Flame on
Last night, I was at my neighbor’s for a carnivore’s delight – I brought the dessert champagne and cannolis from Angelo Brocato’s. We got to talking about guns and having one and when would you use one. I said unless I was protecting somebody else’s life, I’d have a hard time pulling a trigger.
Fast forward to this morning – I was walking in the park with Loca having already gone around the bayou with both dogs. It’s a little cooler here but still very hot. We got into the park and the grass had all been cut and the moss was hanging fat from the trees and the quality of light was striking – an overexposed feel to it like it had just rained (it hasn’t). I was marveling over how unbelievably beautiful and tranquil the park looked and felt glad to see it coming back around two years close to the anniversary of Katrina.
As we rounded the lagoon, I saw this blonde haired woman who has an overweight black lab – she was yelling at the dog to come out of the water – and when it did she started hitting it repeatedly on the head – and then she started running with it again and still was punching it hard in the head – my stomach was tightening up but I didn’t say anything. Then she took the leash that she was holding and hit it hard across the head and the dog yelped in pain and I couldn’t bite my tongue. I yelled out, “you stupid ugly bitch don’t hit that dog!” And she yelled back, “Shut up, you idiot.” And I said, “Hit that dog again and I’ll hit you.” She kept running and said, “Shut up.” I said, “You should be locked up with Michael Vick you stupid ugly bitch hitting a dog for going in the water when a lab’s very nature is to go in the water. Stupid ignorant bitch.”
I had to sit down and meditate on a bench after she ran off. I put my middle finger to my thumb and said LALALALALALALALA repeatedly until my breathing calmed down. Loca flopped down by my side, pink tongue hanging out of her black lips, she looked up at me sensing something wrong. I thought I could have hit that woman. Could have taken the leash and hit her upside the head the same way she had hit that dog. But you know what? Her dog would have probably attacked me in order to protect her. And there you have it – loyal to a fucking fault – and yet these precious creatures get in the hands of stupid ignorant ugly humans.
No, I shouldn’t own a gun. I already own a temper.