Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
I was Spit on and Lived to Tell the Tale
I can only spit about three feet. I was curious, so I spit in the woods to see how far I could spit. I normally don’t make a practice of long-range spitting and have never considered it an enviable skill.
In contrast, the woman who spit at me last Sunday had at least a five-foot range. It was impressive, maybe jaw dropping.
I was in a unique situation, you see. I was holding a “Vote Crawford” sign at a busy intersection, waving at passing cars, smiling at the thumbs up and beeps, and smiling, too, at the thumbs down. It’s all America, right? We agree to disagree.
Then a woman swerved her car from the middle lane of the three-lane highway, aiming right at me. She slammed on the brakes and in my naive, God Bless America frame of mind, I thought perhaps she was overcome with appreciation for my sign waving. Another Crawford supporter! This one especially enthusiastic.
And so, I stood there with my sign. She got out of her car and started screaming. Yelling that I was filth, a sinner and murderer, lower than dirt, not fit to kiss her ass (which, I momentarily regained my senses to respond, “Who would want to kiss your ass?”). Anyway, I stood there, figuring she’d vent and then drive off. But she leaned forward and spit at me. I was so stunned I almost saw the spit traveling through the air in slow motion. And then it plopped on my cheek.
I suggested she move along, that she was likely to get rear-ended by the fast-moving traffic and so she headed toward her car and then turned around, resumed the invective and spit again, this time depositing a small pile on my left shoulder. I asked her if she’d just come from church or was on her way. That seemed to light her up a bit and it got worse, much more intense language, aggressive movement toward me, and I debated whether to put my sign in front of my face to fend off the spit or leave it down so I’d see her when she took a swing at me.
Then there was the third spit. That’s when I put up my sign to protect my face and told her to move on. When she neared her car door, I put my sign down and pointed to the heart-shaped pin on my coat that says, Embrace Hope. “I’m all about embracing hope,” I shouted at her. And it felt good to say this instead of saying Fuck You which is what I would normally say.
Later, I realized that she might have had a weapon in the car to which a friend responded, ‘ her car was the weapon” and that sent a shot right through me. Protesters have gotten run down by crazy people. And she was crazy. As they make ’em.
Anyway, that happened to me on Sunday. I have a lot of thoughts about it. I’m not sad or angry or afraid. There were wonderful people nearby, a new friend who took pictures of the spitting, an old friend waving her sign down the street, and my husband waiting in the parking lot of a gas station. That was where he witnessed the same woman throwing a cup of hot coffee in another sign waver’s face. No kidding.
The police were called, took reports, and are dealing with the spitter/coffee thrower. Yesterday, Susan Crawford won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court by a large margin, beating the Trump/Musk backed candidate. There is a big demo coming up on Saturday at our Federal Building. I’m going with a new sign and my Embrace Hope pin. But now I’m armed with new knowledge – about swerving cars and spitters – and how being with great people gives you comfort and courage when you need it.
14 Comments on “I was Spit on and Lived to Tell the Tale”
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Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
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“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
Just a follow-up on the spitter/coffee thrower. She was arrested by the police in a traffic stop later that evening. Questioned, arrested, handcuffed, taken to the station, booked, the whole nine yards. She was then released but received two citations for disorderly conduct and a ticket for having an expired registration. A lot of $ in fines. I was satisfied with the outcome and appreciated the police officers taking the incidents seriously and not being in any way discouraging or disapproving of our sign line.
That sounds weirdly terrifying. There really are a LOT of nut jobs around and I don’t have any kind of grip on what sets them off. They behave like loaded bombs. Was it always like this and somehow I just missed it?
I don’t think it was always like this – although I can remember civil rights and anti-war demonstrations getting pretty intense. What was weird was I (foolishly) thought being an old lady smiling and waving at passing cars wouldn’t trigger anybody. Good lesson for me.
Good for you, Jan! I was so happy to hear about the results in WI!!!!!
We’re still elated. Such an important election. Wisconsin really turned up for this.
I don’t know if I could have held myself together. You did admirably. Yes, she’s definitely unbalanced to have been that aggressive.
I am so sorry that this happened to you and the coffee to the other person. what makes a person take the time and energy to try to hurt another in some way? what makes them carry such hatred that they have to lash out so violently,wtih words or physical actions? I’ve been protesting regularly the for the last month and will be continuing to do so, I refuse to sit down, and know that those people are out there, but like you, I am heartened by being surrounded by people who are like minded, wanted good for others, and who have empathy and kindness in their hearts.
I am so sorry that this happened to you and the coffee to the other person. what makes a person take the time and energy to try to hurt another in some way? what makes them carry such hatred that they have to lash out so violently,wtih words or physical actions? I’ve been protesting regularly the for the last month and will be continuing to do so, I refuse to sit down, and know that those people are out there, but like you, I am heartened by being surrounded by people who are like minded, wanted good for others, and who have empathy and kindness in their hearts.
You showed amazing grace and poise under “spit fire” I guess we can call it. I do hope she was identified to the police she is guilty of assault and battery. Being physically aggressive seems to be the unfortuate go-to position for certain types of people, and a nice visit to court and sentencing is a great way to dissuade similar behavior in the future.
Bravo for you!
This scared me so much. You really are so brave.
I admire your courage and grace. Hold your sign high on Saturday!
So glad that there was no exceleration to something bigger. I did a bit of a happy dance for you when I learned that Crawford won. Actually a happy dance for all the sane people in the world
Oh my goodness! That’s nuts! Glad you’re OK. And WELL DONE and thank you for beating the billionaire!! Wisconsin did it. 👏🏼
Yes! Wisconsin did it and we are still all smiling ear to ear.