She was deeply petty. Others would let a slight go; she would plot a revenge so all encompassing it blew up entire lives. She embraced petty and wore it like a cape.

Captain Petty, if you will.

Plotting is an art, it turns out. Not everyone has the nuance to see seven steps down the road. Some people come in with a sledgehammer and sort out a kind of vigilante justice. There’s a certain honesty in it — no subterfuge, no confusion, just an enormous KABOOM as someone’s life implodes under the weight of their missteps.

Some might say that’s excessive. I say if you show up on social media telling a Black woman “I’m white and damn glad I’m not, nor have never been a slave owner. My ancestors never owned any..so n*gga stfu” (that asterisk is my own insertion, she said that whole damn word like she meant it) then you deserve every inch of what’s coming your way.

Captain Petty or a sledgehammer approach. Sometimes people learn through experience, and those experiences aren’t always pleasant. Natural consequences of our actions can be a real bitch…so to speak.

Linda hosts Stream of Consciousness Saturday. This week’s prompt is “plot.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!