Monday I am meeting my professor at Salem State
University. She is both my current
classroom teacher as well as my thesis advisor.
We agree to meet in the SSU library.
I arrive in Salem super-early, so I start exploring Highland
Avenue, looking for the animal shelter, but I get distracted by a Dunkin
Donuts. I go in and order a cheddar
cheese bagel. Even after sitting in the
car and picking away at the bagel, I still have time to kill. I figure I'll head over and wait for my
advisor, who lives almost spitting distance from the campus. I, on the other hand, have driven across six
towns to get here, so my timing is off.
My text message sounds when I am two stop lights from
school. My advisor is texting me to park
at the top of the hill, where the street is empty of cars and rich on
spaces. This is a good idea in theory,
except the way is easier coming in from the regular commuter lot.
I turn down the windy entryway, past all the open street
spots, and weave my way down into the bowels of the university.
There are probably five other cars there scattered around
the lot. Nearly every single space is
open, so I turn my car around and take a front-row spot that faces out. I'm good to go!
The library itself is closed because it's a Massachusetts
(and Maine) holiday, Patriots' Day, commemorating the Shot Heard Round the
World. The main library building foyer
is open, though. We hold our meeting,
chat some, then go our separate ways.
Back to the commuter lot go I, where my little white car is
parked all by its lonesome. As I sit in
the driver's seat, gathering myself together and sorting paperwork, a car pulls
into the lot.
Now, the entire lot is empty. The whole thing. The whole entire fucking parking lot.
So, where do you think this little asshole parks?
Right. Next.
To. Me.
As if my spot is the best spot in the entire world! As if I am fly paper for freaks.
I putter around for another minute or two then put my car in
gear. There's a campus cop in the lot by
now, so I exit more slowly than usual.
Besides, it's a beautiful day.
Might as well enjoy it, right?
As I pull away, Weirdo Car swings around and practically
pushes me out of my spot, as if the one spot next to me weren't close
enough. As if the entire expanse of
pavement with about 100 steps to the library entrance weren't good enough,
Weirdo Car wants to cut the step count down to 99.
Either this driver is the King of Creeps, or else he is the Laziest
Loser. Or perhaps I am simply in
"HIS" spot.
Ahhhh yes, the joys of college life. Two more drives to Salem and it will all
finally be over. After that, the little
asshole can have my spot any damn time he wants it.
