Hobson's Choice

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The goddamned dog

And then there are people who are not talking on their cell phones, after all:

A few years ago, I would jump about 3 feet in the air when I would hear someone having a conversation with themselves in public. I would think, oh my, there is someone who isn't even trying to hide that they are talking back to the voices in their head. And then I would notice that the person was carrying one of those nifty little phone around and that they were talking on the phone.

And now, some years later, I like most other folks, have a nifty little phone, and I'm used to hearing people talk on them.

But occasionally, there is no phone.

Today's case: I'm out walking the dog and a neighbor is leaf-blowing (a neighbor I've never seen before). He's talking. I think he's on a phone. And then I start hearing the phrase "you and your goddamned dog" every few seconds.

He has no phone. And he hasn't exactly hailed me; he's not exactly talking loud enough for me to hear him fully; he's not shouting; he's just talking in this flat monotone and staring alternately at me and his leaf blower.

And saying, "you and your goddamned dog."

Is there a neighborly protocol for this? I mean, you're supposed to be neighborly with your neighbors.

I decided that the neighborly thing to do was to act to preserve both of our dignities and to pretend that I had absolutely no idea what was going on.

But I think I know who sent out the anonymous letters in the spring about how trashy our house is.

12:27 p.m. - 2005-10-27
0 comments

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

previous - next

latest entry

about me

archives

DiaryLand

contact

Other diaries:

My cool neighbor Heather's blog

Literary Mama

J.B. Sundries

Donut Buzz

MUBAR

Sandi Kahn Shelton

>

read a random entry of mine

>