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Fear, a story November 23, 2021 4:22 pm podrock

Of getting my ass kicked.

A story from many years ago, when I was a younger man, and it was midnight, and I was out of smokes. The convivence store was a mile away, it was a warm summer night, so I decided to take a walk. It’s a college town, pretty quiet, I’m white and male and not worried. Until…

I reach a crosswalk at a stop light and am crossing the street on the green. A jeep comes flying up and screeches to a stop against the red just as I am crossing. I give the car a look – just that – a look of “what the hell?” Suddenly, the obviously drunk occupants start yelling at me out their windows about how they are going to kick my ass.

Uh oh.

I take off running. The light turns green and I hear the car burn rubber doing a u-turn to follow me. Now I knew this neighborhood like the back of my hand. I leave the sidewalk and cut through some houses and into the alley. Again the sound of rubber and road and u-turn. I’m running down the alley while my limbic system is calculating my options. Flight? Check. Fight? Against four drunk assholes? Not an option. How about hiding? Yes. Hiding is a solid option. There’s a house of a friend just a block down. That’s my goal before the headlights start coming down the alley.

Running hard at this point; in the dark. I see an animal in the alley next to trash cans. Considering the threat level I don’t care as I run by and see it is an enormous skunk. I’m moving too fast for it to even react. There’s the fence to the back yard! I vault it with adrenaline enhanced accuracy and roll myself into a ball like an armadillo next to the fence as the headlights sweep the night.

They pass. I take a deep breath, the first in about 90 seconds. But I ain’t going anywhere. I wait. A minute later, headlights from the other direction. They are determined to find me. I wait. One more pass. I wait some more tucked into the corner of the yard impersonating a pile of trash, a rock, anything but a guy looking to buy some smokes who pissed off some drunk rednecks hell bent on punching someone.

I waited about half an hour there until the coast was clear before completing my mission. I didn’t even wait until I was out of the store to strike a match to that first cig. And I kept to alleys on the way home; my head on a swivel.

I can’t imagine having to worry like that all the damn time, like many do, just for walking to the store, or jogging, or just being.

  • Deimos and Phobos by ER 2021-11-24 17:29:04
    • And there is a problem right there by Sui 2021-11-24 21:33:09
      • I'm an old and ugly man, too. by ER 2021-11-24 22:10:42
        • It’s not just to young and attractive women by Sui 2021-11-24 22:28:14
          • Validate their own self-worth? by ER 2021-11-24 22:57:03
            • Judging your own value by Sui 2021-11-24 23:09:21
              • Relationships don't always turn out the way we'd prefer. by ER 2021-11-25 05:50:59
                • Life by Sui 2021-11-25 12:32:22
                  • My Stepfather by ER 2021-11-25 13:18:48
                    • I think the appreciation of the absurdity of it all is required in order to stay sane... by RL 2021-11-26 15:32:54
                      • What a man he was. by Sui 2021-11-25 14:20:06
                    • I recently hit my 50th year on this planet... by RL 2021-11-25 12:10:34
                      • The World is a Beautiful Place by ER 2021-11-25 12:48:06
                        • It is, despite it all. by Sui 2021-11-25 14:20:33
        • and another perspective (lighthearted from my point of view) by Sui 2021-11-24 14:43:48
          • Point and laugh is a reliable tactic in many situations. by podrock 2021-11-24 16:21:50
          • From a different perspective by Sui 2021-11-23 22:32:16
            • Thanks for sharing that by podrock 2021-11-24 13:34:26
              • Sorry about that. by Sui 2021-11-24 14:20:30
              • That was a grim scene... by RL 2021-11-23 23:32:31
                • It wasn’t all that grim. by Sui 2021-11-24 00:15:22
                  • It was grim and consequences I did not accept by Sui 2021-11-24 16:21:33
                    • We ALL have prejudices... by RL 2021-11-26 17:33:52
                    • So sorry to hear that... by RL 2021-11-24 10:49:00
                      • I remember the first time that happened to me by podrock 2021-11-24 16:09:59
                        • It was standard advice back in the day by Sui 2021-11-24 16:15:23
                          • They had a self-defense class at my college for women. by podrock 2021-11-24 16:59:08
                            • The advice here was not to fight but run by Sui 2021-11-24 17:29:54
                        • thank you for thinking about your actions. by Sui 2021-11-24 11:44:12
                          • probably less than you think by Sui 2021-11-24 11:41:17
                            • Oh I can be quite clueless when distracted by work... by RL 2021-11-24 12:39:17
                              • You won't be the first one by Sui 2021-11-24 13:48:31
                                • Another tragic aspect of our society by RL 2021-11-24 14:59:46
                                  • It’s the younger generations too by Sui 2021-11-24 21:24:14
                                    • "amateur vs professional scientist" by podrock 2021-11-24 21:21:41
                                      • I’m in awe of them by Sui 2021-11-24 21:39:08
                      • I probably wouldn't run... but not because I am some macho badass...I just can't run fast by RL 2021-11-23 20:24:22
                        • Good choice. by podrock 2021-11-23 20:51:18
                        • You have to wonder what motivates assholes like that... by RL 2021-11-23 17:57:58
                          • A reflection, not on you, by Sui 2021-11-24 00:47:16
                          • You call them rednecks. by ER 2021-11-23 17:12:46
                            • Funny thing by podrock 2021-11-23 20:45:08
                              • With people like that the violence and stupidity increases exponentially with the number in the group. by RL 2021-11-23 21:34:32

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