AHHHHHHH!

As I was carrying my dirty clothes down the alley to the clothes washing store the other day, I heard an awful, blood-curdling scream come from across the street.

It was a small girl shrieking because -- sometimes -- young girls shriek. Then my mind-gears began to crank along their axels, and I soon realized that I've never been in a situation where it would be socially acceptable to start screaming on the street.

Haunted house? Marginally appropriate.

Roller coaster? That's fine; I'll be long gone by the time I actually hear it.

But on the street? In broad daylight? Certainly not.

I suppose I had screaming on my brain because I went to an Indiana Jones movie marathon a little while back and there is no shortage of obnoxious wailing in the film trilogy*.

I guess I should be thankful that I haven't been involved in a terrible situation that necessitated screaming in public. Off the top of my head, this would include, (1) being attacked and trying to get help, (2) urinary track infection/kidney stones** and (3) being within 50 feet of a live (or recently dead) tiger.

Simply being upset or trying to be annoying are not valid reasons. Neither is being excited about a song playing in a bar that you like. Unless avoidable intense pain or imminent death is involved, screaming is best left to the professionals.

(*)Trilogy.
(**)Arguably one should not be peeing in public, but in certain situations, you really don't have a choice.