Struck Dumbfounded

It was 9:30pm on July 4th, 2007 when I decided to go for a 10km tempo run with my 13 month pup, Iniko. I was less than half-way into my run along the sidewalk of Harwood Avenue in Ajax when a passenger, in a passing red minivan heading the opposite direction, threw an empty glass juice bottle at me. I felt the bottle breeze past my face, only to smash into pieces as it hit my left shoulder. I stopped dead in my tracks. I was stunned in disbelief that someone would actually throw a hard object at another person, an object that barely missed my face and could have caused significant injury had it impacted my head. I watched as the minivan sped up and made the first available left turn into a residential neighbourhood. I was not able to make out the license plate, so I didn't bother reporting the incident to the police. I was tempted to run in the direction of the minivan to track down the assailants, but I didn't. I didn't think I would be able to find the vehicle. There were no witnesses...just a man walking with his head down on the other side of the street. His lack of reaction indicated he had not seen the incident.

This was an emotional experience. I was disturbed that people could be so desensitized to inflicting harm on others, and so ignorant as to gain pleasure from causing such harm.