The Malcontent

When Wifey and I moved in to our 'hood 9 years ago, we began taking walks. During one of the first, we met a lady out with her two dogs. After introductions, she told us she was the "neighborhood pariah," like by almost no one, because of her "honesty."

We laughed, and took it as self deprecation. Turned out she was telling the truth!

When we'd see her, about 75% of the time she wouldn't acknowledge us. It became a running joke with Wifey and me, whether or not Ashley (not her real name) had taken her meds that day or not.

Over the years, we had nothing to do with her, although we had some mutual acquaintances. Some of these folks were among the nicest we knew, and Wifey always wondered how they had stayed friends.

Well, we heard that Ashley was moving. Her last child got nto an out of state college, and her business executive husband requested and got a transfer.

This morning, as we walked, we ran into her. She had "taken her meds," as she engaged us in conversation as we walked the 'hood. Sort of.

She told us all about her move, and her kids, and details about their colleges. When I'd sneak in an edgewise word about our Ds, Ashley went blank. She clearly couldn't care less.

Maybe I shouldn't judge. Maybe there's a reason this woman is so, um, not nice. Was she the fat kid in grade school who the other kids tortured? Was her acne the worst in the class?

I know she was a scholarship athlete at a national university, so I know she had some popularity.

As Freud would say, sometimes maybe a bitch is just a bitch...

One of my brother-like best friends, Barry, taught me something back in college. He said, and I'm pretty sure I remember his words verbatim:

"Dave --you like everyone, just about, and you think they all like you. Sometimes they don't, as hard as it is for that huge charming ego of yours to accept."

He's dead on, of course, as friends tend to be when they know you better than you know yourself.

So, Wifey and I finished our walk. She said, in perfect Wifey sarcasm, "Boy --that's a neighbor we're all going to miss terribly."

Another day in tropical suburbia...