Discussion on Priorities

I do feel it is only appropriate to give you fair warning that this post is going to be a bit of a rant. I don't typically like to post records of my rantings and ravings because, honestly, why would anyone want to read them? I don't. So if you feel disinclined to read about an incident that ticked me off this morning, please feel free to take this opportunity to find more agreeable entertainment.

So. This morning I was at the park near my house taking my little dollface and BOB out for a run--hooray for me! It was somewhere in the neighborhood of 10:00 in the morning and there were very few people at the park. However as I was running on the sidewalk adjacent to the empty parking lot there was an older, rather portly gentleman walking ahead of me with what appeared to be a large dust bunny on a leash. He was walking quite slowly, due either to his own considerable bulk or to the limitations of owning a dog with two inch legs, the reason, I suppose, is immaterial.

As I wished to be courteous, I maneuvered BOB off the sidewalk and into the parking lot so as to be able to pass the gentleman without inflicting serious injury on his dog. I ran past the man, but as I tried to remount the sidewalk with the stroller, I took it at an unfortunate angle for the speed I was running and nearly crashed. I had to scramble to save my child from spilling onto the pavement and sustaining grievous injury, which I was only just able to do.

As I was thus occupied the gentleman was directly behind me, and exclaimed, in what I considered to be an unnecessarily elevated tone, "Hey! Watch it lady, you scared my dog!!"

Really?! His dog? I was not a little upset. I am ashamed to say I turned around and gave him a particularly deadly glare, but, thankfully, I did not share with him any of the unflattering comments about his person, his manners, or his dog, that were at that time forming in my mind. I simply ran faster to put as much distance between him and myself as possible, and to let him think about his appalling behavior.

I was able to cool off later, as I considered the fact that as an older gentleman, the dog was likely the most meaningful relationship he currently cherished in his life, and that as such, it was natural for him to place a great deal of importance on it's emotional state. More so than the physical well being of a human child. MY beautiful child.

In hindsight though, perhaps I should be grateful to the prioritarily challenged gent; because I was so upset by his extreme lack of decorum, I ran an extra half mile this morning, and made excellent time too!