It's a small world after all

Let me preface this by telling readers that this involves a specific local horse person, and it has no bearing whatever on anyone who is not part of this horse community. Feel free to click on it and skip today's entry, okay?

Once in a while, life will prove to you in no uncertain terms, that trite little sayings are truisms for good reasons.

Last Friday was an otherwise ordinary day. Very busy at work, very busy with the vanload of hay. When I eventually got into the house from barn chores, I was pretty tired. My cousin who has been staying with me, was also plenty tired-he'd had a challenging day himself. After a bit of discussion, I offered to buy him a dinner out-my treat. He agreed and we discussed heading back into town, but eventually we decided to head on down to the Knik Bar & Grill for a couple of their Friday night steaks. Locals have been going there for a good long time, and I have been there a bunch over the last decade plus myself......great steaks, reasonable price, close enough to home. And of course, there is always that wonderful color provided by the regulars (Or, as my hub puts it-it's "U-nique", lol)

I see a lot of familiar faces just about anywhere I go-either customers I have dealt with, friends and acquaintances, or just faces I have seen quite often before....sometimes I don't know who they are as no name springs to mind, but they look familiar just the same. I imagine it's that way for a lot of people who live in smaller areas-you just tend to see the same faces.

So I was not too terribly surprised to see Flo Pitcher (and her husband, I think it was) sitting at a side bar when we walked in last Friday evening. I paused at the bar, not having noticed that they had waitresses that night. I glanced Flo's way just the once, and distinctly heard her say the word "internet" and then turned my attention to the harried bartender for a minute or so. It became plain that we needed to take a table, and so my cousin and I found one on the other side of the pool table. We ended up sharing one with a couple who had come all the way from Palmer, just for the meal.

The waitress attended to our order, and conversation was flowing nicely as we watched the nights' musical entertainment get set up. A music tape or CD was started, and the noise level began increasing as it often does. After a short time, our salads were laid in front of us and just as we were picking up our forks, I happened to glance to my left and see Flo Pitcher approaching.

With a sinking feeling, I watched her stride towards me. About four feet away, she began talking. Loudly, aggressively, obviously wanting to make a point. She opened with calling me the "biggest shit stirrer in Alaska" and eventually ended with a screeching "BITCH!" During her tirade, I quite calmly said "Flo, this is not the place. Flo, this is not the time. Flo, this is NOT the place" The longer she went, the louder she got and eventually I said "Flo, shut UP!" quite firmly.

During the time she was yelling, I was relieved that her gestures did not touch me-although I did have some serious concern when she rocked her weight back onto one heel and dropped a shoulder-pretty much telegraphing a punch was waiting to be thrown. But thankfully, she did not do so (yeah, no kidding! I was sitting down, haha!) and strode off out of view to her perch at the other bar.

I was totally, completely flummoxed by her behavior. I apologized to the sea of dumbfounded faces turned my way over and over. I swear you could have heard a pin drop and I was mortified...I explained to our dinner companions that it was probably result of this blog-and that perhaps it was due to an inquiry about a horse for sale I had made recently. Shortly afterwards, the waitress hustled over, and informed me that Flo wouldn't be more trouble, she would be leaving.

Just a minute or two after that, a guy showed up, who said not to worry, Flo was being kicked out and we could all enjoy our dinners in peace.

After a great steak and a thorough, if slimmed down, explanation of Flo for my cousin who had sat quietly through the episode, I had the waitress check to see if she was still there......just in case. Thankfully, she was long gone by then and we left without further incident.

Naturally I have thought a lot about this, and about Flo, and what her issues with me are. I remain puzzled, but you can surely bet I will be much more watchful in the future. If she feels comfortable enough to verbally assault me (in her own stomping grounds, no less) what else might she do? She already brags that she knows what trucks "we" drive, and makes all kinds of accusations and insinuations about me, about other people she thinks are her "enemies" and the like.

Right off that bat, the only thing I can recall that I specifically called her to the carpet on, was her "picaninny days" practise (starving her horses for 24 hours each month) We disagreed on a horse situation that happened about ten years ago-she thinks one thing, I think another and that's that-we each have our own views. I have said publicly that I don't care for her stallions, but again, this is just an opinion I hold-nothing more, nothing less. I am sure she thinks Sully is crap too-and that's fine by me :)

I have often praised her good fortune to live where she does, doing what she loves. I have sent mare owners her way, people who needed training, hauling, and boarding. I may have caused her some grief by linking her website to a local group-but the content was her own, and what fell out over that is her own doing....if she didn't want it a topic of conversation, she should not have named names herself. I know she had an open door policy for months, making a big splash about "the door is always open" and "come out and have a cup of coffee" and "everyone welcome any time" and this led to her accusing another person of theft-someone who made the mistake of actually taking her up on it. Unfounded, but still, it was pretty ugly for a while.

The strangest part of this whole incident, when I had time to think of it a bit later is this: Why in the world would you create such a scene in your favorite watering hole? Maybe she felt she was in her comfort zone, or something. Maybe my presence just triggered some latent hatred that she feels towards myself and others-who knows? I have often served as the public "whipping post" or at least a lightening rod for whatever the hot topic of the day might be. And that's perfectly alright....I have always "called them as I see them" and anyone who knows me even passingly, will agree.

But what happened on Friday night with Flo is just wrong. I have no idea what her situation is, and no desire to know. But I will say this: The next time I am accosted and verbally assaulted in a room full of strangers.....there will be a very different outcome. It is, indeed, a small world after all....especially in the horse community here.