by Martin Anton Smith
I was walking to the corner convienience store,
The usual fix: coffee, a pie or something fried.
On my way I saw the car parked of the very young man –
It was Parked over the under-the-street fire hydrant,
He parked there even though it stuck out like a sore-thumb:
A bright yellow metal grating plate,
That also had a 3-foot radius thick yellow circle around it.
Also, it was despite the street being devoid of other cars.
I guess I’m saying he had no logical excuse.
I file the information away.
I walk into the store, order, & they make my coffee.
While I wait, I scan to see if the boy is there.
He is.
I get his attention.
“You know you’re parked over the fire hydrant?”
I say firmly but fairly.
I wondered if this prooves I am definitely entering ‘early old man phase’.
“No” he says becoming embarrassed.
“You know if there’s a fire, they wont be able to connect”
“You’re also risking a fine”.
He just stands with awkward embarrassment.
He doesn’t connect that there is also a chance a house could go up in flames,
& his dopey parking could result in someone burning to death for lack of firehose water.
As I leave I say:
“If I was you i’d move that car asap”.
I don’t think that comment landed either.
I don’t usually agree with ‘the feminists’-
But they are definitely right on this particular sub-set of males:
Very young men are usually very very dopey.
Statistically speaking I predict this young fella will keep on doing it,
For is it not a rule of the Universe?
That young men park over fire hydrants?
This is also why I didn’t overplay my hand.
The world has far too many grumpy assholes who are scanning the world,
So as to pull up someone on some minor matter.
Of course, it is always a fine line between being a strong leader of men,
& being a total asshole.
In fact I do believe the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
I think assholes can also be good leaders,
But it is also a matter of degree.
And a good leader certainly doesn’t have to be an asshole.
In fact, this makes me wonder:
Is a ‘Great Leader’ simply a ‘Good Leader who is never an asshole’
Anton Martin Smith Writer 