Autism

I feel for you, I really do. Still, whatever the situation, at least try to be the better person, especially in the presence of witnesses.

Back in February 2011, a retired police officer, in broad daylight, accused me of making crystal meth, because my dad decided to burn an old matress in his bonfire pile and the smoke smelled stinky. He accused me in broad daylight, while I reassured him that his accusations were outright wrong.

Granted, daddy shouldn't have been burning furniture, but that's besides the point. The retired officer threatened to blow my brains out, with a good friend of mine and my dad's standing and watching as a witness to all this shit.

I simply walked away, walking back home, while the retired cop (rather large build even), walked after me and tried to grab my shoulder. I just shrugged him off and kept walking. Yes, yes I was a little scared that maybe he had a gun in his pocket and might actually carry through with his threat, but I just kept walking home, shortly down the street.

Later that evening, I drove my car to a friend's house the next block over, and passed in front of his house, where I saw the deranged ex cop talking with my ex girlfriend, who was talking with him and vouching for us, confirming his accusations were wrong. I stopped my car beside them and told him "Paint my life however you like", and then just drove on to my friend's place.

Over the next two weeks, I was scared shitless of him, and made a point to drive around the other side of the block to avoid passing in front of his house. I spent those two weeks starting to write an experimental programming project I had been thinking about for a couple years already, in freezing cold weather, "Color Painter". I continued that project through 2017.

As time went on and I had a chance to talk with other neighbors, and even active detectives, they all told me that's exactly why he was kicked off the police force, cuz he was fucking nuts!

I never spoke a single word to that man again, my dad went and basically politely told him to fuck off, and that's about the timeframe in my life where I learned confidence and it's best to be the better man.

Like, what if I would have popped my mouth off or tried to run away instead of walk? I dunno if he had a gun in pocket or not, but that might have been the thing to trigger him to shoot.

So I was the better man out of it, I didn't act a fool and I consealed my absolute fear, in confidence that if the psycho cop actually did shoot me, that there were witnesses and he would have been thrown under the jail.

Anyways, take care of yourself friend, and don't let words get to you, there's so much worse that could happen...