Earlier on today, I am standing on a corner in Palo Alto waiting for a pedestrian light, when a large fire truck passes inches away from the tip of my nose.

“Watch out. Take a step back,” yells a man from the crowd on my left. I remain rooted where I was, swaying slightly in the whirlwind of the fire truck.

I turn to my left and silently thank the young man with a smile.

“You should’ve stepped back when I told you too,” he continues. This is growing a little strange, yet I continue to silently acknowledge his concern with a smile.

“Next time I tell you to step back, you STEP BACK,” he growls. “You better listen well to me, because I have this,” he pulls up his sweater to reveal a sheriff’s star.

I continue to smile, now more from the lack of another proper response.

“Stupid smiling people,” he mutters turning away, while I cross the street.

———————

I got to thinking about his intent in this brief interaction. He was with a group of people, he made his wish known, I ignored it, he tried to regain control, failed, felt threatened, attacked, and happily we parted before he had to force himself to stand by his threats.

Couldn’t have been pleasant for him. But a necessary lesson nonetheless. His rigidity in demanding control is like a malformed bone on his body that keeps bumping into life. It will take many more bumps for him to loosen up. But, I am glad to have been his Agent of Change for today.