This week I went to a talk session. A local designer and architect were having a public discussion about what is normal. Space was limited and I wasn’t entirely sure of the location, so I ended up struggling to find the entrance to the room where it was being held.
In my haste, I parked my bike between a building and a reserved parking space. I knew it wasn’t the best location, and Japan being Japan, that it was technically a faux pas, but I was in a hurry and after judging that it wouldn’t interfere with a person parking his/her car there, meaning that my bike was not at risk of getting hit, I decided why not, and locked my bike up in that space.
Two-and-a-half hours later, after the talk was finished, I went to get my bike and go home, only to find it in a different location with a note taped to it.
I expected to find a warning from the police, or a polite request from the building manager asking me not to park my bike in that area, but what I found was a very rude note saying the equivalent of Don't fucking park your bike here. It’s in my godamned way!
Needless to say, the tone irritated me, so what I did was follow my initial reaction and tape the note to the car that was parked in the space near where I had left my bike.
I know, it’s juvenile, and I shouldn’t have done it. And if the note had been written nicely, I wouldn’t have done it. But since it had such an assholish type of tone to it, it awoke the asshole in me.
While I kind of enjoy thinking about the type of person who would take the time to get paper, tape, and a marker and write a note like that to a first time offender, only to find the note stuck to his/her car the next morning, I find the whole experience more of a reminder to be polite and conscientious even when being wronged or imposed upon.
How about all of you? What would you have done in this situation?
(1)
sitting by a fire
watching the news
on the wall of our cave
(2)
in my pocket
a to-do list
from last year
(3)
swirling and churning
the air rumbles outside
how did we get here
(4)
rain on my glasses
all the passing lights
an evening bokeh
(5)
through the crashing waves
calling me to attention
the cry of a gull
(6)
a frog
on the side of the house
my wife screams
(7)
drowning in purple
wisteria over here
lilacs over there
As always, thank you for reading.