Crappy Neighborhood

With all my time off I've been taking walks around my neighborhood. It fills time, it's nice to get outside and it's a small form of exercise. I like it a lot. However, I've had a fear of stray dogs since I was a kid. It mostly has to do with the fact I was bit by a stray dog on three separate occasions within my neighborhood. It was nothing major. But it still sucked. As years went by, I got more frightened to walk around my neighborhood. I didn't want to get bit again. I would see stray dogs wander around all the time. I had been chased on numerous occasions running or on my bike since those times.

When I was older and able to drive, I would see more stray dogs. It didn't entice me to go out anymore. Fast forward to the present, I'm still scared to go out. But I started to think it wouldn't be so bad to go outside in my neighborhood. Maybe I was just paranoid about the amount of strays running around. So I started going on walks but only short distances. No strays thus far. As more days went on, the further and longer my walks got. No strays. But today changed it all. I ran into three of them. The first two left me alone. The third one was a pit bull that escaped from the leash of it's owner. It ran right towards me, hopped over a small fence and chased after me. This wasn't a friendly dog. It came a long way out of it's way running full speed. I remember thinking before I saw it coming "What else can possibly go wrong with me lately? Maybe my car can break down or my phone breaks? At least I haven't been chased on this long walk." As if on cue, like in a bad movie, I see the dog darting for me.

I turned the other way and walked calmly hoping it wasn't after me. But it sure was. It hopped over a small wood fence right next to me. That's when I ran full sprint. My phone falls out of my pocket as I run and hear it hit the sidewalk. Luckily, the dog's leash gets caught on the wood fence and keeps it from chasing me. I stand there for a minute, I could hear people call out for it. They drive up and put in the car. I wondered if they knew their dog had chased me up a hill at full sprint. I doubt they cared.

I picked up my phone off the sidewalk. It looked damaged but it worked ok, thankfully. I continued my walk to see the owner and their dog halfway down the street. Just stupid white trash. I've always said my neighborhood has gone downhill. I just never realized how much until I had to walk the streets like I used to. It's different to just drive down the street. You overlook details easily. I looked around and saw the neighborhood I grew up in, in shambles. White trash were everywhere. I drove around just to look afterwards. Why are there so many stray dogs? It's sad and negligent.

Bleh. So much for my walking times. They will definitely be shorter distances. I don't want to get bit or chased again because some loser can't take care of their dog properly.