Somehow, our neighborhood now has another cussing lady.
For years now we have had this woman who walks up and down the streets of the neighborhood talking to herself or whomever she believes she is talking to and punctuates her one-way conversations with profanities made in elevated pitches.
Now we have another woman who pushes around a shopping cart and talks to herself and, albeit at lower tones, she too makes her exclamations with a load of cuss words.
It makes me wonder, how on Earth did we end up with two cussing ladies? I bet most run of the mill neighborhoods don’t even have one.
I shouldn’t make light of the situation because it is really sad.
A man who lived where the second cussing lady passed by today asked her in his rather elevated tone why she had to use such “violent” language. I think “vile” was the word he was looking for, but I got his point. She didn’t make any kind of thoughtful response unless that is what you call telling the man to kiss her ass and then going on about whatever she was doing.
With both the first and the second cussing ladies, I just ignore them. I don’t look at them. I don’t say anything to them. I have found that is the best way to avoid having a barrage of expletives hurled your way. I mean, it’s kind of like stepping in dog crap. It’s not pleasant, it’s disgusting actually. But you clean it up and go on about your life.
I can see why the man today was upset. Some people have less tolerance for bad language than I do. But unfortunately, there really isn’t a whole lot anyone can do except — as the man did this morning — say what is on his mind.
He could have called the police. But what would that have accomplished? More than likely she would be taken for psych evaluation and 24 hours later be back on the street. As far as I know these ladies are harmless — a little scary and certainly frustrating — but I don’t know if they have harmed anyone except perhaps in self-defense.
They could go to the local mental health authority and get their meds. But if they wanted to do that they probably wouldn’t be out on the street cussing up a storm.
So where does that leave us? It leaves us to ponder the bigger question of how do we handle what is essentially a mental health crisis in this country? Maybe some folks smarter than me will see these cussing ladies some day and think about them as I am doing. Then perhaps they will come up with some solutions. I’m sorry. I don’t have any solutions.
Damn it.