Inconveniences................

When you're a little kid, you have no real sense of time. It's generalized. Meal times, bath times, bed times - they're controlled by your parents. Summer time, winter time, inside or outside playtime - those are controlled by the weather. Either way, it's out of your control and all you know is that every day is as long as it needs to be.

Then you go to school. And they teach you how to tell time. And you realize that your life is more regimented then you knew. All those times your parents controlled are based on the clock.

That's when you begin to grow up.

And you go through school...and you get a job....maybe you get married and have children....and you think there aren't enough hours in the day. And you look forward to that time that you can finally retire and have all that free time to do whatever you want.

It doesn't always work that way.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I had that potential carcinoma removed last week. It was right below my left eye, close to my nose. For a couple of days, I had a bandage covering it. Now, it's just a huge scab that I apply anti-bacterial cream to twice a day. Since I wear glasses, it's partly hidden, but I have to admit that I'm self-conscious about it and imagine it to be larger then it is

Add that to the fact that I'd spent a lot of time last month doing some volunteer work, only to have it go to waste (or so I imagine) and you might be able to imagine my aggravation. I'd incurred some expenses, and a great deal of inconvenience, and I was itching to do something.

Today, with the sun shining brightly for the first time in a few days, I got in the car and headed for Monmouth County. A nice day for a drive and oldies on the radio. The first place I stopped was a library in Hazlet.

There's a parking lot that it shares with the Municipal Building, but there's also another lot around to the side to handle the overflow. (The library doesn't actually get any overflow, but the Municipal Building contains the Police Department and the local court, so a couple of times a week they do). I drove into the overflow lot first. It's hidden from the main road by a stand of trees, and faces the back of a small office building on the next street. I saw an older man on the connecting path to the library. I pulled into a nearby spot and waited. There were only 3 other cars there. The old man approached one to my left and opened his trunk. I backed out.

I backed up far enough so that he was between my car and the office building, lowering my window as I did.

Point, press, Flash.

He slumped forward, hidden by the open trunk, and I drove away.

I headed for Middletown, and the library there.

I usually only check out the sale books in the main room, but I decided to wander through the stacks. (For those of you who don't know library vernacular, "the stacks" is how we refer to the rows and rows of books). That's when I saw the young man.

It was pretty empty in the library, but I decided against an Event here. I was pretty far back in the building and I didn't want to take the chance of anyone stumbling on him while I was still in there. I went back to my car and drove away.

As I headed back, on the spur of the moment, I turned off and headed for Sayreville. They have a library there that I haven't been to in a while.

There was some construction going on, but they were open. I wondered around for a minute or two and then I saw her. She was sitting in a chair by one of the windows on the far side, reading a book.

I passed her and walked around through the nearby stacks. No one was in this area. I came up on her from behind again.

Point, press, Flash.

She sagged forward and I proceeded towards the front of the library.

I left, got in my car, and sat there for a while. No one came running out. No police or ambulance came in.

I drove away.

For now, I could forgive the inconveniences.