One day, back when I was fresh out of art school and earning my keep as a gardener (sorry Mom & Dad), I had brief encounter with a man…
On my route was a small apartment building in East L.A. One sunny day while I was weed whipping along the curb, I looked up to see a man gesturing to me from across the street. (The pose - extension of both arms to the side, palms up, head slightly tilted back, chin forward, like a shaved headed tattooed Jesus). As I beheld his image before me, it was clear he was also saying something. I couldn’t actually hear him over the teeth-drilling din of the whip, so I idled down and removed my hearing protection. Turns out he was extremely interested to know what I was looking at. I thought I had been looking (or wincing) at nylon threads spinning at 10,000 rpm while being occasionally peppered in the face by dirt and dog shit, but I must have been mistaken. Specifically, he said he wanted know why I was mad dogging him.
Hmm, mad dogging. I hadn’t heard that term before. He then also informed me that he might cut me in some unspecified manner. For the moment, I was much more interested in a definition of this new phrase than in his butchering skills, so I asked him for clarification. He explained to me, in so many words, that it referred to the act of staring at someone in the hopes of eliciting a desired effect or a response, i.e. intimidation, an action of some sort, and/or a sexual interest. In this case, I assume he had interpreted my alleged mad dogging as a form of intimidation. Now enlightened, I explained to him that it was simply impossible for me to simultaneously mad dog him and weed whip effectively. He seemed unconvinced with my retort, but nevertheless our cultural & educational exchange seemed to have temporarily calmed his spirit and he returned to his busy day. I must admit that as he walked away I was somewhat envious of the exciting rollercoaster lifestyle my new friend enjoyed in comparison with my own. For him, life and death were constant companions, mad dogging (real or imagined) would be confronted and, if necessary, blood would flow. Alternately, I thought our exchange might also have been a drug-induced pre-show warm-up for that day’s viewing of the Jerry Springer Show. Either way, I felt oddly energized and happy with the day’s lesson.
Hmm, mad dogging. I hadn’t heard that term before. He then also informed me that he might cut me in some unspecified manner. For the moment, I was much more interested in a definition of this new phrase than in his butchering skills, so I asked him for clarification. He explained to me, in so many words, that it referred to the act of staring at someone in the hopes of eliciting a desired effect or a response, i.e. intimidation, an action of some sort, and/or a sexual interest. In this case, I assume he had interpreted my alleged mad dogging as a form of intimidation. Now enlightened, I explained to him that it was simply impossible for me to simultaneously mad dog him and weed whip effectively. He seemed unconvinced with my retort, but nevertheless our cultural & educational exchange seemed to have temporarily calmed his spirit and he returned to his busy day. I must admit that as he walked away I was somewhat envious of the exciting rollercoaster lifestyle my new friend enjoyed in comparison with my own. For him, life and death were constant companions, mad dogging (real or imagined) would be confronted and, if necessary, blood would flow. Alternately, I thought our exchange might also have been a drug-induced pre-show warm-up for that day’s viewing of the Jerry Springer Show. Either way, I felt oddly energized and happy with the day’s lesson.
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