The Type of Misunderstandings That Cause Wars

Yesterday, when I went for my morning run, it had just begun snowing and there was about an inch on the ground, so I decided to run the bike path because the snow cushions my feet and they don’t hurt as much.  As I was coming back from the halfway mark, a young man approached with his ipod.  He swung his arm out towards me and I could barely hear a woman’s voice singing some popular tune.  He looked at me and said “this one’s for you.”  My immediate reaction was to laugh because I thought he was making fun of me, but apparently that wasn’t his intent.  As I passed him he got angry and shouted “what’s so funny?”  He was obviously in an altered state either through drugs or a serious chemical imbalance.  It really frightened me and I ran a little faster, hoping he didn’t turn around, tackle and beat the shit out of me from behind.  Ah me, a creepy confrontation on the bike path.  Unfortunately, I laugh easily in the face of uncomfortable situations and I immediately think I’m the brunt of some joke when approached the way I was by the man.  I thought he was laughing at me, he thought I was laughing at him.  Misunderstandings like these have caused serious wars. Originally written sometime in the winter of 2011.