FUotD: Yelling Guy in Rogers Park

So, this evening, I decided to go out into the fabulous (though buggy) permaculture gardens in the back yard, and play some music for the plants. (I'm one of those cheesy people who thinks plants do better when you talk to them and play music for them and generally give them personal energy and attention. So, you know, I do that stuff a lot.)

I took my guitar back, and did a round of watering and chatting and petting and grooming, and then I settled on a bench with my guitar to play some tunage. I played the new protest song I wrote last week (the first protest song I've written that I don't think totally sucks). I played a couple originals. Then I pulled out an Appalachian folk song mashup I put together...

And halfway through, some jackass yells "Shut the FUCK UP!"

I slowly stop playing, asking myself if he could possibly be talking to me...and then I realize that of COURSE he's talking to me; I'm the only one playing loud enough to be heard all up and down the block.

So, I pause and gather my thoughts, and yell back, "Thanks, that was really polite!"

And then I take my guitar back inside, and try to figure out if I'm pissed or embarrassed or hurt or some weird combo of all three. Needless to say, though, what really creeps up my ass is the fact that this jerkface couldn't treat me like a fellow human being and yell something like, "Hey, I'm trying to study, could you tone it down a bit?" or "My baby just got to sleep, would you mind playing more quietly?" or something polite and courteous and not asshole-ish.

I get that not everyone likes Appalachian folk music, or my voice, or my guitar playing, or whatever. But I still think that could be expressed in a way that acknowledges that the person you're talking to is a human being worthy of respect.

So, hey, yelling guy in Rogers Park: FUCK YOU!!