Welcome to the Neighborhood

I live at a good address in the big city that has some less-than-pleasant neighborhoods. I pay more money than I like to for shelter in an area where I feel safe and have amenities I wish to enjoy. I have to take care of myself, as no one else can.

This morning, I took my trash outside. Parked within 25 steps of my front door was a bright red, 4 wheel drive, off-road, desert-raping pickup truck. The sort of pickup truck that is so large, I could not enter it without using a step-stool. My legs won't stretch that high. The sort that, when one looks in the rearview mirror and sees it following, makes one think, "I believe that monster could come just a little closer and devour my modest Nissan." The sort that has a chrome grill resembling monster's teeth.

On the rear windshield were the requisite decorations - the ones that make me get really loud and feisty. In a world full of offensive assaults, I suppose we should pick our battles and I've picked mine. I detest and abhor those chrome silhouettes of women, usually displayed in pairs, both with devil's tails, one with a halo, one with horns. These items make me go off. I've been known to get unpleasantly mouthy when faced with these things.

However, this morning's specimen went a little farther. I suppose the owner of this red vehicle could read, because there was a bumper sticker (with words) posted between those two chrome women. "I Heart Violence". I am certain I gasped audibly, that was so offensive to me. I am a person who can be pretty irreverent and laugh at inappropriate things. But that's not funny to me. Because I hate violence.

Now I admit to a broad streak of Pollyanna in my makeup. I'm idealistic and maybe a little naive. But that one put me over the top. I believe I'll lock the front door the next time I take the trash out in the darkness just before dawn.

This post will be brief as I am working in the shadows on a series of posts to run the next several days to a week. It is a special time. I have some things to say. I hope you will enjoy reading them.

In my ears right now: The sound of my blood circulating, because I'm still appalled by that slice of expensive nastiness right outside my door.

Something that charmed me (yes, it was before I saw the pickup truck): There is a 1991 movie I love for every reason that is ummmm . . . esoteric. I watch it once or twice a week. I know what notes of the soundtrack will play during any line of the script. Alas, this movie has not been put on DVD, so I keep a VCR in the home and handle the videocassette gingerly so as not to break the fragile tape. I believe the film was not put on DVD because only myself and 7 others on the planet care for it. (Although I learned in Blogger profiles that there actually are others like me out there and some of them are even men! I've never known a man who would like this movie.) The movie has been put on DVD! At eBay prices, I'm bidding on two of them. One for now and one for later.