1. Eye was in Central Park and was crossing the main road in a crosswalk. A guy cycling a a high speed decided to zoom past much closer than was necessary and that Eye was comfortable with. Meye immediate and visceral first reaction and verbalization was "easy brother!". This happily surprised me as normally Eye would have blurted out something much more defamatory and provocative. Eye smiled and chuckled happily surprised at meyeself.
2. Eye was walking through the Central Park conservatory garden with meye wife. We had been bike riding and were walking our bikes through the garden enjoying the flowers, plants and trees. We come upon a man dressed in denim civilian clothes who tells us this area is closed and we can't pass because of a wedding. I take a moment to survey before I speak and see an unorganized group of people on the stairs to our left hollering and bickering. I tell the man respectfully that he's not a parks employee and that my wife and Eye will continue to pass and be gone in a few seconds. I saw no permits, signs or anything official prohibiting our passage and knew this was a rag-tag operation being enforced by adult bullying. He gives no resistance or problem and we proceed to pass bothering nobody or disturbing anything as they were all on the stairs 20 feet away from the main path. Then a hostile guy about a foot taller than me in a suit from the wedding party approaches me threatening this and that (beat my m*ther f*cking ass etc.) right in my face. Eye stop and look him in the eye and calmly the first thing that comes out of meye mouth is "peace man, peace. Well be right out of your way." Eye held my ground for a moment as did he as he as he continued to threaten me and he eventually stepped away still bad mouthing me and Eye turned to look at him as Eye walked away and gave the peace sign. Eye was calm but also strong. Paula was a bit more upset and bickering back with them which upset me and Eye tried to settle her down and explain that Eye appreciated her concern for meye safety but that we need to be more mindful and less reactive and hostile to difficult situations. Eye too was a little rattled internally after we had passed and my anger had me contemplating calling 911. Then Eye thought that my ego was craving conflict and revenge and Eye wanted more to continue our day in the park then ruin it with cops and drama. We walked for a while and settled down and discussed what had happened. We made it to a cultural center with rest rooms where Paula went in for the ladies room. Eye stayed outside reflecting on the incident. She came out and Eye told her to wait with the bikes as Eye decided to go in and report the incident to the parks people. They were disturbed to hear my account of being threatened, told me the wedding group was completely in the wrong and that they would notify the parks police. Eye thanked them and we went on to enjoy the rest of our stay in the park. Eye shared with Paula that Eye felt sorry for the wedding group as they all seemed so hostile and it must be stressful and sad being that way especially on a day of celebration like a wedding. *BTW, this was a very rare and isolated incident and meye typical time spent in Central Park is usually peaceful and lovely.
Eye am just proud and happy that disarming and respectful words/reactions are beginning to emerge from me in difficult situations as opposed to mey typical reactions of defiance/disrespect and stooping down to lower levels of egotistical conflict.
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