I lived in a neighborhood that was not far off from some open nature (a lost deer was in the rose garden last month). I went through a period where I had a ton of close encounters with skunks. I mean, no one has been up close with skunks this much in a suburban area without getting sprayed.

Once, I rounded the corner of my house and was face to face with one heading the opposite direction. We both ran from each other. Another time, I was outside smoking in the narrow space between my place and a fence between me and the next building late at night. A skunk casually walked by me from behind me. I couldn’t believe it; the space was about two and a half feet and it was practiacally brushing my leg.

And there was the clan of skunks raiding a trash bin one time. And the skunk walking through a neighbor’s yard early morning. Just skunks all the time. That’s not even counting the almost-certainly-rabid skunk that chased me and a friend, snarling (we saw it out during daytime a day later, so for sure rabies, according to animal control).

I eventually started jingling my keys in my hand any time I was walking around after dusk. I haven’t run into a skunk since.

Hope you feel better.