part 12
Well, it's monday again. For another few moments at least. Funny how the time flies when you have stuff to do. Write another paper, work on a serial illustration project, make things for the christmas sale at the school...I though I was kinda lazy lately until I started totting up how many open works are on my desk lately. Including this serial four long range (meaning over one month)and two-four short range. Plus doing normal life things and attending classes. Lazy can get stuffed. Anyway, on with the story...
I strode out next afternoon for my accustomed perambulation somewhat more preoccupied than was usual, hat waving, feet in charge of my fate. Due entirely to this abstraction I fell prey to one of the few dangers of the open and supervised park block. I heard the first warning signs as I rounded a leafy hedge avoiding the party on the other side by chance and luck. A young man a few years my junior stood with furrowed brow and clenched jaw clearly peeved at my near transgression. I started to stammer out an apology and got no further than an open mouth before he interrupted.
"It really is too much you know, your courtship with that thing," He had a neighing voice held tightly with anger and made faintly squeaky. "I hope you realize it can't go on. A novelty I'm sure for a gel like you but not something to be done."
The topic shift left me behind for a moment, I was apologizing for nearly running him down and he was giving me relationship commandments? I was surprised, not by his opinion which could have been foretold by a dried bean but by the amount of sheer nerve needed to voice it aloud in such a public place and the sudden appearance of what was to all appearances a much more personal stance on my life than he should have had.
"I see," I was curious to see how far he would take his argument. "You think I should send him off." I waited watching him deflate to his normal uninspired dimensions.
He preened at my seeming acceptance of his dictates "I know your situation must be desperate but no right thinking woman could allow herself to be placed in such a match," The neighing had taken on a superior edge. "I mean, you can't let the side down and introduce such a standard. It could only lead to chaos and devaluation of all that is sacred about such things. Surely you must see that." He lit a cigarette and proceeded to smoke it right in front of me without asking my leave or even practicing the common courtesy of averting his exhalations.
I see," I was repeating myself out of sheer rage."So you believe that a relationship between myself and Mr. Strasberg would be an abomination?" I think I could actually hear my blood bubbling slightly as it passed through my ear drums. How dare this idiotic man interfere with my life as thought he had some right to do so? It highlighted all of the weaknesses my sex were forced to bear invoking my carefully controlled store of fury every well bred woman has shoved down in her heart someplace. He could barely be trusted to put his trousers on front first and had been given the right, nay duty as he saw it, to arrange my life as he saw fit. I had encountered this type of attitude many times in my life as I sought to be taken seriously as a mind in my own right but this arrogance was so thick I could have built bridges on it that would have outlasted us both. It was no longer aimed at me alone, the depth of my response surprised me but I felt absolutely that no fate was too humiliating for a man who would attack another while that other was absent. I spent a few precious moments mastering my tongue so that I might keep ill considered stupidity for him to exploit. My breathing gradually calmed, my left eye still twitched but I could hardly stop it so I ignored yet another annoyance to my day. This young idiot was acting for what he truly believed was the best. I could do nothing to change the fact of his convictions, they were bred in his bones and reinforced by insidious culture. I longed to yell at the ignorant little git, vituperative phrases lined up in my brain viewing for first place. I was quite charmed by the wording of "A lame peckered cockerel calling for a hen too stupid to notice.", but remembering my previous successful method of dealing with such young men I bit my tongue.
"I think that you should come with me, these arguments should be presented to my parents." The ultimate card of one ups man ship. I felt a little smug to have sorted him out so neatly. Either he would have to follow along behind me to my house to be slaughtered by Fathers logic and Mothers sarcasm, or else he should retreat and slink off.
"I hardly think it's necessary to involve them" he spluttered, pulling his head back, "Just you remember this young lady" he abruptly turned and left.
I was grateful it had been so easy to route him off. Stubborn crusaders could be dangerous if handled poorly. Particularly when the conviction involved their own cherished way of life. I had a head full of things to ponder for the rest of my afternoon.
I strode out next afternoon for my accustomed perambulation somewhat more preoccupied than was usual, hat waving, feet in charge of my fate. Due entirely to this abstraction I fell prey to one of the few dangers of the open and supervised park block. I heard the first warning signs as I rounded a leafy hedge avoiding the party on the other side by chance and luck. A young man a few years my junior stood with furrowed brow and clenched jaw clearly peeved at my near transgression. I started to stammer out an apology and got no further than an open mouth before he interrupted.
"It really is too much you know, your courtship with that thing," He had a neighing voice held tightly with anger and made faintly squeaky. "I hope you realize it can't go on. A novelty I'm sure for a gel like you but not something to be done."
The topic shift left me behind for a moment, I was apologizing for nearly running him down and he was giving me relationship commandments? I was surprised, not by his opinion which could have been foretold by a dried bean but by the amount of sheer nerve needed to voice it aloud in such a public place and the sudden appearance of what was to all appearances a much more personal stance on my life than he should have had.
"I see," I was curious to see how far he would take his argument. "You think I should send him off." I waited watching him deflate to his normal uninspired dimensions.
He preened at my seeming acceptance of his dictates "I know your situation must be desperate but no right thinking woman could allow herself to be placed in such a match," The neighing had taken on a superior edge. "I mean, you can't let the side down and introduce such a standard. It could only lead to chaos and devaluation of all that is sacred about such things. Surely you must see that." He lit a cigarette and proceeded to smoke it right in front of me without asking my leave or even practicing the common courtesy of averting his exhalations.
I see," I was repeating myself out of sheer rage."So you believe that a relationship between myself and Mr. Strasberg would be an abomination?" I think I could actually hear my blood bubbling slightly as it passed through my ear drums. How dare this idiotic man interfere with my life as thought he had some right to do so? It highlighted all of the weaknesses my sex were forced to bear invoking my carefully controlled store of fury every well bred woman has shoved down in her heart someplace. He could barely be trusted to put his trousers on front first and had been given the right, nay duty as he saw it, to arrange my life as he saw fit. I had encountered this type of attitude many times in my life as I sought to be taken seriously as a mind in my own right but this arrogance was so thick I could have built bridges on it that would have outlasted us both. It was no longer aimed at me alone, the depth of my response surprised me but I felt absolutely that no fate was too humiliating for a man who would attack another while that other was absent. I spent a few precious moments mastering my tongue so that I might keep ill considered stupidity for him to exploit. My breathing gradually calmed, my left eye still twitched but I could hardly stop it so I ignored yet another annoyance to my day. This young idiot was acting for what he truly believed was the best. I could do nothing to change the fact of his convictions, they were bred in his bones and reinforced by insidious culture. I longed to yell at the ignorant little git, vituperative phrases lined up in my brain viewing for first place. I was quite charmed by the wording of "A lame peckered cockerel calling for a hen too stupid to notice.", but remembering my previous successful method of dealing with such young men I bit my tongue.
"I think that you should come with me, these arguments should be presented to my parents." The ultimate card of one ups man ship. I felt a little smug to have sorted him out so neatly. Either he would have to follow along behind me to my house to be slaughtered by Fathers logic and Mothers sarcasm, or else he should retreat and slink off.
"I hardly think it's necessary to involve them" he spluttered, pulling his head back, "Just you remember this young lady" he abruptly turned and left.
I was grateful it had been so easy to route him off. Stubborn crusaders could be dangerous if handled poorly. Particularly when the conviction involved their own cherished way of life. I had a head full of things to ponder for the rest of my afternoon.