random brain droppings

I had walked about two miles. After a winter’s lock down, it was a lovely day. False spring, because I know Winter is not done with us.

I was tired and in pain. It’s a ‘good’ pain, a side effect of the cancer immunotherapy that has kept me alive well past the 10:1 odds period, perhaps into the 20:1 era. I’m still here. I appreciate the pain. It means the science is working; the clinical trial is saving my life; it may save others. I may be almost done. The oncologist may stop the monthly treatments in March, no later than May; that’s when the Trial ends.

It’s a good pain, but it still poisons may attitude some days.

I had passed the lake, turned back, and walked over the park road to a short distance on the ‘Shared Use Trail’. That’s bicycles, joggers, and walkers, even slow walkers like me. And, then, just before the turn off for home, there they were. Today’s test.

Two boys on skateboards. One teen-ager, perhaps 14, the other younger, ten?

‘Shared Use’. Bicycles. Joggers. Walkers. That’s all.

No dogs, no unicycles, no motorized scooters, no rollerblades. No Skateboards.

The second boy veered off the asphalt path into the mud and launched off his skateboard. He didn’t hurt himself. He never hit the ground. He caught himself on the signpost. That signpost. The one that says, “No Pets. No Rollerblades. No Skateboards.” That sign.

Perhaps our tax-gutted schools are so bad now, the boys cannot read? I suppose that is possible. Their parents were right behind them and I know this trail and I know that is – at least – the third “No Skateboards” sign they have passed since the nearest parking lot.

I turned my eyes back to the path and turned off onto the spur that takes me to the underpass and back home, back to the pain meds waiting in the bathroom cupboard.

I did not give them Stink Eye. I did not point at the sign and then point pointedly at their pointless children. I did not make that well-justified, arrogant, superior, face-of-disgust at Our-Modern-World. I just turned off onto the spur that takes me home.

Today, I was not “that Crazy Bitch who created an Incident at The Park!”.

Today, I was just jane, turning my eyes to the path and turning off to home.

Today, I passed my “Don’t Be An Asshole” test.