I’ve talked often about other people’s crazy, whether it be my own children or strangers in public… because in my mind, they’re the crazy ones. I’ve always been the fun, behind-the-scenes crazy.
Tonight, however, I humbly accept my membership badge into a new society: the crazy IN PUBLIC club.
Let me first provide you with an example of a fellow member.
I was in Target late the other night, waiting on line behind a couple that was buying cat food, potato chips, & soda. I don’t usually note people’s purchases, but in THIS case, it’s relevant.
Remember: cat food, potato chips, soda.
The couple looked to be in their mid-50’s. He put the items on the belt as she chatted with the cashier. It was small talk, pleasant nothingness. Until I noticed THIS about her… I’ll let my tweet sum it up:
No one acknowledged this trainwreck, & they left the store, carrying any possibility of me ever knowing WTF was going on away with them & their chips, cat food, & soda.
So I left the store confirming that:
a- They were fricking nuts.
b- This was typical, since outings of any kind generally result in my attracting the loonies like magic, as I’ve described here. It’s a gift.
But tonight, I learned a lesson about being quick to judge a person based on what you see/hear. or how slippery the slope of “normalcy” can be.
Or rather, I learned I’m far more capable of public crazy than I thought.
Before I explain why I ended up barking at a raccoon, let me give you some childhood trauma that justifies it.
When I was 7, my parents took us to visit an aunt’s house one night. I must have fallen asleep on the ride over, (which also probably explains why I never liked to nap… ever.ever.again).
Because this was the 80’s, my parents decided to just, you know, leave their sleeping child IN THE CAR while they headed in.
Disclaimer: This was also the same generation of parents that needed a TV COMMERCIAL to remind them to look for their kids. Remember that? “It’s 10pm; do you know where your children are?”
And I guess my parents didn’t watch enough TV, because they left me behind again, a year later, when they went for pizza with family members.
THEY HAD TWO KIDS. How do you forget 50% of your offspring??
Disclaimer 2: My parents were awesome parents. Seriously. Despite leaving me behind & needing to be reminded by my BROTHER that I wasn’t there, they were great.
And they even came back for me that day… so there’s that.
You know. It was the 80’s.
I woke up in the car, & walked to the house’s side door. There was a narrow path where the garbage cans were.
As I walked.. I looked into a can. A huge raccoon popped up and lunged at me.
I didn’t get scratched, or bitten.
I did get a nice, big, fat fear of raccoons from that day on.
I’ve never seen a raccoon in person since, but that didn’t stop my family from bombarding me with them any time a new YouTube clip or gif featured one.
The sight of them makes me feel so disgusted that I actually gag, & that kind of trauma is hilarious in my family. Apparently.
Things like THIS:
See… it’s all fun & games & dancing until the raccoon turns on you & bites your face off (Or tries to).
What is this black magic?! Further proof they’re from the devil. Ugh.
Using their hands to bang s^&% on windows for FOOD?? Why is this even possible??? *gag*
I’ve managed to avoid any direct contact with this fear… until tonight. I looked out the living room window, & saw a shadow streak across my lawn & into the street. I threw the window open, thinking it was our cat. Nope.
It was a big, fat raccoon, just about to slip into the sewer.
In panic, I let out a short yell. Instead of heading into the sewer, the raccoon turned its head my way, sat there & stared.at.me.
*Cue a gag & a scream.*
Logic says, “close the window”. Or, “walk away.”
I had no logic. Zip. Zilch.
It didn’t move… it was staring me down.
So I shouted again. And it stared, again.
NOPE. You don’t get to sit there, all arrogant, on MY street, when I’m a grown-ass woman that needs you to GO.
Then I… barked? Or maybe it was a growl?
Because like I said, grown-ass woman.
(Most of the time.)
My yelling wasn’t working, so I made a noise that I thought COULD scare it off. It was enough to attract #2’s attention, who came down the stairs asking, “Why are you growling out the window?”
(God bless #2, for not questioning the growling, but the out-the-window aspect.)
So I pointed it out, & she laughed, HARD, because she’s my family & knows of my phobia of them, and that’s comedy in my family.
Apparently.
A moment later, the raccoon lifted its body up abruptly -my growling was that good- & ran away across my neighbor’s yard.
And I don’t mean ran in a shamed, humble manner.
Ran as in a “black magic from the devil on just its hind feet” run.
So it took facing a raccoon after 34 years to make me, an otherwise sensible & mentally stable adult, shriek like a stuck pig out my front window, growling like a dog.
My neighbors don’t know that I had a terrifying childhood experience with a raccoon.
They won’t know that there even was a raccoon in the street that night.
They’ll just have shaken their heads & said, “That lady- the one with the six kids? She’s fricking nuts.”
T says
Really great, 6! ????
You New Yorkers…haha! I’m an Illinois boy, and back in my junior high days we actually had some baby raccoons that were abandoned by their silly raccoon mom. Raised them, bottle-fed them, played with them around the yard.
They have a propensity to use their hands (front paws) like humans…washing their food, etc. They chirp, put when petted, hop like little hunchback fools, and are quite cute (to some people).
I know, I know, none of this helps you. Just chiming in in defense of some under-represented members of the animal kingdom.
-T
Allison Arnone says
I CANNOT handle raccoons. I’m terrified of them. And for some reason unbeknownst to me there’s an influx of pics/videos on the Internet showing people who HAVE THEM AS PETS?! WHY?!?!? I don’t blame you for your reaction – and also? Let ’em think you’re crazy. No one messes with crazies 🙂
SixPackMom says
Right?! Why are the suddenly social media’s “go-to” pet??
Jenny @ Unremarkable Files says
Maybe you can direct your neighbors to your blog? Or wait, maybe not. Then they’ll know too much, which is probably worse than not knowing enough.
SixPackMom says
I try to present my best “normal” side to the neighbors… *whispers* but I think they’re onto me…