There was an incident in North Vancouver that happened last Saturday… I’d gone out there to meet up with Andrew for his Birthday. After picking him up from the Quay, I drove to 15th and Grand Boulevard.
Now Grand Boulevard is a thing which I have never seen anywhere else, if another one like it exists, I don’t know of it. It runs from Keith Road in the south, to 19th Street on the north end of it. It’s about 345 feet wide, and a mile long. On each side there is Grand Boulevard West and Grand Boulevard East, both sides have north/south bound lanes.
I know of this particular portion of it from having been a bus driver in North Vancouver a few years back. As is the need from time to time, I like being accessible to a washroom, and this being the terminus for the 240 bus route, there is just such a thing there. They also have park benches and picnic tables.
It was a wonderful sunny day, and I soon was able to set up my Mexican blanket on a picnic table, and brought along my gift bag full of presents for Andrew that all ran along the same theme> creative writing, specifically Fiction.
But our blissful time was soon marred by the appearance of a man who set up shoppe on that bench you can see just over Andrew’s shoulder there, and on the other pic the blue X was where he came to be, and the black X was our location.
The first thing of note was his Bluetooth speakers, playing loud, visually we could see his guitar case and other such things. The next was the heavily recognizable smell of marijuana smoke. Then out came the Harmonica, and he began to sing loudly.
Now, remember that Andrew and I had travelled to this special spot from far away, to be with one another in a non-commercialized spot. Open to the public. No need to worry about taking business away from the owner of a restaurant, or making a spectacle of ourselves. Our oldest brother, Glenn was possibly going to be discharged from his hospital stay at any moment, so this was the reason for North Vancouver in particular.
The man might as well have come sat down beside us… he completely dissolved the whole bubble of bliss.
Andrew was annoyed, and thought that he’d like to go and discuss this with the man, tell him to leave or shutup… I asked him to not to do so. There were 3 possible outcomes…
1) He complies
2) He resists… and assaults Andrew, and we’d be taking him the hospital
3) Andrew overcomes his resistance, and Andrew is arrested for assault
The first being unlikely, we tried to ignore him, but the man seemed to get louder and louder, like a child who would be noticed.
So this is where some more information was needed. We later went for a visit with Glenn, having to stay in the hospital for at least another night. During which we told him of our interrupted birthday party (we had packed up and left… #4 scenario) Andrew explained that he’d spoken with the man on a previous occasion, when he’d done the same thing at Lonsdale Quay Public market seating area.
The man had told him that due to his sister having passed away he broke his sobriety. An AA member, of which Andrew and Glenn also were. Andrew’s attitude was one of incredulity. Just a reason to drink, you see.
But what is there in plain sight for me, is myself.
Aching to be noticed for my talents and skills… when I get gregarious, and am out in public, I speak outloud to those I’m interacting with, drawing attention to myself… interfering with their peace. Making it about me, thinking that they would later and right then and there be oh so grateful that they’d come across such an entertaining person as I. Andrew also, has done similar.
This man, around our age, broken, alone and in need of relationship… comes alone to this place, to seek an audience… to realize his destiny. Delusions of grandeur.
Neither Andrew and I sought to LOVE that man. Neither of us wanted to set aside our moment, to love like the good Samaritan… we chose the way of the priest and the Levite. To pass by on the other side, simply irritated by the man.
We strive for significance. And resent those in the spotlight who won’t share it with us. By WE I mean ME.
Running Down Vimy 