it was bound to happen. while running (very slowly as usual. the amount of people whose days i have made by being their 'mark' as they shuffle ahead and pass me faster than you would ever guess based upon just a quick glance at them, and who prove to themselves that they are not in as bad of shape as their physical form would lead one to believe - that they've still got it - that parade of people is endless. people in flip flops late for the bus, women with strollers, highly overweight people, people who never lift their feet more than 1" from the surface -- they've all passed me, and i've passed very few of them) i happened upon a portly gentleman who took up the majority of the sidewalk. to his left, a tree. to his right, a yard. i would have run around to the right and traipsed across the yard, but i noticed he was holding a hammer in his right hand. middle of the day, just walking along with a hammer. had he just gone to his car to get it for some repairs on his house? was he a maniac just waiting for a mindless jogger to trot by so that he could bash them on the head and cross another thing off his new year's resolutions list? i'll never know. i decided that heading out into the street would be the best maneuver. was it irrational? probably. but very so often you hear about someone playing the knockout game or just being a lunatic mad at society, and i decided i would avoid that. when i was past him he shouted something, and i looked back. it was more of a loud grunt as if he meant to say, "hey you!" but it came out, "anhhh!" and when i looked back and saw him, i honestly couldn't tell if the face he was making was "hey, sorry for taking up the sidewalk. i would have moved over, but i didn't hear you coming." or "i can't believe you sensed what i was about to do ...which was club your dumb head senseless. good for you, my friend. you've escaped a thorough hammering on this day. wise move using the street." i'll never know which it was ...but i think we can all be pretty confident that it was the latter.