Are You Here For The Sunset?

Wikipedia Defines a Rhetorical Question as follows.

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked to make a point rather than to elicit an answer.^[1] Though classically stated as a proper question, such a rhetorical device may be posed declaratively^{[citation needed]} by implying a question, and therefore may not always require a question mark when written. Though a rhetorical question does not require a direct answer, in many cases it may be intended to start a discussion or at least draw an acknowledgement that the listener understands the intended message.

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This is not the first time this year I have been asked a rhetorical question and it may not be the last.

I go to parks in the afternoon to cook/eat dinner before its dark.

This day I was at a park that I go to once in awhile that also has a disc golf course.

I finish playing disc golf and I go to my Prius to make dinner.  This approx 38 year old guy with his tee shirt off looking fall buffed with shorts walked by my car and I had a couple doors open and the back hatch, as this is how I access my fridge under the hatch, and I set up my door table as the picnic tables are too far to lug everything.  

It is visible with the hatch open that my sleeping bag is there on one side and it isn't hard to determine that I sleep in the Prius.  I don't look to hide this fact in a park.

Mr. Buffed had done what ever and was heading back to his sports car and he says to me "Are You Here For The Sunset?"

I always bite my tongue and take the high road at such encounters.  It wasn't sunset dude, I said to myself.  

I knew what he was doing.  He was giving me a message that he didn't like me there because of the image I give off.  

As I have noted in other encounters, it is a form of intimidation.

I turned to Mr. Buffed and smiled and said no I just finished playing disc golf and now I'm having dinner.

He went and sat in his sports car for awhile on the phone and eventually left.  I would have sat there a long time waiting for him to leave first.

It's too bad I'm leaving the area as I would like to go back at the same time of day and say hi to him and drum up a conversation so he knows I wasn't intimidated by his words or his physique.

Just like the dude at Slab City, CA and the dude at the BLM land in Ajo, AZ

Brent

macaloney@hotmail.com