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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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