Quote of the Day, Love: Oscar Wilde

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I Don't know Karate, but I do Know Karazy!



Throughout the entire second half of class tonight, I heard police and ambulance sirens. Because Everett CC is near a hospital, everyone is used to hearing the occasional ambulance siren wailing ominously; a banshee on duty to collect the dead and dying. Tonight was different; within a five minute period, I counted seven police sirens and three ambulance. Though Everett CC is a block off of the main drag, it is still a bit too close for comfort if trouble is brewing. During the break and drove to the nearby convenience
store to get a soda and in the distance I saw the blue and red flashing lights a few blocks away. Whatever was going on, it was being attended to I thought.
I'm usually one of the first to reach the parking lot when class gets out and today was no exception. As I drove down Broadway, I noted that one police car still remained up the street. As I neared the stadium, I noticed a young man with a white sweatshirt, hood pulled over his head with his arm out as if holding a leash for a dog. As I got closer, my headlights illuminated him and as I looked for the dog, I saw something glinting in his hand. Traffic ahead of me was stopped at the intersection and I looked at him again. He strode down the street with a hefty pistol in is hand. It looked to be about eight inches long with a big chamber and he clearly was on a mission. For a second, I wondered if I should go back and warn my classmates, but my
fight or flight mechanism kicked in and chose flight. I  stomped on the gas pedal instead. Better to get pulled over for speeding, I reasoned, than end up in some standoff crossfire. After all, bullets are no respecter of persons. And I don't want my obituary to read, "Innocent bystander."
My theory of what happened goes like this:
Earlier that night, there had a been a sizable fight resulting in stabbings or shootings. Once the police and medics cleared away those directly involved, the coast seemed clear. Maybe the hoodie guy was walking back to the crime scene to finish business. I didn't look back the entire way home and, maybe  because I am occasionally lucky, or maybe because they were awfully busy with more immediate and dangerous problems, the cops left me alone.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I guess it is better to drive sometimes instead of waiting for a bus.