Being a Jerk, Part 1

Late Sunday night, I injured someone. I didn't meant to, but I did anyway.A bunch of us were at Perkins and he was doing something annoyimg. I can't even remember what it was at the moment (which is a testament to how small it was) but at the time it really bugged me. I asked him to cut it out and he didn't. I jokingly threatened to throw my silverware at him if he didn't stop, but he didn't stop. Still joking, I grabbed my spoon and chucked it across the table. I can't say whether it was because my aim was so bad or because my aim was unintentionally good, but it hit him right in the mouth. He started bleeding a little bit.

I apologized profuusely and felt bad about it the whole night. It was an sccident and I hadn't intended to hurt anyone. Still...

...I feel like a was a jerk because for a while now I've had an underlying feeling of "mygodifyoudontcutthatoutisweariamgoingtothrowsomethingatyou" towards this (basically nice) person. So maybe there was a tiny bit of subconcious purposefulness in my action. And if that is the case, I say to myself, "Grow the fuck up, already." Even kindergarteners know that they are supposed to use words to address problems, not flying eating utelsils. They also know that just because someone else is being a git does not give you license to be one right back.

Being a jerk, part 2

I also feel like a bit of a jerk because I called the cops on my upstairs neighbors last night. Not a huge jerk, mind you. I mostly feel justified. But a bit of a jerk, none-the-less.

My newish neighbors are a couple, and sometimes I hear them yelling at each other up there. Sometimes they are just yelling at the dog. (Poor dog). mostly I just ignore it, as I ignore all the other times and ways that they are really loud. It gets on my nerves, but they don't do it when I'm trying to fall asleep at night or anything.

Last night was a different story. There was yelling and screaming and slamming things for quite a while. It was so loud it was impossible to ignore, even over my music. The slamming things was hard enough to cause my light fixtures to rattle. I listened, since it was pretty hard not to, and one of them said, "Don't you hit me." I honestly can't say which on it ws, since through the floor both voices were just loud, rather than male or female.

After it began to seem like it would never end, and that I wouldn't get any peace until they either killed each other or someone intervened. At that point, I gave up and called the police to report a domestic disturbance. For all I knew, besides just being a nuisance, one of them really was going to get hurt.

When the cops arrived I let them into the building, and then tried to stay out of it. I think one of them got taken in, but I didn't look to see which one it was. At the end, the police asked to talk to me to get a few details about what I'd heard, but I couldn't tell them whose voice it was. They assured me that I'd done the right thing.

A few quiet hours later, the one that was still home left and later both of them returned. I know they have to know that one of the neighbprs called, I just hope they don't know that it was me. This isn't a very big building, and I don't want there to be awkwardness.

I feel very conflicted. On the one hand, it wasn't any of my business. On the other hand, they rather made it my business by fighting so loudly that it was practically in my living room. On the one hand, they may have just been loud in their fighting and no one was hurt. On the other hand, how many times have people been injured or killed within earshot of the neighbors, but no one did anything because they didn't want to get involved. I especially hope that whichever one got taken in was really the one that needed the cool-down more.

I can say one thing for certain, I don't want to ever have to do that again. However, if I have to, I will.