Took a break from work around 10am to go get gas and beer and smokes ahead of what's supposed to be an upcoming winter ice storm for the next couple of days in Austin. (Already had cat food and Cokes and milk---but had to make sure I had my cigs and beer to tide me over!)
I got my gas/beer/cigs, and as I was returning to my car, an agitated young lady at the next gas pump stopped me and said, "Did you see that guy around the corner?"
I had not. She went on: "He came up to me and was asking me weird things..."
I looked around and didn't see the weirdo. I didn't know what to say to her---she obviously wasn't from my neighborhood, where I see weird things regularly!
I let her vent for a bit, then told her two things: One, there are a lot of homeless guys in this neighborhood. And Two, the recent story of when a guy that I thought was a scary crack-addict came up on me in my apartment complex and asked, weirdly, "Where you from?" (After reporting this to my apartment manager, turned out he was a retarded guy who lived with his parents in the complex.)
I guess I was trying to make her feel better, as in: "You see---the drug-addled homeless guy bothering you might only be a retarded guy trying to make friends..." She laughed at bit...
Today's social media (and mainstream media) might call this young woman a "Karen." But I'm old enough to remember when drug-addled creeps weren't wandering randomly around neighborhoods. She was obviously from a more innocent place and was confused about the weirdness she'd just encountered.
All I could do, sadly, was try to explain about "random homeless guys" in the neighborhood. And then make a lame comment: "Well, at least it wasn't at midnight and there were other people around." And, finally, "I'm sorry you had to start your day like this!"
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