So I am driving my dad's big ol truck into the Circle K parking lot in Phoenix after having attended the Mormon temple.
I feel uplifted and glorious in my very soul. To further improve my sweet mood I had stopped by the local DQ for a gooey pecan mudslide with extra pecans and extra slide.
As you may well imagine, it is difficult to manage a big daddy truck in a tiny Circle K parking lot whilst enjoying a delicious ice cream treat featuring whipped topping, hot fudge and caramel.
There are several empty parking spaces available. I take two. I am loathe to put my confection down and attempt to struggle into ONE parking spot so my tires straddle the line. I sit soundly enjoying every mouthful of sin while my sister goes into the convenient store to supply my mother and I with water bottles. One becomes quite thirsty in the face of soft serve and nuts.
A grumpy brown man in his mid 40s parks two spots away from me.
He parks and gets out of his beat up pickup truck. He's got a rough cholo vibe, a shaved head, funky hairy scary facial hair and lots of menacing tattoos. Cholo stands before my truck. He checks out my parking job. He checks ME out. I am calmly eating my treat. Not molesting a fly.
Suddenly Cholo becomes ENRAGED. It is a sight to behold.
Cholo is waving his arms wildly in my direction. Cholo's eyes look as if they may explode from his pock marked face. Then Cholo begins to shout. At me. He shouts at me for all to hear. He calls me every awful cuss in the book. His fingers point at me and then my tires.
Cholo continues shouting low class insults and expletives in my general direction.
I sit on my perch. Doors locked. Calmly enjoying my creamy dreamy dessert. When our eyes meet I stare at him mildly and cock my head to the left, because I am left-handed. I lift an eyebrow. The left one. Because I am left-handed.
He sees no fear in me which infuriates the man in the white wife beater all the more. He becomes more irate and creative in his insults.
I believe he finally sees pity in my eyes. He takes his ranting into the store. I understand. I would not want to see pity in the eyes of a stranger on my behalf either.
This is not my only experience of this nature. A couple of weeks ago I was looking for an address in very congested downtown Phoenix. I accidentally cut someone off in that mad traffic. The man I cut off took the opportunity to pull up next to me, roll down his window and shout unbelievably horrid insults. Again all I felt was pity. I gave him a similar reaction to the one I gave Cholo.
And on both occasions I was grateful neither man decided to shoot my face off. I assume crazy, angry people like that carry arms (just in case someone double parks at the Circle K).
I am having to teach my children to beware of people for we never know what some are capable of.
I hate that.
The other day I was driving my 13 year old around town. She happened to have on a very scary Halloween mask. She also happened to hang her head out the window and shout
BLOUGH GAGAGAG BLOUGH GGAAA RAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
at every passerby. She startled elderly walkers and middle-aged joggers. Then she said,
BLOIUGHFKDJHGF GAGAGA RAAAAAAGAGAAAA!!! to a bike rider only several feet away.
Serena startled the biker so badly she wibbled and wobbled on her bike somewhat violently. Then she promptly proceeded to flip my child the bird.
Uh oh.
I did my best through my own tears of laughter to instruct Serena in the ways of righteousness and respect.
Respect means never scaring random strangers with Halloween masks because some of them may be armed and others will certainly flip a bird or two. Plus, it's not polite.
I think scaring people is hilarious. I just don't appreciate being scared myself. But I digress.
The subject is rage.
I am grateful this November 2012 to have the peace in my life necessary to function mildly and rationally even in times of stress.
I know there are those in the world who are lost. They are angry over awful life occurrences I cannot begin to comprehend.
I am grateful God has made it so easy for me to be happy. I have parents who love me. Siblings I adore, all 3. Children I would die for and a husband my very life revolves around. I have employment. Food, clothes and cable for my babies.
Tonight I plan to pray for the cholos that said those awful things to me. I'm so sorry for them. It must be terrible to be so hurt and angry with what life has dealt that common decency is no longer a virtue.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Let's all pray to find ways to serve one another and to be more mild and loving in our treatment of others.
I'm so super excited for Thanksgiving!!!!
PS WHERE ARE MY FAT PANTS??? I NEED THOSE!!!
