don't know what I would have done if he had continued to run towards me. I am not a "fighter" and my only potential weapon, a bicycle chain lock, was in a saddle bag behind me. This one incident does not indicate that we are becoming a more violent society. However, troops returning from service with psychiatric disorders to neighborhoods suffering from rampant unemployment, domestic violence among the rich and poor (see Mel Gibson), gratuitous violence on television, and incendiary political rhetoric in every civic auditorium, newspaper and in your local coffee shop are the fodder for a dysfunctional society.
I could have done something stupid and called the guy a "dirty rotten daikon". A daikon is only a mild-flavored, very large, white East Asian radish. However, it could have been the fuel to fire his rage and resulted in serious injury, in all likelihood, serious injury to me.
Sticks and stones may break my bones -
and words hurt, too!
I removed my link to my Conan The Barbarian comic books for this post. I am non violent for the remainder of the day!
May I recommend for your enjoyment: Water is an intrinsic part of most spiritual beliefs
You may also enjoy reading: No gay men in our seminary at this time
I am by no means ready to die! So, with that fact established, let's begin at the beginning: See links for all the Genesis posts to date: Genesis Through My Eyes
In my not too distant past, if I were to see a street person, a bum, sleeping in a door front or on a park bench, I would have kept my distance and perhaps shrugged my shoulders.: He had the "smarts" to ask someone where to go, I didn't
Fortune has allowed me to come full circle and return to my earlier interest in photography. I am at that age were some weight loss would be beneficial. I certainly don't believe all photographers need to starve, but my initial goals are realistic, if not humble. The industry has changed tremendously, but the possibilities are unlimited. I am grateful that my parents' gave me a generic name. It's allowed me to explore numerous paths unhindered.
"I continue to seek exquisite beauty in my images, exploring all techniques, old and new".
web blog: Epicurean Health
web blog: Comics Legends and Lore
web blog: Timeless Snippets
