So I realise the more and more that I post on this, that life seems to be becoming increasingly random as the days pass.
I was VERY wierded out the other day and didnt think too much about it at the time- but reflection on this has made me realise that actually its quite a good story...so here it is.
First a little background though....
Anyone who lives in a town of any reasonable size will be more than aware that town centres each have their own quota of people who are suffering various problems- often homeless, often drug or drink addicted and often struggling with a range of mental health issues.
Now there is very little funny about any of these things but I find that from a non professional point of view, these folks can be regarded and approached if necessary with anything from extreme caution right through to jolly banter and humour, depending on their demeanour and attitude, and indeed your own.
Given that I spend my days working in drug rehab, I come across these people quite a lot in a working capacity and as such, I usually feel in perhaps a slightly over confident fashion that Ive seen a lot of the good and bad that these people have to offer. Occasionally though, I am reminded in a fairly unsubtle way that theres always something youve never seen before.....
The other evening Im stood at a tram stop in Nottingham waiting to get a tram across town to a poker night at a friends place. The tram stop is just out of the town centre at the top of a gentle hill out of the town through fairly nice student area.
The sign says 4 minutes till next tram.
At the bottom of the hill, I can see a guy with a dog walking up towards me. At this point I have that bloody Pussycat Dolls song on a loop in my head - (dont you hate it when the last record you hear before you leave the house is garbage, but horribly catchy!!)
Its otherwise all quiet up and down the street, and so the next thing I notice in the comparative silence that follows (and over the blare of the Pussycat Dolls) is the fellow with the dog, still quite far away.... kicking a phone box...and then a lamp post...and then a telephone exchange....and shouting incoherently as he slowly advances up the hill towards me.
Brilliant!! I think....
The sign says 3 minutes till next tram.
The guy eventually gets close enough that I can see him properly- hes still kicking whatevers closest every couple of metres. He bares a passing resemblance to Frank from Shameless he and has the kind of bedraggled wild eyed-ness you usually associate with Gummo...or Winona Ryder... Either way, the guy is waaay unipressed with something, and is taking it out on the scenery.
The sign STILL says 3 minutes till next tram.
The guy gets to within about 10 metres of me, his attention squarely focussed on the litter bin that hes giving a good kicking to.
Great, I think, he doesnt need my spare change and hes going to walk straight past me....
The dude freezes practically in mid swing, turns round and spots me for the first time, and marches straight over.... I notice that he has that thousand yard stare more commonly associated with Vietnam veterans, going on in full effect, and smells strongly of cooking sherry.
Suddenly, this was potentially not good.
The sign says 2 minutes till the next tram.
Im hoping that the guy is going to hustle me for change- definitely preferable to being the next target on his list of things to kick, but he comes right up in my face and just kind of growls - You, I dont like you!!
I am slightly taken aback at this point, but figure (perhaps a little rashly) that humour is the best way to try and pass this off, so I respond with, Oh come on, Im lovely when you get to know me, and Im a wonderful cook
The guy twitches a little, then just repeats himself louder I DONT LIKE YOU!!!
The sign says 1 minute till the next tram.
Im starting to worry at this point that in fact I have been selected as the next target for some random kicking, and my eye wanders again to the sign that again reports that the tram is 1 minute away- a minute that at this moment is beginning to stretch in to an eternity.
The guy is staring at me wild eyed and twitching, waiting for me to respond, and Im debating in my head the best way to handle this, (whilst still humming the fucking Pussycat Dolls).
The guy freezes again, does this mad twitch, the expression on his face changes completely, as does his manner and tone, and in a totally different voice he looks me straight in the eyes and sort of whispers
Then again Kevin, youre supposed to be dead
I am stunned......
Many of you will know that my name isnt Kevin, and the obvious suggests that Im not dead, and hopefully was never supposed to be, but it totally threw me because of the absolute conviction in his voice. I went totally blank and just stared at the guy open mouthed, and we ostensibly just kind of gaped at each other for what seemed like an awfully long time, to the point where the tram that I had been waiting for had arrived, the doors had opened, and were beginning to close again before I realised I needed to be on the other side of the glass. I hop on just in time, leaving this guy still staring at me with a look of abject terror on his face....
He then begins kicking the tram timetable board and as I speed away in to the distance, it felt as if things had returned to normal.
Still, it was an extremely odd moment and something Ive for some reason thought about a lot since, but it does make a change from getting shit from Burberry wearing cocksuckers in tracksuits I suppose! .........oh and I got f*cking murdered at poker, but no change there!!!
Thanks for all the kind words regarding the bat incident too- I am suitably reassured!
Till the next time- kisses, handshakes, all that jazz!
All the Love
S.x
I was VERY wierded out the other day and didnt think too much about it at the time- but reflection on this has made me realise that actually its quite a good story...so here it is.
First a little background though....
Anyone who lives in a town of any reasonable size will be more than aware that town centres each have their own quota of people who are suffering various problems- often homeless, often drug or drink addicted and often struggling with a range of mental health issues.
Now there is very little funny about any of these things but I find that from a non professional point of view, these folks can be regarded and approached if necessary with anything from extreme caution right through to jolly banter and humour, depending on their demeanour and attitude, and indeed your own.
Given that I spend my days working in drug rehab, I come across these people quite a lot in a working capacity and as such, I usually feel in perhaps a slightly over confident fashion that Ive seen a lot of the good and bad that these people have to offer. Occasionally though, I am reminded in a fairly unsubtle way that theres always something youve never seen before.....
The other evening Im stood at a tram stop in Nottingham waiting to get a tram across town to a poker night at a friends place. The tram stop is just out of the town centre at the top of a gentle hill out of the town through fairly nice student area.
The sign says 4 minutes till next tram.
At the bottom of the hill, I can see a guy with a dog walking up towards me. At this point I have that bloody Pussycat Dolls song on a loop in my head - (dont you hate it when the last record you hear before you leave the house is garbage, but horribly catchy!!)
Its otherwise all quiet up and down the street, and so the next thing I notice in the comparative silence that follows (and over the blare of the Pussycat Dolls) is the fellow with the dog, still quite far away.... kicking a phone box...and then a lamp post...and then a telephone exchange....and shouting incoherently as he slowly advances up the hill towards me.
Brilliant!! I think....
The sign says 3 minutes till next tram.
The guy eventually gets close enough that I can see him properly- hes still kicking whatevers closest every couple of metres. He bares a passing resemblance to Frank from Shameless he and has the kind of bedraggled wild eyed-ness you usually associate with Gummo...or Winona Ryder... Either way, the guy is waaay unipressed with something, and is taking it out on the scenery.
The sign STILL says 3 minutes till next tram.
The guy gets to within about 10 metres of me, his attention squarely focussed on the litter bin that hes giving a good kicking to.
Great, I think, he doesnt need my spare change and hes going to walk straight past me....
The dude freezes practically in mid swing, turns round and spots me for the first time, and marches straight over.... I notice that he has that thousand yard stare more commonly associated with Vietnam veterans, going on in full effect, and smells strongly of cooking sherry.
Suddenly, this was potentially not good.
The sign says 2 minutes till the next tram.
Im hoping that the guy is going to hustle me for change- definitely preferable to being the next target on his list of things to kick, but he comes right up in my face and just kind of growls - You, I dont like you!!
I am slightly taken aback at this point, but figure (perhaps a little rashly) that humour is the best way to try and pass this off, so I respond with, Oh come on, Im lovely when you get to know me, and Im a wonderful cook
The guy twitches a little, then just repeats himself louder I DONT LIKE YOU!!!
The sign says 1 minute till the next tram.
Im starting to worry at this point that in fact I have been selected as the next target for some random kicking, and my eye wanders again to the sign that again reports that the tram is 1 minute away- a minute that at this moment is beginning to stretch in to an eternity.
The guy is staring at me wild eyed and twitching, waiting for me to respond, and Im debating in my head the best way to handle this, (whilst still humming the fucking Pussycat Dolls).
The guy freezes again, does this mad twitch, the expression on his face changes completely, as does his manner and tone, and in a totally different voice he looks me straight in the eyes and sort of whispers
Then again Kevin, youre supposed to be dead
I am stunned......
Many of you will know that my name isnt Kevin, and the obvious suggests that Im not dead, and hopefully was never supposed to be, but it totally threw me because of the absolute conviction in his voice. I went totally blank and just stared at the guy open mouthed, and we ostensibly just kind of gaped at each other for what seemed like an awfully long time, to the point where the tram that I had been waiting for had arrived, the doors had opened, and were beginning to close again before I realised I needed to be on the other side of the glass. I hop on just in time, leaving this guy still staring at me with a look of abject terror on his face....
He then begins kicking the tram timetable board and as I speed away in to the distance, it felt as if things had returned to normal.
Still, it was an extremely odd moment and something Ive for some reason thought about a lot since, but it does make a change from getting shit from Burberry wearing cocksuckers in tracksuits I suppose! .........oh and I got f*cking murdered at poker, but no change there!!!
Thanks for all the kind words regarding the bat incident too- I am suitably reassured!
Till the next time- kisses, handshakes, all that jazz!
All the Love
S.x
VIEW 19 of 19 COMMENTS
Sorry theyve been a long time coming!