So I'm walking home tonight after a 2 hour work stint in a coffee shop on Alberta ave in Portland. Its a more than 20 block walk from 14th ave to 42nd, so I was definitely in the walkers trance by the time I hooked a right on 33rd. As I'm walking, fast because the January wind was biting, I can see my shadow pacing me. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I see the a shadow on 4 legs charging me.

Man, I understand fight or flight. I turn and see a brown dog charging me and lunging at me teeth barred. With no hope of flight I went, without thought, directly into fight. I got primal, instantly. In a low squat I was growling at the dog, dogging back as it lugged and then kicking or swinging at it. In that instant two things happened

Two more dogs came spilling over the first dog spitting and growling

and I remember this time at my kids Head Start graduation...

This past summer my twins graduated from Head Start and the school hosted a potluck picnic at the park. Everybody was having a great time in the sun when suddenly this dog that must have escaped its yard somehow comes charging into the park and menacing the families. A few of the dads tried to chase it off and finally this one Mexican dad takes off his belt and chases the dog away...

...so now facing the three dogs I'm reaching for my belt. Right then the dogs owner shows up and gradually gets her dogs under control. She apologizes with an explanation that her dog was freaking out because I was freaking out... I'm like "PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEASH!" she like "Uuuhhhhhh" shes totally not going to put her dogs on a leash. I'm like "Do you understand that you dog just attacked me, that I was getting ready to attack it?"

"Yeah he's just a stupid dog." Totally different reality. In my world this irresponsible woman just endangered me, her dogs, possibly the nearby traffic if things had ranged into the street. In her world she just has some playful dogs.

What is the protocol when worlds collide?