This bums for you.

I like to think of myself as a pretty cool cucumber. When there is something to get mad about I like to think I do my best not to care. This is not to say I am mean or cold hearted. I am sensitive and caring and compationate. I buy the "Real Change" mag, I have "bum dollars" in my car to hand out at the random stop lights. I help wheelchair bound people reach high stuff in the market. I hold the door, let mergers in, I always let the guy on the right go around the "round abouts" and I would hand a dollar up to a man that dropped it. Shit, I would hand up $100 bill.
There are so many more examples. It's just been who knows how long since I have had time to write and now that I have a minute (like 4) I want to just get this off my chest.
Today as I was walking up to our local grassy knoll, splash park/benches galore, favorite hang out here in Ballard, I noticed something. 26 bums.
Bums (and if there was another word for them, I'd use it. Homeless, yes, but these guys, are b.u.m.s.).
It is not unlike this park to house a handful (okay, maybe 2) of these guys but today, it took my breath away- in the "go the fuck away!" kinda way. It pissed me off.
This is a splash park where little kids run half naked on hot days. It is where my son skateboards, it is where we have at least 3 outings to a week when the weather is nice. It is the American dream. We can walk there.
There have been more than one occasion of fights. Yelling matches and pot smoking. All of which I just go about my business. I am always of the mind that "they" need a place to hang out too. I have actually said this out load.
Today I had planned to go and nurse the baby on a bench, while my toddler... well, toddled in the water, chase birds- people watch but I couldn't get past the rage I had that every single bench was full. There are a ton. There are many, many places to sit and they were all taken. One was actually open, this is where I sat and right next to it a grocery cart full of what could only be the rotting carcass of an old, giant squid.
So what? What the fuck to do?
I am sick of these smoking (I actually don't mind the pot as much as the cigarettes), fall down drunk, screaming, swearing FILTHY fools. I am sick of it. I will not retreat to my home. I will not feel bad anymore that they don't have a place to go. GO TO THE FUCKING GRASS, OUT OF THE WAY OF THE KIDS RUNNING BY YOUR GODDAMN BEER CANS, STEPPING ON YOUR CIGARETTE BUTTS!
I am going to do something. I am not going to let this go. I am nice, but I'm not a dumb bitch. I know I have some goddamn rights here. There has got to be something said for all that is going on in the park and NOTHING happens and I got a ticket parking in front of MY HOME for facing the wrong way.
I fought that ticket and I won.
Imma' win this shit too.