kerrylaughs

Because my sanity is often in question, I believe I’m a pretty good judge of how crazy other people are.  I had an incident several years ago where I found I still had a lot to learn about levels of mental health.  When traveling alone on business I didn’t like to eat in nice restaurants at a table for one.  As a result, I would often eat at fast food restaurants.  When in Philadelphia, I would almost always stay in Center City.  There is a Wendy’s on Walnut Street in Center City that I frequented while in town.  One evening when on my way to eat, I came across an elderly woman who was having a spirited discussion with a tree on the street.  I thought I would invite her to join me at Wendy’s.  I extended the invitation but she appeared to not hear me.  I asked again touching her arm at the same time.  She stopped in the middle of her discussion with the tree and gave me a look that was so angry it caused me to step backward. She took a couple of steps toward me and I turned around and started heading back to the hotel. Within moments, I was running as fast as I could with a 70 something year old lady in hot pursuit.  I can tell you this is not good for your ego.  I finally lost her after three of four blocks but I continued at a high rate of speed until I got back to my hotel.   I didn’t eat that night.   I later talked to a psychiatrist friend about the encounter and he told me it sounded like she was having a schizophrenic episode.  He told me any interference with an episode is considered hostile.  I just wanted to get her a burger and fries.