Made me recall Jean Paul Sartre: "Hell is other people."
Seems the people are getting edgy. A SWAT team shut down a block in our neighborhood yesterday. Big, burly Cops in full SWAT gear running down the block, long guns at the ready. Word came that there was some kind of incident unfolding, and an "emotionally disturbed" person was on the loose.
Emotionally Disturbed. A handy phrase indeed. Covers a lot of territory. Seems that in our over the top, 24/7 Dystopia we are all at least a tiny bit emotionally disturbed.
Also there is a dog-owner-war brewing in our back yard. A big open space behind our building has become a war-zone for dog owners and their furry beasts. This open space is used by owners and dogs all over the neighborhood. It's sort a "no-man's-land," an empty lot, no fence, folks just assume it's available to use as they see fit. Word came that there were harsh words and threats between two owners, they didn't like the way dog-shite was being handled or not handled. Someone poured gasoline on a back-door of an adjacent building, (did they fail to light it?), someone else smeared dog-shite on a doorknob. Crazy shite, angry retribution, emotionally disturbed folks getting emotional.
Seems lately people are wrapped a bit too tightly. Folks claiming their territory, telling other folks to fuck off. It's all sort of amazing, amusing & silly. Pointless too. I mean, I have no dog in this hunt. Pretty ZEN about it all... but...
People. Yikes.
