Life is good...

Life is good...?

by Steve Kemp

 

So, yesterday I drove to the grocery store, parked in the lot, and was walking past the row of parked cars toward the store. Ahead aways, on my left I could see a pickup backed into the handicapped parking place.

As I was approaching it, I could hear a car approaching behind me. I kept walking.

Just as I was reaching the truck, the car was about to pass me and an angry man inside the truck yelled, "You're a dumb ass!" at the passing car. The driver screeched on his brakes, stopped, lowered his window and yelled back at him,

"What'd you call me?!"

At this point I was still just strolling by, but now found myself exactly between them. So, as I was passing the driver's window, I said, "He called you a dumb ass," and continued on. He started to get out of the car. I could hear the other guy behind me jumping down from the truck.

It felt like they were both getting ready to go to the next level.

Still stepping away from them, I turned to walk backwards a few steps, looking at the two of them, waved my arms wide and said, "Life is good. It's all good, it's all good." They both looked at me. But I turned around and continued on toward the store. I didn't look back.

Later, on the way back to my car I didn't see any blood -- so I figured it all turned out okay. I felt good that I had done it, and hoped I had defused the whole thing.

After all, I wasn't even thinking, just getting between them long enough to utter six words, and uttering a mantra after I passed.

When I told my friend this story, she said, "That's a good way to get a punch in the nose!"

20110907 blog at http://oldwebsterquips.blogspot.com