MYOB
Wow, I just had such an ugly encounter, made even uglier by its complete blindsiding unexpectedness.
There's some lovely art in a yard on my way home from points west; I try to ride by when I can to enjoy it. It's a group of knee-high statues of people seated and standing; I initially called it The Choir bc that's what it looked like to me. Then one day a few years ago a man who lived in the house told me his uncle makes them; they're of the various family members, and he adds new ones all the time. How lovely is that?!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/editrixpdx/2295409204/in/set-72157603996467855
I try to bring my bike rides past there to enjoy it, and I tell them the story, and folks are always charmed by the sweetness. But when I rode past today (solo), all but one were covered with blankets and sheets. Surprised, I asked a woman seated on the front steps of the house: "Oh no! Are the statues OK? What happened? Why are they covered up?" and was stunned when she aimed a flamethrower of anger at me, screaming and cursing, saying in essence "because folks like you [sneering hateful glare up and down] think you can just come by and look a them and take pictures of them and that's not right." Ummm, OK. I attempted to mollify her with a polite "Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that--I just love the art!" which elicited another outpouring of vituperative anger.
I'd had about enough hate for one day so I started to ride off, but I had to ask "So...if you feel that way, why put it in your front yard?" and wow, did that unleash a nuclear holocaustic tirade too ugly to quote, but the PG-13 version would be "None of your damned business, bitch!"
To me that's much the same as the twerps who cover their bodies with highly visible, eye-popping tattoos (or other forms of body art) and then screech if you look at it. You know what? If you make a public spectacle of yourself, you have to suck it up when people spectate.
So, an ugly unsettling end to what's always been a moment of quiet joy for me.
There's some lovely art in a yard on my way home from points west; I try to ride by when I can to enjoy it. It's a group of knee-high statues of people seated and standing; I initially called it The Choir bc that's what it looked like to me. Then one day a few years ago a man who lived in the house told me his uncle makes them; they're of the various family members, and he adds new ones all the time. How lovely is that?!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/editrixpdx/2295409204/in/set-72157603996467855
I try to bring my bike rides past there to enjoy it, and I tell them the story, and folks are always charmed by the sweetness. But when I rode past today (solo), all but one were covered with blankets and sheets. Surprised, I asked a woman seated on the front steps of the house: "Oh no! Are the statues OK? What happened? Why are they covered up?" and was stunned when she aimed a flamethrower of anger at me, screaming and cursing, saying in essence "because folks like you [sneering hateful glare up and down] think you can just come by and look a them and take pictures of them and that's not right." Ummm, OK. I attempted to mollify her with a polite "Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that--I just love the art!" which elicited another outpouring of vituperative anger.
I'd had about enough hate for one day so I started to ride off, but I had to ask "So...if you feel that way, why put it in your front yard?" and wow, did that unleash a nuclear holocaustic tirade too ugly to quote, but the PG-13 version would be "None of your damned business, bitch!"
To me that's much the same as the twerps who cover their bodies with highly visible, eye-popping tattoos (or other forms of body art) and then screech if you look at it. You know what? If you make a public spectacle of yourself, you have to suck it up when people spectate.
So, an ugly unsettling end to what's always been a moment of quiet joy for me.