This was so bizarre, I just had to tell you about it.
So, last week I was driving to a school show in Glendora (Ca). I got off the freeway just like I always do. I followed my mapquest turn by turn like I always do. I pulled up to the curb in front of the church/school like I always do.
I took a look at the school and noticed that it'd be easier to load in if I moved forward about 20 feet. I did.
I also noticed that I was about 10 minutes too early to load in. So I grabbed my cell phone and starting checking my messages.
Well, suddenly there's a guy knocking on my driver's side car window. He was a medium sized dude, about 35 years old, with a work shirt on that read "something" Heating & Cooling.
I rolled down the window slightly (it is L.A. after all) and asked "Can I help you?".
The guy seemed really agitated and said "Why are you following me!?"
I said "What?"
A bit more agitated, he asked again "Why are you following me!?"
I said "I wasn't following you."
He said "Then what are doing here!?"
It suddenly struck me that he probably got off the freeway where I did (in front of me), and probably made every single turn I did. I hadn't even noticed his car. I was too busy trying to figure out where the hell I was going.
I said "I'm doing a magic show for this school. It's now 8:20 and I had an extra few minutes before I had to load in, so I'm listening to my messages."
So he said "You're telling me that you followed me all the way from the freeway and you JUST COINCIDENTALLY parked right behind me. We just coincidentally were driving to the same place."
I said "Yah. Here's the contract with the name of the school and the time and the date. I'm doing a magic show at this school in about a half an hour".
He said “Well that’s awfully coincidental, don’t ya think!?”
At that point in time I looked forward and noticed that he had a kid in his car. I realized that he was implying that I had some evil ulterior motive. That I had concocted a complex plot to do some rotten thing. That I figured out who the contact at the school was, created a fake contract, got dressed up in a magicians costume, loaded all sorts of critters in the car, followed him to that particular spot, and was ready to make my move.
I said “Yah, it is awfully coincidental”
He said “Who’s your contact?”
I looked on the contract and told him who my contact was. Then I asked if he knew who she was.
He said he did.
And then he tagged one more time “It’s just a coincidence. I find that hard to believe!”
And said he was going to find out what was really going on.
I said “Fine.”
Well, of course, I made a beeline to the school office and explained the situation to my contact.
The man took his child to her class and was walking out when I was walking with my contact to the venue to set up the show.
I said “Did you find out that I’m here to do a show?”
He said “Yah. But I had to protect my child.”
No apology. No “Gee, sorry for the misunderstanding”. No “Have fun”. Nothing. In fact, he seemed ready to get into some crazy physical altercation.
Turns out he had questioned the teacher. “What’s he here for? How long has he been doing this? Have you ever seen him before?....”
This was the fifth year in a row I had performed at this school.
He just stormed off still pissed that I was even in the vicinity.
So I took my boot and kicked him right in the groin. As he laid on the ground I laughed maniacally and pointed at him ... Ok. I made up that part. I just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention.
But he really did leave still all angry. Angry at me, at the world, at him for making an ass of himself.
So, last week I was driving to a school show in Glendora (Ca). I got off the freeway just like I always do. I followed my mapquest turn by turn like I always do. I pulled up to the curb in front of the church/school like I always do.
I took a look at the school and noticed that it'd be easier to load in if I moved forward about 20 feet. I did.
I also noticed that I was about 10 minutes too early to load in. So I grabbed my cell phone and starting checking my messages.
Well, suddenly there's a guy knocking on my driver's side car window. He was a medium sized dude, about 35 years old, with a work shirt on that read "something" Heating & Cooling.
I rolled down the window slightly (it is L.A. after all) and asked "Can I help you?".
The guy seemed really agitated and said "Why are you following me!?"
I said "What?"
A bit more agitated, he asked again "Why are you following me!?"
I said "I wasn't following you."
He said "Then what are doing here!?"
It suddenly struck me that he probably got off the freeway where I did (in front of me), and probably made every single turn I did. I hadn't even noticed his car. I was too busy trying to figure out where the hell I was going.
I said "I'm doing a magic show for this school. It's now 8:20 and I had an extra few minutes before I had to load in, so I'm listening to my messages."
So he said "You're telling me that you followed me all the way from the freeway and you JUST COINCIDENTALLY parked right behind me. We just coincidentally were driving to the same place."
I said "Yah. Here's the contract with the name of the school and the time and the date. I'm doing a magic show at this school in about a half an hour".
He said “Well that’s awfully coincidental, don’t ya think!?”
At that point in time I looked forward and noticed that he had a kid in his car. I realized that he was implying that I had some evil ulterior motive. That I had concocted a complex plot to do some rotten thing. That I figured out who the contact at the school was, created a fake contract, got dressed up in a magicians costume, loaded all sorts of critters in the car, followed him to that particular spot, and was ready to make my move.
I said “Yah, it is awfully coincidental”
He said “Who’s your contact?”
I looked on the contract and told him who my contact was. Then I asked if he knew who she was.
He said he did.
And then he tagged one more time “It’s just a coincidence. I find that hard to believe!”
And said he was going to find out what was really going on.
I said “Fine.”
Well, of course, I made a beeline to the school office and explained the situation to my contact.
The man took his child to her class and was walking out when I was walking with my contact to the venue to set up the show.
I said “Did you find out that I’m here to do a show?”
He said “Yah. But I had to protect my child.”
No apology. No “Gee, sorry for the misunderstanding”. No “Have fun”. Nothing. In fact, he seemed ready to get into some crazy physical altercation.
Turns out he had questioned the teacher. “What’s he here for? How long has he been doing this? Have you ever seen him before?....”
This was the fifth year in a row I had performed at this school.
He just stormed off still pissed that I was even in the vicinity.
So I took my boot and kicked him right in the groin. As he laid on the ground I laughed maniacally and pointed at him ... Ok. I made up that part. I just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention.
But he really did leave still all angry. Angry at me, at the world, at him for making an ass of himself.
The Big Lesson
Now I have complete confidence in the human race. I believe that 99% of world’s population are pretty logical and pretty cool. But there are still those crazy 1% that are paranoid and illogically thinking that the world is somehow out to get them.
I don’t pretend to know what was going through this guy’s head. Maybe he was going through a divorce and being followed by a private eye. Maybe he had prior experience with his child be kidnapped. I don’t know.
But I do know this. As children’s entertainers we need to keep an eye out for anything that we do that can be PERCEIVED as dangerous or lascivious in any way.
We are here to make children happy and to make their parents feel secure in knowing that they are taken care of. That’s our job.
- John
Rebel Entertainer and Guy that’s just trying to do my job
www.RebelEntertainer.com
I don’t pretend to know what was going through this guy’s head. Maybe he was going through a divorce and being followed by a private eye. Maybe he had prior experience with his child be kidnapped. I don’t know.
But I do know this. As children’s entertainers we need to keep an eye out for anything that we do that can be PERCEIVED as dangerous or lascivious in any way.
We are here to make children happy and to make their parents feel secure in knowing that they are taken care of. That’s our job.
- John
Rebel Entertainer and Guy that’s just trying to do my job
www.RebelEntertainer.com
Posts
2 comments:
Wow! I hated reading your story, but thanks for writing it! Mostly I hated being reminded how I myself am also exposed to this type of misunderstanding in my own role as a family entertainer. But before being a family entertainer I was a k-12 art teacher for several years. A few years ago I was forced out of that profession because a parent made majorly wrong assumptions over circumstances that looked bad only due to misinterpreting weirdly aligning coincidences. In my case that misunderstanding was exacerbated by an ineffectual and insecure administrator who knew there was nothing to any of it, but felt that perception was 9/10's of the law. Good thing your contact was smart and secure enough to vouch for you. Judging by my experience, I have to say I wouldn't always count on it.
Hey Mark,
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, I'm glad too, but I continue to be as aware as I can be. Not paranoid, because I refuse to live my life in fear, just aware. Thanks again.
Post a Comment