Happy Weekend Cyberspace!
I've elected to start a new tradition here at The Critical Stranger - The Saturday Share, From now on on Saturdays, I am going to send you to some of the blogs that I follow. Hopefully you can get a little more insight from a different perspective than I can give...and after all, it's always the more the merrier!
This week, I'm actually going to refer you to two blog posts, both authored by my good friend and fellow PR student John. Both of these posts relate his experience with the eviction of Occupy NS on 11/11/11. Please enjoy.
Remembrance Day - The Deception
Remembrance Day - The Eviction
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always, thoughts, comments and suggestions (John likes 'em too!) are encouraged and appreciated!
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Friday, 30 March 2012
The Role Model Model
Hey there Cyberspace.
I'm not gonna lie to you...I have to cheat today. I'm helping a friend move in about fifteen minutes, so not much time to write. So I'm gonna go ahead and share with you an assignment I wrote in class. It sounds a little cocky, sure, but it really jives with my theme of being yourself. I hope you enjoy.
I'm not gonna lie to you...I have to cheat today. I'm helping a friend move in about fifteen minutes, so not much time to write. So I'm gonna go ahead and share with you an assignment I wrote in class. It sounds a little cocky, sure, but it really jives with my theme of being yourself. I hope you enjoy.
If I could be
anyone in the world, alive or dead, I would most definitely choose myself. I
feel as though this should be everyone’s answer. I understand that there are
and have been lots of amazing people throughout history and in present times. I
understand that there are a great many inspirational stories. I understand that
everyone has role models. I also understand, however, that role models,
inspirational stories and amazing people are all brought about by conviction.
If these same people had been too afraid to be themselves, to stand for what
they believe in, to conquer all obstacles in their way, their stories would not
exist. I want to write my own story.
To this point, I feel as though my
life has been fairly run of the mill. My parents divorced when I was five. I
had my fair share of small successes and what seemed at the time to be huge
defeats. I’ve made and lost countless friends. I attended university for one
year. I worked at several different crappy jobs during high school. It all sounds
pretty bland.
Having said that, the more I think about it, the more
extraordinary I become. I attended three different schools in Grade 4. I’ve
worked in kitchens. I’ve helped build houses. I’ve cleaned toilets. I’ve lived
in apartments, houses, rented rooms and 8 man tents. I’ve been to a war zone.
I’ve been around the world. I’ve made the best of my mistakes, learning from
every single one.
Through it all, there were times when I felt as though I
should give up. For example, when I was seventeen I got my girlfriend, Johannah
pregnant. Her parents banned me from their house and forbade her seeing me. My
drama teacher pulled Johannah aside and told her that I would never amount to
anything. Our school’s health nurse told us that we needed to have the pregnancy
aborted. My daughter is now seven and lives with Johannah and I in an apartment
in Halifax.
When I look back at who I’ve been and who I’ve become, I can
only smile. Sure, there were hard times. But there were also great times. As I
write this, I think of everyone else. Most people are just like me; they think
they are pretty boring. They think they are no different than anybody else.
They think they are not extraordinary.
Bollocks, I say.
There are closed doors and pitfalls everywhere in life. While
hindsight may be 20/20, the future always remains unknown. That’s what makes
each and every individual heroic. The strength to knock those doors down…the
power to pick yourself up after you fall, that’s where true greatness hides. It
takes courage to wake up everyday and face the day, to face the unknown. It
takes bravery to go out into the world and say “This is me. This is who I am.”
Sure, we all have role models. We all have ideas that we’ve
adopted from someone else. But we bring our own experience to each idea. We
have chosen to believe the things we believe, and that by itself is an act of
bravery. I feel like everybody should worry less about how they are seen by
everyone else, and live for themselves. I’ve reached this conclusion, and I
strive to live it every day. That’s why I would never want to be anyone else. I
want to be the person that I want to be…and that’s exactly what I am.
Thursday, 29 March 2012
Age of Technology
Good day Cyberspace.
I read something this morning that disturbed me. It really threw me for a loop...this article about a wireless braking system for bicycles.
The first thing that popped into my mind was why? Bicycles are great because they don't require fuel, they are relatively cheap and they are purely mechanical. If something breaks on a bicycle, it can be fixed with a little know-how (and of course the right materials) in a few hours - no matter what it is that goes wrong.
My opinion on this is simple - it isn't broken, so why try to fix it? I don't want to rely on a wireless signal to apply my brakes...especially not when it's battery operated. This seems absolutely ludicrous to me. Not only is there the problem of batteries dying, but what happens if something interferes with the wireless signal? You could be pedaling along and have your brakes suddenly seize up your wheels...or worse yet, you may need to stop and have your brakes fail completely. Granted, I'd much rather have this happen on a bike than in a car...but I'd rather not have it happen at all.
Reading about this got me thinking about other technologies and how the technological age has evolved. I think that we've gone about it in the wrong way pretty much across the board. It's great that we have the capability to have the internet in our pocket...but do we really need it? Shouldn't someone have stood up at some point and said "Wait a second...instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to produce a tablet (which is essentially a smart phone without a phone), wouldn't it be more beneficial to develop a new hydroponic irrigation method that will allow crops to grow in the desert?" or "Hey, I know...let's put our money toward actually finding a cure for AIDS, MS, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, etc." (Notice that I didn't put Cancer. We already have a cure for most types, but nobody can patent it, nobody can profit from it, so why produce it?) It seems like these things would have been a much more constructive way to spend our time and money - but I'm willing to bet profit margins were more important and now technology is well...the new gold mine.
The other red flag that immediately was raised to me by reading this 'wireless bike brake' article was our ever-increasing reliance on computers. I'm not shocked by this, it's been a growing trend as long I've been on the planet. Now we even have cars that park themselves, soon to be followed by cars that drive themselves. I think again, we're going the wrong direction. A computer will never have the same processing capacity as the human brain...it's great that it will be able to judge the distance between the car in front and behind while watching the lines on the road...but would it be able to detect a log sliding off the back of a transport in front of you and swerve out of the way?
I'm beginning to ramble, so I think it's time to wrap this up...believe me, I could go on all day.
I don't want a bike with wireless brakes. I don't want a car that drives itself. I don't want a computer to think for me. Instead of making things more complicated, shouldn't we be trying to make things simpler? I think so, it could just be me. I'll leave you with this video, which pretty much sums up everything I'm trying to say.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
I read something this morning that disturbed me. It really threw me for a loop...this article about a wireless braking system for bicycles.
The first thing that popped into my mind was why? Bicycles are great because they don't require fuel, they are relatively cheap and they are purely mechanical. If something breaks on a bicycle, it can be fixed with a little know-how (and of course the right materials) in a few hours - no matter what it is that goes wrong.
My opinion on this is simple - it isn't broken, so why try to fix it? I don't want to rely on a wireless signal to apply my brakes...especially not when it's battery operated. This seems absolutely ludicrous to me. Not only is there the problem of batteries dying, but what happens if something interferes with the wireless signal? You could be pedaling along and have your brakes suddenly seize up your wheels...or worse yet, you may need to stop and have your brakes fail completely. Granted, I'd much rather have this happen on a bike than in a car...but I'd rather not have it happen at all.
Reading about this got me thinking about other technologies and how the technological age has evolved. I think that we've gone about it in the wrong way pretty much across the board. It's great that we have the capability to have the internet in our pocket...but do we really need it? Shouldn't someone have stood up at some point and said "Wait a second...instead of spending hundreds of millions of dollars to produce a tablet (which is essentially a smart phone without a phone), wouldn't it be more beneficial to develop a new hydroponic irrigation method that will allow crops to grow in the desert?" or "Hey, I know...let's put our money toward actually finding a cure for AIDS, MS, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, etc." (Notice that I didn't put Cancer. We already have a cure for most types, but nobody can patent it, nobody can profit from it, so why produce it?) It seems like these things would have been a much more constructive way to spend our time and money - but I'm willing to bet profit margins were more important and now technology is well...the new gold mine.
The other red flag that immediately was raised to me by reading this 'wireless bike brake' article was our ever-increasing reliance on computers. I'm not shocked by this, it's been a growing trend as long I've been on the planet. Now we even have cars that park themselves, soon to be followed by cars that drive themselves. I think again, we're going the wrong direction. A computer will never have the same processing capacity as the human brain...it's great that it will be able to judge the distance between the car in front and behind while watching the lines on the road...but would it be able to detect a log sliding off the back of a transport in front of you and swerve out of the way?
I'm beginning to ramble, so I think it's time to wrap this up...believe me, I could go on all day.
I don't want a bike with wireless brakes. I don't want a car that drives itself. I don't want a computer to think for me. Instead of making things more complicated, shouldn't we be trying to make things simpler? I think so, it could just be me. I'll leave you with this video, which pretty much sums up everything I'm trying to say.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Our Superhero Society
Ola Cyberspace,
I just found out that they are re-making the Spiderman movies. Already. I watched the preview and quite frankly it looks like it's going to be terrible. I don't really care either way, I'm not a huge Spiderman fan (even though I still think he takes Batman in a fight) or much of a fan of most superhero movies. But that's now...when I was young, I loved pretty much every hero story I heard. I think everyone did, judging by the success of the plethora of superhero movies that have been released over the past decade or so.
Why? Why do we have this fascination with heroes? Why do we flock to see a person in a disguise beatin' up bad guys? I have a couple of reasons.
The first of my theories is this: We all want to be revered. Everyone wants some affirmation for their accomplishments. Being praised in the public eye is the apex of affirmation. Imagine how it would feel to have a parade or group celebration in your honour, as is seen in many superhero stories. This goes hand-in-hand with my second point - most of us want to be celebrities. I'm absolutely shocked at the obsession our modern society has with celebrity (I'll save that for another blog) and how even the most heinous acts can be condoned simply because of status.
Another plausible explanation for the success of superhero 'stuff' is that it allows the character in the story to choose their own identity. I think that this is huge. While everyone does get a chance to choose who they are, I feel as though most feel as though they don't have that choice. The social norms of our families are probably the biggest influence on our personality growing up - I think most of us try to fit whatever mold our parents and families want us to fit. I'm sure that you, as I have in the past, have allowed an opportunity to pass you by because you thought it may disappoint your friends or family. Who wouldn't want to put on a mask or suit (for all you heroes AND villains out there) and become someone else...it's an escape - and often in the stories, a mostly consequence free escape - from the constraints of everyday life and society.
The final reason (saving this for a different blog, so this is extremely abbreviated) is that we've been bred in our society to believe that doing good for others is the ultimate retribution for our wrongdoings. (I bet you really want to read my blog about that right about now, eh...all in good time...)
Evidence of our superhero mentality is absolutely everywhere. How many times have you witnessed a bar fight? Two people trying to show their superiority over one another by ruthlessly beating each other is only each one trying to up their status and change everyone's opinion of them. Why is Halloween so much fun for so many people, especially adults? Because we are free to choose our identity and costume ourselves accordingly. Why do people have thousands of Facebook friends? They are trying to attain that celebrity status.
All of these things combine to form what Hollywood is now blatantly taking advantage of - a society filled with wannabe heroes. That's all well and good, but when will I see Hollywood make a movie about a scientist who develops a type of renewable agriculture that would allow every mouth on the planet to be fed? That's a true superhero. Let's get rid of our Hollywood connotation.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
I just found out that they are re-making the Spiderman movies. Already. I watched the preview and quite frankly it looks like it's going to be terrible. I don't really care either way, I'm not a huge Spiderman fan (even though I still think he takes Batman in a fight) or much of a fan of most superhero movies. But that's now...when I was young, I loved pretty much every hero story I heard. I think everyone did, judging by the success of the plethora of superhero movies that have been released over the past decade or so.
Why? Why do we have this fascination with heroes? Why do we flock to see a person in a disguise beatin' up bad guys? I have a couple of reasons.
The first of my theories is this: We all want to be revered. Everyone wants some affirmation for their accomplishments. Being praised in the public eye is the apex of affirmation. Imagine how it would feel to have a parade or group celebration in your honour, as is seen in many superhero stories. This goes hand-in-hand with my second point - most of us want to be celebrities. I'm absolutely shocked at the obsession our modern society has with celebrity (I'll save that for another blog) and how even the most heinous acts can be condoned simply because of status.
Another plausible explanation for the success of superhero 'stuff' is that it allows the character in the story to choose their own identity. I think that this is huge. While everyone does get a chance to choose who they are, I feel as though most feel as though they don't have that choice. The social norms of our families are probably the biggest influence on our personality growing up - I think most of us try to fit whatever mold our parents and families want us to fit. I'm sure that you, as I have in the past, have allowed an opportunity to pass you by because you thought it may disappoint your friends or family. Who wouldn't want to put on a mask or suit (for all you heroes AND villains out there) and become someone else...it's an escape - and often in the stories, a mostly consequence free escape - from the constraints of everyday life and society.
The final reason (saving this for a different blog, so this is extremely abbreviated) is that we've been bred in our society to believe that doing good for others is the ultimate retribution for our wrongdoings. (I bet you really want to read my blog about that right about now, eh...all in good time...)
Evidence of our superhero mentality is absolutely everywhere. How many times have you witnessed a bar fight? Two people trying to show their superiority over one another by ruthlessly beating each other is only each one trying to up their status and change everyone's opinion of them. Why is Halloween so much fun for so many people, especially adults? Because we are free to choose our identity and costume ourselves accordingly. Why do people have thousands of Facebook friends? They are trying to attain that celebrity status.
All of these things combine to form what Hollywood is now blatantly taking advantage of - a society filled with wannabe heroes. That's all well and good, but when will I see Hollywood make a movie about a scientist who develops a type of renewable agriculture that would allow every mouth on the planet to be fed? That's a true superhero. Let's get rid of our Hollywood connotation.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Rampant Racism
Greetings Cyberspace.
Today, I'd like to get into a bit of a touchy issue. As you probably have heard by now, there was an Iraqi woman beaten to death in California last Wednesday. She was beaten and left in her home for her fourteen year old daughter to stumble upon when she came home. There was a note next to her unconscious body, the contents of which boils down to "Go back to your own country." You can read more about it here.
This woman's death was completely senseless. Aside from the fact that this particular attack happened on American soil, to me this is just a repeat of the recent US soldier killing Afghan civilians in their homes. Along with the incident involving US soldiers urinating on the Qu'ran (imagine the fallout if a group of Afghans would have been caught pissing on the Bible), there are a few burning questions in my mind.
The first question is why the increase in apparent racism toward the Muslim community exists. The obvious answer is to point to the 9/11 'terror attacks.' But that was over a decade ago. These past couple of months have by far been the worst as far as openly racist acts by Americans against Muslims, so I feel that the 9/11 argument is invalid, although the fallout may be responsible.
What else could cause this rash outbreak of violence? Perhaps it's as simple as Muslims being shown constantly as aggressive and violent in the media since the events of 9/11. I mean let's just take a look at Hollywood in the past ten years...The Kingdom, The Hurt Locker, World Trade Centre, Charlie Wilson's War and The Kite Runner immediately come to mind as movies that depict Muslims as such. These were all blockbuster movies. Also, how many times have you heard the words 'terror suspect' on the evening news? And how often is this 'suspect' of Muslim faith? This is definitely a contributing factor in the ever-increasing non-tolerance.
The final thing I want to talk about is frustration. I think that this is biggest reason for seeing these despicable acts of violence and hatred. American soldiers in Afghanistan must be frustrated with the fact they've been told over and over again that they will be pulling out of the country; especially with something like 75% of the population of their own country calling for them to leave. They are probably battle-fatigued and tired of this useless war. But this is still no excuse.
I'm sure that frustration played a role in the terrible beating of Shaima Alawadi as well. After a war has been waged for so long, eventually even the invaders become confused of the reason they invaded in the first place. With the number of American and NATO forces killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, I'm sure that there are some who feel that it is the fault of those countries that those forces were there in the first place. Kind of like an abusive relationship - "You make me hit you; I wouldn't have to beat you if you would just act right." Especially if the person/people perpetuating the cycle and carrying out these hate crimes have lost someone close - it seems almost instinctual as humans to cause harm to those who have caused harm to us. Again...this is no excuse. If anyone should be blamed, it should be the American government and mass media, as this seems to have been their goal all along.
After all, I've said it before, I'll say it again; you CANNOT kill an idea with a weapon, be it a bomb, a fist or a gun. In fact, by invading someone's country and shooting/bombing everybody, both militant and civilian, you are not winning hearts and minds - you are breeding more discontent. Especially when the invaders are trying to force their own culture, ideas and religion on you. I'm not saying that women don't deserve rights, or that children shouldn't go to school - I'm saying that there are MUCH better ways to effect change than through extreme violence, humiliation, disrespect and murder.
May Shaima Alawadi rest in peace...I apologize to your suffering family for our disgusting society.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are appreciated and encouraged.
Today, I'd like to get into a bit of a touchy issue. As you probably have heard by now, there was an Iraqi woman beaten to death in California last Wednesday. She was beaten and left in her home for her fourteen year old daughter to stumble upon when she came home. There was a note next to her unconscious body, the contents of which boils down to "Go back to your own country." You can read more about it here.
This woman's death was completely senseless. Aside from the fact that this particular attack happened on American soil, to me this is just a repeat of the recent US soldier killing Afghan civilians in their homes. Along with the incident involving US soldiers urinating on the Qu'ran (imagine the fallout if a group of Afghans would have been caught pissing on the Bible), there are a few burning questions in my mind.
The first question is why the increase in apparent racism toward the Muslim community exists. The obvious answer is to point to the 9/11 'terror attacks.' But that was over a decade ago. These past couple of months have by far been the worst as far as openly racist acts by Americans against Muslims, so I feel that the 9/11 argument is invalid, although the fallout may be responsible.
What else could cause this rash outbreak of violence? Perhaps it's as simple as Muslims being shown constantly as aggressive and violent in the media since the events of 9/11. I mean let's just take a look at Hollywood in the past ten years...The Kingdom, The Hurt Locker, World Trade Centre, Charlie Wilson's War and The Kite Runner immediately come to mind as movies that depict Muslims as such. These were all blockbuster movies. Also, how many times have you heard the words 'terror suspect' on the evening news? And how often is this 'suspect' of Muslim faith? This is definitely a contributing factor in the ever-increasing non-tolerance.
The final thing I want to talk about is frustration. I think that this is biggest reason for seeing these despicable acts of violence and hatred. American soldiers in Afghanistan must be frustrated with the fact they've been told over and over again that they will be pulling out of the country; especially with something like 75% of the population of their own country calling for them to leave. They are probably battle-fatigued and tired of this useless war. But this is still no excuse.
I'm sure that frustration played a role in the terrible beating of Shaima Alawadi as well. After a war has been waged for so long, eventually even the invaders become confused of the reason they invaded in the first place. With the number of American and NATO forces killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, I'm sure that there are some who feel that it is the fault of those countries that those forces were there in the first place. Kind of like an abusive relationship - "You make me hit you; I wouldn't have to beat you if you would just act right." Especially if the person/people perpetuating the cycle and carrying out these hate crimes have lost someone close - it seems almost instinctual as humans to cause harm to those who have caused harm to us. Again...this is no excuse. If anyone should be blamed, it should be the American government and mass media, as this seems to have been their goal all along.
After all, I've said it before, I'll say it again; you CANNOT kill an idea with a weapon, be it a bomb, a fist or a gun. In fact, by invading someone's country and shooting/bombing everybody, both militant and civilian, you are not winning hearts and minds - you are breeding more discontent. Especially when the invaders are trying to force their own culture, ideas and religion on you. I'm not saying that women don't deserve rights, or that children shouldn't go to school - I'm saying that there are MUCH better ways to effect change than through extreme violence, humiliation, disrespect and murder.
May Shaima Alawadi rest in peace...I apologize to your suffering family for our disgusting society.
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are appreciated and encouraged.
Monday, 26 March 2012
Dreaming in Poetry
Top o' the Morning Cyberspace.
Today I find myself rather pensive and subdued. I don't know why, but I've decided to write a poem today. While I know that there are countless structured forms of poetry, free verse has been my favourite. Today, I'm going to write a poem about a recurring dream I have. I hope I can convey the emotion I'm trying to.
I walk; the sun watches
I run; the sun chases me
I sit; I am blinded by the sun
Murmurs
Unintelligible words surround me
I am paralyzed
Drums in the fog; my resolve has forsaken me
Clouds now; the sun is gone
Cold; damp - there is no oasis
Wrong place, wrong time
Fear
I must leave
Feet swinging; voices, the voices in the fog
Just go - keep moving
The drums beat faster
My footsteps have no echo
I have been swallowed by the mist
I smell blood; it tastes like sorrow
Burning legs; burning lungs
I must escape
I can't escape
Exhaustion; I gasp for air
There is no air
Only ether
Voices and drums are getting louder
No breath to scream
My lungs are filled with water
Hands and knees; no hope left
Drums; voices; drums; voices
Is this my end?
Silence
I am surrounded
Hands all over me; I am powerless
I have lost
No sound; no voices
I look; out of focus
Eventually I see
Bodies everywhere
Animated, yet lifeless
No faces; only twisted screams
I see my hands; reaching
I want to touch
I need to touch that face
A gentle caress; it is cold
It is smooth
Hot hands on my face
I hit; my face stings
I claw; my face bleeds
All is clear
I am the scream
Wow...apparently my dreams are pretty messed up. Thanks for reading!
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are welcome!
Today I find myself rather pensive and subdued. I don't know why, but I've decided to write a poem today. While I know that there are countless structured forms of poetry, free verse has been my favourite. Today, I'm going to write a poem about a recurring dream I have. I hope I can convey the emotion I'm trying to.
I walk; the sun watches
I run; the sun chases me
I sit; I am blinded by the sun
Murmurs
Unintelligible words surround me
I am paralyzed
Drums in the fog; my resolve has forsaken me
Clouds now; the sun is gone
Cold; damp - there is no oasis
Wrong place, wrong time
Fear
I must leave
Feet swinging; voices, the voices in the fog
Just go - keep moving
The drums beat faster
My footsteps have no echo
I have been swallowed by the mist
I smell blood; it tastes like sorrow
Burning legs; burning lungs
I must escape
I can't escape
Exhaustion; I gasp for air
There is no air
Only ether
Voices and drums are getting louder
No breath to scream
My lungs are filled with water
Hands and knees; no hope left
Drums; voices; drums; voices
Is this my end?
Silence
I am surrounded
Hands all over me; I am powerless
I have lost
No sound; no voices
I look; out of focus
Eventually I see
Bodies everywhere
Animated, yet lifeless
No faces; only twisted screams
I see my hands; reaching
I want to touch
I need to touch that face
A gentle caress; it is cold
It is smooth
Hot hands on my face
I hit; my face stings
I claw; my face bleeds
All is clear
I am the scream
Wow...apparently my dreams are pretty messed up. Thanks for reading!
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are welcome!
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Sunday Storytime #2
The Waitress
He watched her pour the coffee. The steam rose from the lip of the customer's cup to meet the sunlight streaming through the window. She moved to the next table. He loved the way her fingers trembled as she wrote the orders down. This was just one of the idiosyncrasies he had noticed about her. She seemed nervous.
His toast and jam was finished. She turned and looked his way...looked directly into his eyes...directly into his soul. The stained five dollar bill he pulled from his pocket fell to the floor. As he bent to pick it up he heard an angel's voice.
"Do you need some help with that, sir?"
He grunted an affirmation and walked out of the diner.
***
Her hand hit the snooze button alarmingly hard. She rolled back into her covers and buried her face in the pillow.
***
His change cup was nearly full. He'd never seen so many generous people. He had already lined the inside of his sock with several dollar bills. The cold winter air seemed a little warmer as he turned his face up to the sun. This was a great day.
***
"Shut up!" She swung her hand toward the bedside table. The shriek of the alarm stopped. 'Thank God,' she thought. She rolled over for one last cat nap before starting her day.
***
"You look awfully cold, sir." He was shocked...usually men dressed in expensive business suits walked right past him without even acknowledging his existence.
"Here...let me buy you a coffee." He watched the suit pull a crumpled bill from his pocket and deposit it in his cup. This really was a great day.
***
Her feet hit the floor. The blankets followed. She shuffled toward the bathroom, turned on the faucet and stepped into the tub. The hot water felt incredible running through her hair and over her face. She turned her face up to the shower head and rinsed her mouth before stepping out of the shower. 'I hope work isn't busy today,' she thought, reaching for a towel.
***
She walked up to his table, already knowing what he was going to order. She had never seen him before, but there was something...
"Toast and jam, sir?" she smiled, writing as she spoke.
His eyes met hers, sending a vicious chill up her spine. She could feel him watching her as she made her rounds. She was used to being stared at, but this time was different...this time was uncomfortable. She didn't want to look at him. She couldn't stop herself. Her head turned...her eyes found his table...found his eyes.
Her legs seemed to move on their own as she walked toward him, coffee pot in hand. She watched as he slid out of the booth. His hand trembled as he pulled a crumpled bill from his pocket...he dropped it.
"Do you need some help with that, sir?" She didn't understand what he said, but he was gone before she could ask for clarification. He looked familiar somehow.
She picked up the stained five dollar bill, looking through the window from where she stood. She watched the back of his jacket move into the street. Her legs were moving again, much faster this time. Her arm reached out before her and flung the door open.
She watched the truck come screaming around the corner...it swerved, but it was too late. There was a dull thud among the screeching tires and breaking glass - it was the grill of the truck hitting his body. His shoes flew through the air...a few dollar bills floated to the pavement.
She knew he was dead...but she also knew he was supposed to die. It was ok.
She turned and walked back into the diner, wondering who she would dream of that night.
END
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comment and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
He watched her pour the coffee. The steam rose from the lip of the customer's cup to meet the sunlight streaming through the window. She moved to the next table. He loved the way her fingers trembled as she wrote the orders down. This was just one of the idiosyncrasies he had noticed about her. She seemed nervous.
His toast and jam was finished. She turned and looked his way...looked directly into his eyes...directly into his soul. The stained five dollar bill he pulled from his pocket fell to the floor. As he bent to pick it up he heard an angel's voice.
"Do you need some help with that, sir?"
He grunted an affirmation and walked out of the diner.
***
Her hand hit the snooze button alarmingly hard. She rolled back into her covers and buried her face in the pillow.
***
His change cup was nearly full. He'd never seen so many generous people. He had already lined the inside of his sock with several dollar bills. The cold winter air seemed a little warmer as he turned his face up to the sun. This was a great day.
***
"Shut up!" She swung her hand toward the bedside table. The shriek of the alarm stopped. 'Thank God,' she thought. She rolled over for one last cat nap before starting her day.
***
"You look awfully cold, sir." He was shocked...usually men dressed in expensive business suits walked right past him without even acknowledging his existence.
"Here...let me buy you a coffee." He watched the suit pull a crumpled bill from his pocket and deposit it in his cup. This really was a great day.
***
Her feet hit the floor. The blankets followed. She shuffled toward the bathroom, turned on the faucet and stepped into the tub. The hot water felt incredible running through her hair and over her face. She turned her face up to the shower head and rinsed her mouth before stepping out of the shower. 'I hope work isn't busy today,' she thought, reaching for a towel.
***
She walked up to his table, already knowing what he was going to order. She had never seen him before, but there was something...
"Toast and jam, sir?" she smiled, writing as she spoke.
His eyes met hers, sending a vicious chill up her spine. She could feel him watching her as she made her rounds. She was used to being stared at, but this time was different...this time was uncomfortable. She didn't want to look at him. She couldn't stop herself. Her head turned...her eyes found his table...found his eyes.
Her legs seemed to move on their own as she walked toward him, coffee pot in hand. She watched as he slid out of the booth. His hand trembled as he pulled a crumpled bill from his pocket...he dropped it.
"Do you need some help with that, sir?" She didn't understand what he said, but he was gone before she could ask for clarification. He looked familiar somehow.
She picked up the stained five dollar bill, looking through the window from where she stood. She watched the back of his jacket move into the street. Her legs were moving again, much faster this time. Her arm reached out before her and flung the door open.
She watched the truck come screaming around the corner...it swerved, but it was too late. There was a dull thud among the screeching tires and breaking glass - it was the grill of the truck hitting his body. His shoes flew through the air...a few dollar bills floated to the pavement.
She knew he was dead...but she also knew he was supposed to die. It was ok.
She turned and walked back into the diner, wondering who she would dream of that night.
END
Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger
As always thoughts, comment and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!
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