Cattāri Brahmavihārā

This morning as we walked down the street to the train station and my kids skated on their boards we came upon a woman with her large black dog who immediately told my kids to dismount. I was taken aback and struggled at first for a response but eventually told her it was her responsibility to control her dog and not my kids’ fault. She then asked the super sitting on the stoop to “take care of me.” Now this is a man I’ve seen for years sitting on the stoop but never spoke with and I had that kind of natural, unspoken affinity for him as a familiar face. He immediately starts to tell me how it’s not the dogs fault that it was lunging at my kids, that it was theirs. I told him that it didn’t make any sense what he was saying and that I’d call animal control if it happened again. He began shooting the same thing over and over as I walked away telling him (in Spanish the whole time) “esta bien señor.”

I was disappointed to see that someone who I have seen so many times would be so ready to attack my kids but what do I really expect from life? As the shock wore off I began trying to send metta and to see my role in this. I could have just let it go and probably should have to keep the peace although I really didn’t expect this thirty something hipster lady to involve anyone else in our conversation. All that is left now is to send metta and make a point of saying hello to the man now every time I pass. That and letting them know that if the dog menaces my children I’ll be calling the cops. Ugh.