There is always something ineffably unnerving about knowing that something tragic happened both within your vicinity and at a place that feels like yours. You conveyed that well. I was witness to a girl overdosing in the park I frequent each morning not too long ago, and I still find it hard to describe the mix of emotions it brought up. If you’re interested, I wrote about it here:
Thanks for sharing this. (I hadn't read it when you published it; I go through phases of not wanting to read any new Substack posts for a while.) Ineffably unnerving, and relatable, indeed. Interestingly, a few days before the incident I described at the park, I was driving to the same park, also early in the morning, so still dark out, and I saw a motorcycle on its side that appeared to have crashed into a concrete utility pole. I stopped to look for the driver/a body but there wasn't one. I kept an eye out after that, thinking maybe the driver had walked away and potentially dropped somewhere. But nothing. When I left the park the motorcycle was gone.
I read this after seeing (and nodding in agreement with) the note you shared re: not having thought something clearly if you can't express it in plain and clear language. So I especially admired the simplicity and clarity of your prose in this piece, it was very lucid throughout.
There is always something ineffably unnerving about knowing that something tragic happened both within your vicinity and at a place that feels like yours. You conveyed that well. I was witness to a girl overdosing in the park I frequent each morning not too long ago, and I still find it hard to describe the mix of emotions it brought up. If you’re interested, I wrote about it here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thecuriousplatypus/p/violet-street?r=28of53&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Thanks for sharing this. (I hadn't read it when you published it; I go through phases of not wanting to read any new Substack posts for a while.) Ineffably unnerving, and relatable, indeed. Interestingly, a few days before the incident I described at the park, I was driving to the same park, also early in the morning, so still dark out, and I saw a motorcycle on its side that appeared to have crashed into a concrete utility pole. I stopped to look for the driver/a body but there wasn't one. I kept an eye out after that, thinking maybe the driver had walked away and potentially dropped somewhere. But nothing. When I left the park the motorcycle was gone.
I go through similar phases.
And how strange about the motorbike, weird things afoot.
I read this after seeing (and nodding in agreement with) the note you shared re: not having thought something clearly if you can't express it in plain and clear language. So I especially admired the simplicity and clarity of your prose in this piece, it was very lucid throughout.
Thanks for the kind words.