and what do i see?
many enibriated folk (that's understandable, it's friday night...)
then i descend into the subway to catch one of 2 trains i need to take to get home. what do i see?
1. some drunk guy that looked like he was in his 40's, peeing in between the subway cars. he returned to the two friends sitting near where i was standing...he wore tacky navy blue and white plaid pants and a sky blue button down shirt. his fly was wide open...
2. i get off of the train to wait at a station for the next train. i sit and pull a book out...this way, i don't have to see, hear, (got the iPod in) or have to talk, although, lately, a book and/or earphones seem to invite questions from the numerous dumbasses that ignore the simple fact that my face is planted in a book and/or i can't hear them because Kurt Cobain is shouting in my ear about teen spirit... anyhow...i'm reading. all has been well, noone bothers me...then comes a guy, he sits next to me, even when there is an empty seat on the other side of where he is... he proceeds to stare at me. his entire head is turned to the right and is looking at the side of my head. now, EVERYONE can tell when someone is staring at them because there is this sort of tension...or uneasiness. so, i look. because EVERYONE will look towards the area from where that uneasy and tense staring is coming from. i look away. i tend to sit at the tip of the seat mostly because i have my bulging knapsack on, so, i take the knapsack off and move my back up against the seat.
now, the sucking of the teeth, the little annoyed laugh comes... i look, because i'm human and what else is there to do really?! and the guy says, "are you irritated because i'm reading your book?" i look at him and say, " i didn't say anything to you about reading my book."
because it is always wise to confuse the fuck out of someone hell bent on instigating trouble so that perhaps they can take all of their life's frustrations out on YOU in front of an audience to further give them more power by having witnesses...
-i COULD have said:
"why would anyone begin reading a book at page 222?" (causing further confusion)
or
"i'm awestruck you can read!" (elevating this guys wishes FOR a confrontation)
or
"fuck off" (inviting physical harm)
so, i chose the most inane, silly approach, i repeated his question by making it a statement (give or take a few words)
the guy then contiues to sit next to me, and proceeds to whistle, hum to himself etc. etc. i continue to read.
i didn't get up
i didn't stop what i was doing
i didn't give him power over what I WANTED TO DO which was to sit and read in peace.
of course, he got up and went away.
;-)
lessons learned:
if you're gonna wear tacky assed pants, make sure your fly is up
if you're gonna pick on what you may perceive to be a meek, shy, weak white woman, make sure it ain't me because i'm not white, meek, or weak. get over yourself and stop blaming any race that isn't your color for your shortcomings.
life is tough all over. go talk to the guy in the plaid pants...
~~~
i was going to hit the diner and get an early breakfast but as i rounded the corner to head towards my building, i see an extremely young guy (high schooler?) hitting on a very large (okay fat) older woman wearing short shorts and looking shameless. he said, "i can show you a good time" she says, "i don't think so".
that cements the simple fact that it'd be safer to deal with the daytime numbnuts, then the wacked out weirdo trouble makers that seem to plague the new york city night life and were sure to be at the diner delivering chaos to the poor waitresses and unsuspecting early birds. no wonder everyone gets drunk...it's the only way to get through the night.
so, i'll venture out later this AM to get a carton of eggs, some monterey jack and sharp cheddar, and italian bread. i'll make my own damned breakfast in the quiet and sane universe that is my apt.
ciao and peace out!