Have you ever thought that there are unconsidered cycles effecting peoples stress levels and behavior toward strangers? Police, EMT’s and hosptial emergy room staff will tell you evenings of the full moon are definitely kookier. I think there might be other forces at work in what are apparently random behaviors that make it seem the world is going mad. Different kinds of people might be effected by different cyclical factors. I’m not gonna pull astrology on you, but I can’t entirely write it off either. I’ve noticed Spring is often a time of chaotic intensity for me, the most extreme example being in ‘98 when a series of strange events culminated in a neighborhood building fire. Nothing like standing in a crowd of hundreds, watching an eight story rager to realize ‘hmm, maybe it’s not just me feeling things have been off lately’ - strangely cathartic.
I’m in one of those periods now, strangers bowing up left and right. There are plenty of small instances, but two of the more dramatic I can vent to you now - part of what blogging is all about: I was on the phone last night, just having gotten through to an out-of-state friend I haven’t spoken to in quite some time, excited by the impending conversation. My dog was in a communal backyard area, unfenched, several small grassy patches connecting, in fact didn’t even have her collar on because I’d just applied flea medicine. She barked once and I snapped to scold, as I could hear an extremely agitated woman on her back steps ready to go to war. I was of course, right there, so emerged around the foliage to hear the following,
“Is that your dog?”
“Yes”
“OK. I don’t like dogs. And that thing needs to stay in your yard or there’s gonna be BIG PROBLEMS.” She and her two teenage kids where huddled on the stairs like my pet was an alligator.
For any who don’t know, my dog weighs 22 pounds and got her ass kicked by a cat the other day. But nevertheless, this unknown neighbor was in the right, people have a reasonable expectation to not be annoyed by unleashed dogs in the communal yard while coming out of their own rental houses. She was a black woman. And there is actually something to note about the strange ‘racist dog’ phenomenon. I don’t know where this comes from, nor do I know why children find it amusing to throw rocks at dogs in fences, but the fact is, my dog will also bark at chipmonks or the occasional bird, overall though, she’s not a ‘barker’. I do know I have not trained my dog to be racist; and for all I know, this unfortunate woman was once mauled by a rat terrier, perhaps is still burdened by scarred ankles. But her reaction struck me as a bit extreme. I think she felt I was blowing her off, as I was on the phone and my body language surely didn’t reveal excessive concern about her tirade. I was further urked that she seemed to think she was showing professional restraint, despite her ‘no nonsense’ demeanor. OK, the situation is over now lady, and no need for shotguns or lawyers to get involved. I believe the term is ‘hater’, in the vernacular.
But this cyclical negativity isn’t a black thing, or a woman thing, because on the way to Home Depot today, I had a similar encounter with a white male. He was stopped at the light in front of me, distracted by something, and when the light turned green, after what I took to be an appropriate wait, plus a nanosecond or two, I gave him a ‘beep’, not long and loud, but not soccer mom ‘beep beep’ friendly. He went inches, his car stalled (strange, as it was an automatic) then he went on. As I passed, both of our windows open, I could hear him ranting “Hey! Hey, you got a problem?!”, so at the next light, our cars in the two lanes side by side, I lowered the passenger side window to hear his shpeal. ‘Here we go’, I thought ‘this might be road rage’. He was a rural chap, not much older than myself, I assumed not from ATL, as drivers there clearly have thicker skin about such common incidents.
“Hey, you got a problem?!?”
“No problem. You didn’t go in a timely fashion, so I honked.”
“I looked up at the light. It was red, I looked down, and you honked. I don’t need you honking at me!”
Peckwood’s jaw was working in a strange way as he talked. I considered he might be on meth, or chewing sunflower seeds, or possibly both (dope that takes you to squirrel consciousness, far out). In any event, his sense of time was distorted. After all, I saw the entire thing through his back windshield, when his head went down, when the light changed.
“OK”
I said and continued to stare at him. The angry white male standoff. I know how to escalate a situation, and I know a bit of jedi mind trick diffusion. I am not the driod you’re looking for. I wasn’t gonna back down, but I did bite my tongue and not say what I wanted to, which after several seconds would have been, “What, do you wanna hug?” Plenty of people with chips on their shoulder in this world, always a bigger fish. Pick and choose your battles. In fact I soon needed to get into his lane to turn, and said as much to him, as our slowspeed visual standoff continued. He made a gesture of allowance, but I was nervous, as he’d been so fired up seconds before. But apparently his inner cowboy was placated. Maybe Homeboy has been having some recent trouble with allergies… Inside the store I considered he might try and fuck with the borrowed vehicle. Luckily all of the jackhammer and concrete mixing work I’ve been doing lately in the emerging heat has me feeling nice and level headed. *Ahem*

Is this karma for some recent contrary blog comments I’ve made? Is the universe trying to tell me to ‘chill out’? Again, these are only two heated stories in a series of recent general snubs. Then I remembered the cyclical negativity theory. Even if you’re showing restraint and general goodwill, sometimes the pressure will simply be ratched up for no apparent reason. Other forces at work.

Also, I realized, if you walk around looking exhausted with a few days beard growth, covered in sweat and filth, even if it’s in a place that sells building supplies, people will look at you like you masturbate to videos of baby seals getting clubbed, which is completely untrue btw.