Just a random memory I thought I'd share

[charliesmum]

moony has a story on her journal about an altercation she saw at some fast food place, and wondered about it, and it reminded me of my one bit of heroism. It's my only one, so it's easy to remember.

Years ago - pre-Charlie - when I still worked in Philadelphia I was walking to the train station to take me home after a long day, and this guy in front of me accidently bumped into this woman and her boyfriend coming the other way. One of those 'misjudged the distance' kind of things, she wasn't knocked down or anything.

Now, I think the guy, let's call him Fred, should have said excuse me, but apparently he didn't. The girl, let's call her Gladys, could have just rolled her eyes and muttered something about stupid people to her boyfriend, but instead she felt the need to be verbally abusive to a complete stranger.

Fred, obviously not the sharpest knife in the drawer might have done better to just keep walking, but instead he responded in kind and the very next thing I see, barely 3 feet in front of me is Gladys's boyfriend hauling off and punching Fred who fell, dazed, into the street.

This is where I come in.

Fred gets up, looking confused and upset, and gets ready to punch Gladys's boyfriend back, but I jump in between them and start yelling at them both in my best kindergarten teacher voice. I tell them they are being stupid, and it isn't worth hitting perfect strangers and let it go you idiotic morons because you don't even know each other. Why are you punching someone you don't even know? Something like that, anyway. I like to think I was amazingly eloquent. At any rate, they all stared at me a moment with sheepish looks on their faces, and then walked away.

And yeah, I'm lucky no one pulled a knife or a gun, but I have to admit I was proud of myself for speaking up at that moment.

I personally think the world would be a better place if everyone kept a sense of humour about things.

In fact, there is a Monkees song that sums it up nicely. Every face that I see
Is all wrapped up in frowns
And unfortunately
It kind of gets me down

Laugh
'Cause the music is funny
Yeah, the bass sounds off-beat
Ain't that neat?
Laugh (ho-ha-ha-ha)
When you lose all your money (ho-ha-ha-ha)
Or you can't find your shoes (ho-ha-ha-ha)
To cover your feet (ho-ha-ha-ha)

It's not so hard to see
Exactly what I'm after
Sometimes a tear should fall
But I require giggles and chuckles (ho-ho-ho!)

Laugh (ho-ha-ha-ha)
When you're keeping a secret (ho-ha-ha-ha)
And it seems to be known (ho-ha-ha-ha)
By the rest of the world (ho-ha-ha-ha)
Laugh (ho-ha-ha-ha)
When you go to a party (ho-ha-ha-ha)
And you can't tell the boys (ho-ha-ha-ha)
From the girls (ho-ha-ha-ha)

Every face that I see
Is all wrapped up in frowns
And unfortunately
It kind of gets me down

Hey, yeah, yeah, laugh (ho-ha-ha-ha)
At the things that are wrong (ho-ha-ha-ha)
If you think it's this song (ho-ha-ha-ha)
Then laugh (ho-ha-ha-ha)
Then laugh (ho-ha-ha-ha) ...