Walking the Walk

I did something Saturday I don’t do very often. I took myself for a walk.

Friday I saw an insert in the paper about a YWCA rummage sale. I like rummage sales, I said Rummage sale! Woo! I wonder where it is? If it’s close maybe I’ll go. And I looked at it closer and it was the YWCA right down the street! And I said Cool! I’m so going.

I have wanted to see if they offer any classes or activities I might like ( answer: No they did not, unless I wanted to take wheel chair aerobics). I’ve gone by there a few times but always after hours - They aren’t open many hours (old people go to bed early - and always with Dogger. Dogger is a great conversation starter but she does not provided entree into tours. Most business have a strong anti-big glomping dog bias.

So I had never been in.

Saturday morning I got up, pilled everyone, fed everyone and then kissed everyone good bye. I went to the car, but then I started thinking: It’s really close and if there is a big crowd, for surely there will be, I may not be able to find a space and I might even end up parking far enough away that I might have just as easily walked. I should just walk.

And so I did. The YWCA is on a street that I haven’t walked Dogger on in a while because the last time I walked Dogger there, I got spooked and decided I would not walk Dogger there again. I also decided to not forget to lock my car doors when I drove there. One of the fist times Dogger and I walked there, we were just walking along and then next we were extras in New Jack City II - Jacked Up. There was a scary looking guy laying in await - Looking all the world like he was literally laying in wait, like a hyena in a do rag, like he had been directed how and where to stand and how to look. He was right out of central casting. If I hadn’t been so freaked outI would have said Dude! What’s with the cliche? Look at you! Can’t you do any better? God! You look like you belong in the opening credits of an Eddie Murphy movie circa 1984! Really! Did you piss off someone in wardrobe? Oh, and your director is a HACK!

But I wanted to keep moving. If these guys wanted to do a road show version of Colors I was not interested in playing Unfortunate Passer By and so I booked. I got passed the hack scariness only to be startled by a panicked looking Hispanic guy bursting out of some shrubberies. He was running from someone. It may have been an invisible someone, but he was fleeing and terrified. And I was standing there in the bright sun, in the middle of the day and I suddenly wanted to run for cover.

Dogger and I went home by another route and I didn’t walk there again for a long time - Only to be scared away many months later when we did go back, by what I am only assuming were two crack whores. They didn’t do anything particularly threatening but they knew I was there and I didn’t want them to go all crack whore on me. Also, they were not suitably afraid of Dogger - As defined by squealing, pleading and running away. I’m comfortable with that response, I am uncomfortable when people do not fear Dogger. It’s like walking down the street with a .45 in your hand and still getting mugged. Lessen being, even if you can't pull the trigger at least don't let anyone know it isn't loaded.

But. This time no crack whores or thugs from central casting. It was also ten in the morning on a lovely Saturday and it was nice. I strolled to the YWCA, discovered that they and I do not define rummage sale the same way and I walked home. What a difference a year or so makes. And I found out my local thugs and crack whores don’t work first shift.