Friday, October 12, 2018

This Does Not Compute

It's possible, I imagine, that you're just
an unpleasant person, young man who
runs his bull mastiff and great Dane mix
through this public park deliberately
oblivious to the presence of others who
react in startled little nervous tics when
they're confronted and go into panic mode
when they're walking their own small dogs
on leash. Those large and powerful beasts
are nowhere in your sight-line so you must
imagine, rather than directly witness the
trepidation their presence brings. Perhaps 
you bear some amorphous grudge? Have 
an aversion to the presence of others? 
Enjoy the prospect of your dogs-at-loose 
galloping toward people and their dogs 
forcing them to react to a potential threat? 
The dogs are possibly no threat to anyone
for reality often belies appearances, but
they are persistent and not given to ambling
off elsewhere when their focus is fixed on
a trembling little dog begging its human
to lift it out of harm's way. And when the
dogs jostle one another their muscular
bodies come in too-close contact with
those of people, some elderly, on those
narrow pathways between the urban forest.
Bystanders happening by as others apply
themselves to extrication from the dogs'
presence, tend to take in the situation and
pick up speed as they rush by. And you
do eventually 'catch up' to your dogs'
antics, say nothing, do nothing and your
dogs follow, then once again streak ahead.


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