My left arm is covered with bruises and scratches from shoulder to wrist. I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.
Here’s the thing: why is it some people don’t think the rules apply to them? Athletes, celebrities, actors, politicians… we hear something almost every day. From Tiger Woods to Arnold Schwarzenegger to Alec Baldwin to Mel Gibson to Lindsay Lohan to Kim Kardashian to that Weiner guy who used to be in congress. If I didn’t need to take a breath and move on, I could add twenty more names to this list. I bet you could too.
Is it because their parents never told them anything except how wonderful they were? Can narcissism be created? I think maybe I’m on to something.
When I’m on a plane and the flight attendant asks us to turn off our devices I’m a little annoyed. But not nearly as annoyed as I am with the people who don’t think the rules apply to them. Are you listening, Alec Baldwin? I mean, what if there really is something to the communication issue? I’m beginning to think there isn’t, but still. I do not want to die because you are playing some stupid game with friends and don’t think the rules apply to you. Where did you get your degree in radio frequencies anyway?
I live in a place where there are a lot of special places to walk, from beautifully groomed city parks to natural state parks complete with wildlife. The closest one is a tiny city park with lovely grassy areas and gorgeous trees. I figured out years ago that walking the entire park is about three-quarters of a mile, so door-to-door it’s about one mile for me. I pay attention to that when I’m in a fitness mode, but that’s another story. The point is, it’s not very big. And one entire section of it backs to an elementary school. Kids walk through the park every day during the school year, and play there when school is out. The park has rules: hours of operation, alcohol restriction, keeping your pet on a leash and cleaning up after said pets etc.
Did I mention a leash?
Anyone who knows me at all knows I love dogs. It’s people that cause me problems. The dogs, off leash, are generally well behaved. It’s the owners, also off leash, who annoy me to the hilt. The rules don’t say “Keep all pets on a leash unless they are generally well behaved and don’t need to poop when you’re not watching them.” Most people walk their dogs on a leash. It’s those that think the rules don’t apply to them that tick me off. And what does that say to the kids who are walking to school? I’m just askin’. Do they get the impression that some adults don’t have to follow the rules?
Which brings me to my bruised and bloodied arm. A friend of mine who has two rambunctious puppies to walk recently had surgery on one leg for skin cancer. I volunteered to help her walk the two bolts of energy. Rix and Rox (named after some castles in Ireland I think) had had an issue with one Particular Dog in the past. We set off for the park, both puppies a little anxious that we weren’t running along with them in the manner in which they’d become accustomed. And then… (cue theme from Jaws)… there she was: the Particular Dog. With an owner who was as clueless as a lead pipe. My friend shouted to me to pick up my charge. And I did. I’m pretty sure I said things like “it’s okay”, “hush now” and maybe even something along the lines of “you’re brilliant and beautiful and way beyond temptation.” Only my charge was particularly immune to my words meant to soothe and calm. She was ready to pitch in and get into battle. Sort of a Roxi, Warrior Princess thing. While she fought to get at the invading dog, I determined to keep her safe and hold on tight.
Now you know how my arm got messed up. Because someone didn’t think the rules applied to her. I was truly annoyed by her attitude of non-chalance. I think her dog was probably wonderful and friendly and not a threat. She, on the other hand…
About Peg Brantley
A Colorado native, Peg Brantley is a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Sisters In Crime. She and her husband make their home southeast of Denver, and have shared it with the occasional pair of mallard ducks and their babies, snapping turtles, peacocks, assorted other birds, foxes, a deer named Cedric and a bichon named McKenzie. Peg's newest novel, THE MISSINGS, is a police procedural.
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