Punks jump up to get beat down

My name is John Doe and I'm wanted for murder
I didn't mean to do it but my temperatures blew it
Remember it well, seems like the other day
Now I gotta stay away from around the way
...............
Diamond D - Outta Here

I always hear the old folks say that 'Trouble don't set up like rain' and I'm a firm believer in the maxim that ish just happens but I had an interesting encounter yesterday which could have turned out rather differently if I had lost my cool.

Now yesterday was probably the slowest day of the year for me. Work just seemed to drag on and on and on. I got stuck in the afternoon looking at some stuff that just wasn't working and for what seemed like hours at a time I was just staring at the computer screen hoping for divine intervention. Damn HTML code, when will these people realize I'm not a programmer. Anyway by the time 5 o'clock decided to roll around I was well tired but I had to hang around downtown to play squash at 7.

So I did some more work, and set up some stuff for today all of which took me to around 5:45 after which I left and walked over to the gym. Its only like a 5 minute walk so I had time to kill. I dropped off my gym stuff and decided I'd grab my discman and go for a bit of a walk and relax and clear my head. My mind was spinning the entire day with both work and non-work related issues and I think I was in sort of a strange mood even by my standards so I thought it was best to just sort of unwind even before I played squash.

Did my usual thing, checked out this cd place looking at the new releases, yea they know me up in there but I'm too broke to buy anything these days, if there was anything decent to buy, but somehow I was still strangely comforted by rows and rows of cds. lol.

Then after walking a bit more it was about 6:35 so it was time to head back to the gym. As I was walking my discman cut out, no more biggie and lloyd banks freestyles for you, batteries drained I guess so I was thinking ok wonderful that will make for an exciting trip on the subway tonight.

Anyway I have an uneventful trip on my way back until I come to the corner opposite the gym. I'm standing waiting for the lights to change still in my own little world, a bit pensive, a bit thinking that I should have gotten back sooner to get a proper warm up cause I haven't played in over a week and I didn't want to start off and pull anything.

This guy about 5'7", 165lbs, black hoodie, black track pants, a bit of stubble on face (just making sure I remember in case I see him again or have to fill out any police reports) is running across the street trying to beat the light (coming from the other corner not the gym) while shadowboxing doing his best Rocky impression. I just see him out the corner of my eyes, not really paying him any attention. He's running and punching, running and punching and I'm rather ambivalent to it. But then as he passes me, his fist comes to what appears to me to be extraordinarily close to my face, maybe about 6 inches away. I didn't flinch but whoa!! Back up! What the?

So in my mind still not fully awake I'm thinking what an idiot, suppose he had hit me. Oh whatever he didn't hit me, its too cold and I'm not looking for beef.

I said nothing, did nothing, still waiting for the lights to change, I'm thinking man some people are real asses but he didn't hit me, don't dwell on it. Anyway he had sprinted a few meters past me and it looked like he was continuing down the street so that was that. No need to shout at him or anything like that just let it slide. He's a few meters from me and I just turn my head to see what he's doing when suddenly dude just stops and turns back, bobbing and weaving and gives me this look that to me said I'm looking for trouble. He approached me with his shadowboxing making punches in my direction and getting closer and closer to me. Well looka this ignorance. chupse! So I'm guessing he's waiting for me to say something or do something so he can start some crap.

He's coming closer to me still boxing but he's not in my personal space. I feel a bit threatened but I can see his hands so its not enough for me to make any defensive moves or to issue an orange or red alert since he hasn't touched me yet so I'm still cool. I haven't changed my demeanor but I'm thinking clearly this could escalate if I say anything or make the wrong move (thank God for those conflict resolution courses).

Myriad thoughts are running through my mind at this moment; Did he mistake me for someone he knows, damn Brand Nubian was right punks do jump up to get beat down, is he just that stupid that he is looking for trouble with me, I'll try to avoid any confrontation but if he really pushes it I shouldn't be blamed for what happens to him, cypress hill: "Here is something you cant understand how I could just kill a man", why a brother cant walk the streets in peace, why lord do you send idiots to aggravate me, is this guy high, is he Klingon because he must believe its a good day to die, lawd don't let this guy hit me because that's going to escalate this and its on! I don't want to go too jail too many brothers there already, why does trouble appear out of the blue?

Anyway the lights changed, he kept on coming. I simply walked away. Seemed like the best option at the time. I would probably have behaved differently if he was threatening any of my family members but it was just me and I can let that go. Wasn't worth the aggravation or the possible ramifications to deal with him then. If he really wanted to continue this crap he would follow me anyways so lets see how stupid he actually is.

He didn't follow.

Still it just shows something I've always believed in. You never know what type of crap will happen to you when you're on the road. ish does happen! A so life go. You never know what's going to happen when you leave home so you should always be thankful to God that you make it back home at the end of the day. Still it probably would have felt good to kick that guy's ass. Sorry but it would. Blasted idiot!