Monday, May 04, 2015

I observed the madman with his fingers in his ears going “La la la!” like a child. He walked past us out of Prospect Park and into the middle of the street. Defiantly. With that assurance only the crazy have, that nothing’s going to happen to them, that there’s a sort of force field around them. And funny thing is, they’re right. He walked against the light through the intersection and all the cars dutifully slowed down and steered around him. He didn’t even glance at them, didn’t hurry. Just walked across going “La la la!” On 9th Street he walked between the bike lane and the car lane, no longer in immediate peril. It seemed like a kind of concession to rationality. Cars passed him cautiously but didn’t need to stop. I kept watching as he knelt down to tie his shoe. I thought, there you go, crazy man. I caught you. Doing something that’s not crazy at all.