Dear Inconsiderate Bastard,

The topic for this post is the word "apathetic." I am actually a couple of days behind, and technically, apathetic is supposed to be the word for Monday, but I have been procrastinating.

I actually wrote a blog entry right after the word was announced. It was the typical teacher rant about how kids these days just don't care. But, I wasn't happy with it, and I was actually hoping for a new source of inspiration to come along. I found it today.

I hardly ever get mad. I'm just a laid-back, even-keel, kind of guy. A lot of people might misconstrue that as being aloof or apathetic, and that's just not the case. There are some things that I care deeply about, but I feel that most things aren't worth getting upset about.

But something happened this morning, when I was trying to get to work, and I am still pissed about it. It even caused me to be about an hour late.

I park on a parking lot, and when I got out to my car today, I discovered that some jackwagon in a red Dodge Caliber had decided to create his own parking spot about a foot away from my driver's side door! I can overcome just about any obstacle that I face because of my disability, but this kind of thing is like kryptonite to me.

So I sat outside and waited for someone, anyone, to come out to the parking lot. I needed to have someone back my car out of the spot for me. It takes a lot of trust to let a stranger get into your car, but it's something that I've had to do a few times, over the years.

Unfortunately the parking lot was completely empty. I was cold, and I went inside to knock on the door of a neighbor that helps me out a lot. Unfortunately, he didn't answer.

I ended up calling the local police department to help. Not surprisingly, the second after I hung up with the dispatcher, everyone started heading out to the parking lot. Even my neighbor came out of his home. But, I wanted to wait for the police, so I declined his offer to help.

Long story short, the officer came, and she backed my car out for me. She ran the plates on the car, and unfortunately, they came up clean. I was really hoping that she would be able to bust them on something.

So now I am at work, and I wish I would have left a note for the owner of the car. Hence the name for this post. I shouldn't let this thing tick me off so much, but it really has. I don't think this idiot tried to do it intentionally. He wasn't trying to "screw over the cripple." People just don't think sometimes.

So while I am apathetic about a lot of things, there are some issues that clearly elecit a strong response from me. Most of the things that get me going aren't even disability-related. I have been doing the disability thing for so long that it takes a lot to get me upset.

With all that being said, don't get me started on the subject of handicapped bathroom stall doors that open inward!!