A Blessed Good Friday...
Today is one the most high holy days in the Judeo-Christian calendar (the other is this Sunday, which is Easter), but all of you out there already KNEW that much.
And to those that observe this holiday weekend, you are ALL the salt of the earth (that's still a good thing). Even we "lowly Protestants" had a rule in OUR house; we didn't eat MEAT on this day AT ALL (thank you McD's Fillet O Fish sandwiches for coming to my rescue)! And between the hours of Noon and 3PM, Mom didn't allow any unnecessary NOISE in our house, either...AND no cussing!
That was a real big thing with her.
What you probably did NOT know is that in our part of the city, although there is a veritable cornucopia of CHURCHES of every denomination and religion, I will wager that with very few exceptions, those churches will most likely be less than full.
How do I know this?
I'm glad you asked.
You see, we have this (chronic) "problem" down here (among SO many others)...and it's a PEOPLE problem. We have people (and believe me, I cringe when I call them that, because they barely fit the parameters) down here that don't believe in church...or God...or basically anything other than annoying everyone else every single day. And THAT they DO perform with a gusto unrivaled anywhere else in this city. Talk about an "alternate energy" source!
Case in point:
Take THIS moron, (out into some street and shoot him) for example.
It's an 80s era Camaro Z28, with T-tops, and twin wide black stripes down the hood and rear deck and has factory color-matched mag wheels, driven by a black male.
See anything WRONG with this car (other than it has had more than it's share of Bondo and primer applied)? The windows are tinted WAY TOO DARK, and that presents a problem with police officers, as they cannot see into the vehicle should they ever need to approach it for any reason (and there are many). It's ILLEGAL, period.
And since this isn't a VIDEO, you'll just have to take my word that his bass-riddden kickerbox in the hatch area is TOO DAMN LOUD. He can be geard BLOCKS away, trust me. Yessir, a typical "Po-Boy Ghettosled" if ever there was one. All he needs are some huge DUBS to roll along on, and he's "phat" to go.
Quaintly enough, "we" have a history, this idiot and I.
He came booming down the street REAL slow one day (not yesterday as the photo shows,, but late last year) when I was outside raking leaves, and if looks could kill, he'd already be dead. He stopped and then backed up to where I was. I went into "defense" mode immediately (damn that traning), as my gun was under my jacket on my hip, and at the flip of a snap (and heartbeat) would be "in hand". He rolled the window down, and proceeded to mouth off and "diss" me for shining my LASER into his car (which I do to ANYONE that is a nuisance...it's NOT against ANY law...I've CHECKED - and had an article written by Frank Gray about another such incident involving me and a laser pointer). He also gave me a sob story about having his car "shot up" (Gee, wonder why? Could it have been over NOISE? Or Drugs? ), but I wasn't really buying into the ":poor me" rap. I've talked to his kind before, and you've got to be a pretty damn good liar to fool me.
He wasn't convincing enough.
I told him straight up, he was just too damn loud, and that he shook my house every time he passed. He said "I thought you were cool, but you seemed BIASED". He was wanting to say "racist"...you could tell, but I knew what he "meant", none the less. I told him I can be very cool when you get to KNOW me, but I draw the line when people DISRESPECT ME or MY PROPERTY for NO reason. I have just as much right to live here and NOT tolerate other peoples' disrespect, and even MORE so, because we OWN this house (for the past 10+ years - a novelty in it's own right). Our hands aren't out to ANYONE for ANY reason. He seemed to understand (I knew otherwise), but I gave him ONE "freebie" (benefit of the doubt) in that regard.
Everybody gets ONE.
He SAID he wouldn't play the music loud when he came by the house. Fair enough. I told him I was good with that and appreciated it. He then left. And for a month, all was cool...and quiet with him.
But then something WEIRD happened...he must have FORGOT what he said (drugs will do that to people), because he started coming around again, thumping his ass off. So I got back on the LASER and I shine it IN HIS FACE EVERY DAMN TIME he comes along. And if he EVER stops again to confront me, he might want to RETHINK his initial decision in that matter. I've tried talking to him once...and that didn't go far. Now it's time for Plan B.
I would hate to shoot him, and I'm sure he'd hate to die, but $hit happens. I do have a few other things in MY "arsenal of annoyance" to let him be privvy to first.
I've just taken so much from all these idiots for so damn long, that I'm deciding what's "best" for me and my wife...NOT anyone else.
I've practically PLEADED with the FWPD Quadrant Captain to do SOMETHING about this guy over the YEARS (that's right...YEARS), and yet he keeps coming back around like the proverbial BAD PENNY. This jerk LIVES to drive by OUR house (when there ARE other streets he could take). Be nice if he HAD A DAMN JOB, instead of leeching off of some welfare baby-maker in another block. Just a case of NOTHING being done to stop ONE person (AGAIN), let alone all the other boomers, and litterbugs, vandals, rapsist, arsonists...well, you get the idea.
Yeah, it's a damn (sorry, God...and MOM) shame it can't REALLY be a GOOD FRIDAY (or any other good day of any good week). But that's the way survival goes down here. You put your head down, and plow forward, and NEVER let them take what is yours, because if you so much as give them an INCH...they WILL take an ACRE!
The GOOD news is, it can't get TOO much worse.
The BAD news is it won't be getting any better anytime soon.
So, in spite of the issues down here, I can at least wish all of you a very blessed Good Friday, and a very Happy Easter (and remember, even Jesus got cheesed off at least once...ah yes, the temple money-changers and the scourge of rope).
But if you want to light a Novena for us & say a prayer...I have absolutely no problem with that.
Everybody gets ONE, right?