I just had a negative interaction with a fellow dog-walker.

She had two dogs. I had two dogs. She was turning the corner as I was mid-way down the block. She was clearly going to keep walking toward me. My dogs like barking at other dogs who are also on leashes. I said, “This isn’t going to end well.” She kindly volunteered to cross the street. I walked my dogs back a bit so we could wait behind a row of hedges until she had walked by.

Little did either of us know that when she walked by a neighbor’s fenced yard that neighbor’s dogs were outside and they went nuts barking.

Great.

She shouted something incomprehensible but unpleasant. And then she shouted again.

Does it matter what she said?

Not really. I certainly picked up that she was mad. Can’t wait to see her some other day when we are both walking dogs.

I don’t think this little episode would have ended this way before this election.

I really don’t.

And it is not the first time today I was broadsided by negativity. Another friend gave me plenty for being in radio silence since the election.

Earlier today I was at a shop, and, as I paid for my items, the owner commented that people have been unpleasant and unkind since the election. She would know since she has folks coming in and out all day long.

The next morning after the election, a friend of mine had to call the police because two guys were arguing about absolutely nothing at her local Wawa. She was afraid they were going to start fighting. And this was in some bland small town.

People seem to be either especially nice or especially mean.

I attribute it to the stress of this election’s aftermath.

We don’t know who is in our bubble, who shares our views, who voted for our candidate. We don’t know if our world view meshes with the world view of those strangers we meet, and we are on edge. Maybe the person who seems perfectly nice is actually one of those who voted for the other side. Or, worse in some ways, chose not to vote.