fascinated by the chase

FASCINATED BY THE CHASE

 

9 pm on a summer night and it is 86 degrees Fahrenheit .  I have been cooling my heels for most of the day.  Flat lined when I sensed what kind of day this would be, and can say now,  it was a gradual build up to what turned out to be, anti-climactic for me.   For a while I lost my voice, and the words that come so naturally.  Dehydration and frustration that I wasn’t in control, and that things would play-out, with or without me.

But I would not let go, and have been following this pursuit, knowing it would not go on forever.  But it went on for 22 days or more.  Fear in the hearts of the citizens of New York and Pennsylvania and perhaps even into Canada.  By now it is clear that I was caught up in the news and vicariously involving myself in an event that brings in all the elements of hunt and chase, and even as I was far removed, as each day went by, I was not interested in endless repeat of the details of how two honor prisoners of a maximum security prison in Up-State New York, but was caught up and utterly fascinated with the hunt and chase and the dynamics of such an endeavor.

 

Turns out it is a natural preoccupation and interest of mine.  Was raised without a hunting gun,  but found the predator idea acceptable.  The Human Animal and there has to be a prey, and we have to eat.  Early on, I did not take well to the idea of being a vegetarian, although in time I would find myself in the grocery store, in the produce aisle.  But that was much later on in life.

 

These blog are short and I do not want to lose focus.  From the dawn of time, comes signs of the primitive, where hunt and chase and capture is essential.  So my mind has been wandering, ever since this prison escape, as I thought containment and captivity was built into the system of correction centers, prisons and holding cells.  At the first of the month and two prisoners escape, am not sure what I expected.  Escape.  Capture.  Freedom or Death.

Theirs or Mine.   Not sure what I expected.

 

So as it continued on, it became apparent.  Stoney was fascinated with the chase and the prolonged experience of the men on the run, and those in pursuit.  And I had google news banners to guide me in my follow- a-long of the script playing out, and like I said before, all of this truly fascinated me.  Made me feel young and useful again.  Over the period of many weeks, the complexity of the hunt and chase and pursuit increased.  Of course we did not get all the nitty gritty details, reliant on the end of the day, or break in news flash.

 

Enjoyed it while it lasted.  Probably is a hint that I am an adrenaline freak.  Don’t really like loud noises, nor gunshots close to me.  Makes my hair stand on end, and deters me from the task at hand.  Liked when the dogs entered the chase.  How can one avoid capture when technology is followed on the ground by dogs.  Keen sense of smell and tracking.  Who stands a chance of gaining freedom in a setup like this.  But again I keep going back to the notion this hunt and chase lasted more than 3 weeks, and was mostly on foot, as the terrain was rough, and the getaway girlfriend had a panic attack, and didn’t show up with vehicle and driver.

And so it goes.  Unpredictable behavior and suddenly its all lights and shadows and no one knows for sure, what is occurring.

Takes time to collect the facts.  Have gotten use to the idea that the surveillance society and all the tools required for it are in place.  Suddenly I realize that I could last a few weeks, hunted by the authorities, even in today’s modern police state and way of being.  Takes time to make it all happen.

Thought it would be instantaneous, once the dogs were brought out.  Scent.  Track.  Capture.  Fascinates me that it wasn’t an instant outcome of well practiced teams of men, that the inmates would be captured.  In the end,  one is dead and the other is headed back to prison.  End Game.  Ends in Capture.  Or death.   Or both.  Serious business, being the prey and having little practice at the escape clause in this long sentence you have endured, getting to this point.

Its over now.  We can go back to enjoy the moment.  Next up is 4^th of July.  And we can now go out into the woods, without extra ordinary fear of something bad happening.  In my mind, it was a fair chase.  Escaped prisoners made a contest of it.  Fascinated I was with the unfolding in this situation.  Had no horse in the race, and have a built in notion that the bad guy will never win.  Fascinated, not with the dynamics of this hunt, nor the action that went on and on, more so was excited that I involved myself.  3 weeks worth, and on a rough mountain area, set out like a chess board, with only so many moves and places to go.

Takes strength to extend the game or event.  Performance and everybody was playing for keeps.  Is what makes it interesting to me.  Anticipation and then disappointment for law enforcement that what they are doing does not produce instant results.  Then on the other side,  hunt and chase and sometimes want the prey, be it bear or deer or man, to get away uninjured.  Like the idea that anything is possible, and in this day and age, with technology and methodical training going on, both in the military and in public law enforcement, all is tilt in the favor of the Hunter, and the prey, well is thought that freedom is but a dream, and will never come.

So I found myself chasing shadows.  Waking up in the middle of the night, to see if the prisoners were apprehended.  Checked Google news.  Went back to sleep when I didn’t see what I was looking for.  And this went on for 3 weeks.  And now its over.   Had one of those days where I stayed by myself for the most part.  Not sure it was a let down period for me.  In fact, I will spend a little time collecting details that will surely come out in the news.  The thrill of the chase is recent.  The price of the chase will become known later.

And I must say.  I like feeling safe.  I like that 1,200 well-trained people were out and about at a sacrifice to their life and limb, and that in the end there were results that seem acceptable, even to me.  I like the underdog and the ones on the bottom, but when you are a threat to me and my family, and families like mine,  I take the law enforcement side.  Don’t let the bad guy get away.  No never.