Life is a VCR
I wish but dare not say that life could be something else
It was just a dream I had one day
That life was a VCR
I looked back and my feet were stuck in a V-shaped position
No choices could be made
Even a fork in the road has places to go
While I knew if I didn’t think about it
It would had disappeared
But it was too late cause my feet had moved
As my brain continued to perplex
I thought about a simple button
That life was a VCR
With all the dust on the film
The images were blurred
And one could only guess at what it could be
Through the smiles and laughter
Pause and rewind would dominate
But inevitably it must continue
And we watch to see what might happen next
Remote in hand, it is life that we watch
That life was a VCR
To see yourself as something less
To see that that the tape has to end
To see and let it all pass by
Leads me to wonder why I’m still sitting here
I can be making my own movie
But my feet are still stuck here
Pause is still on
Just waiting for my brain to get back from the fridge
I see it all stopped around me
Nothing but blank faces and snow on the screen
Could it have been possible
That life was a VCR
Someone else was waiting for me to end
And that red square was pressed
The film was cut short and I know there was more to come
But someone pressed that red square
There is nothing I can do but stay here and rewind
Then reluctantly return the tape to its rightful owner
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
Sunday, November 24, 2002
Another English Essay....
Vegetarianism
You’re hungry, what will you eat. Are you thinking about a nice big steak, or juicy hamburger to fill you up? It is possible that the food we choose to eat greatly impacts our society and our individual lives. Americans proud themselves on being better than one another, and we are always trying to beat out the competitor. A simple change in our diet can improve the world around us: economy, environment, health, and well-being. The change of not eating meat, thus stopping mass production of animals, may not seem all that simple. Some cringe at the thought of this, but why is meat so precious to us Americans if it is proven we don’t need it to survive? In fact we are healthier without it. The few who opt for this diet are called vegetarians. Anyone who leads a meatless diet is considered vegetarian, but there are also different degrees of this diet. They range from eating eggs and milk to no animal products at all, even the use of leather. In return, vegetarians as a whole are healthier and tend to have a higher life expectancy. Yes, you may live longer by being vegetarian. So what reasons do we have for eating meat?
Vegetarianism has been around for centuries. Its history dates back to ancient Indian and Greek civilizations. Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher, believed and recommended the vegetarian diet. This philosophy was also practiced by Socrates and his pupil, Plato. Most ancient communities found it was easier to be vegetarian, because of the work involved in catching and killing animals. Many meats were hard to come by, and more expensive for the working class to purchase. Vegetarianism today has been boosted by many movements in history. During the fifteenth century, painter, sculptor, and inventor Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most notable vegetarians in Western society. Da Vinci also believed that using animals for clothing and food was brutal and showed a lack of mercy (Serafin 13). Vegetarianism was reintroduced in the 1960’s, with the protest for an end to the war in Vietnam came new thoughts for people to care for the environment and the world around us. Many of the people who participated in this new environmental movement were vegetarians. Health food stores and vegetarian restaurants began to appear in some cities and many college towns around the United States (Serafin 14). Vegetarianism is wide spread today, and it is a part of our cultural history.
Our culture is woven around vegetarians, and you might not even know if your best friend is vegetarian. William Shakespeare, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley were all known vegetarians. Many famous athletes don’t eat meat, such as tennis champion Martina Navratilova, baseball player and home run champion Hank Aaron, and Kathy Johnson, an Olympic medalist in gymnastics (Serafin 14). They and other great athletes are living proof that vegetarians are not weaker and less active than those who eat meat, as some claim they are. Movie and television stars like Steve Martin, Dustin Hoffman, Kim Basinger, and Sara Gilbert are all proudly vegetarian. Maybe you have listened to the music of Michael Jackson, Natalie Merchant, or Paul McCartney, all of whom are vegetarians as well (Serafin 15). This is to show that being vegetarian doesn’t mean you are an outcast from society, and every vegetarian has different reasons for being so.
When considering vegetarianism, there are many aspects to factor in. When you eat meat, you are condoning animal cruelty and the way our society takes life for granted. Vegetarians believe in animal rights, and disagree with the way animals are bred to be killed. A great amount of these animals experience cruelty and even torture during their short lived lives. Chickens are kept in small cages, cows in stalls with no room to exercise. Many animals are contaminated with hormones, antibiotics, tranquilizers, preservatives, additives and pesticides that can have a negative effect on our health (Null 5); to even see how these animals are slaughtered is enough to contemplate vegetarianism.
Pastures for grazing animals are a waste of food and energy. Proof is shown in the Sports Nutrition Guide for Vegetarians: “The grain used to feed animals provides only a fraction of the energy involved in eating the grain. For every 100 calories of plant material eaten by a cow, only 10 calories are stored in the cow. It takes an average of 430 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat…” (Dorfman 4), this is to show the tremendous waste of energy involved in raising animals opposed to growing crops. The over production of animals increases waste matter, this is also a damaging factor to our environment. The waste can run off into streams and pollute the water. Nitrogen levels build up in the streams causing algae growth, thus disrupting the ecosystem equilibrium. The excess methane gas from animal waste can have a small, but significant effect on Global Warming. Forests are being cleared for more grazing land. This lack of trees impacts nature’s way of balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide gases. With purchasing and consuming of meat products you are allowing the waste and destruction of the earth. An increase in vegetarians would result in a reduction of meat production, and therefore a greater environmental balance. Know what you’re eating and do something about it.
To understand how a piece of meat got on your plate is a disgusting thing to think about, so some people just plead ignorance. If you really thought about it, you would not want to eat it. When you eat a hamburger at McDonald’s do you actually think about what is in it? It could very well be the not so pleasant parts of an animal. Most people don’t realize what they eat affects everything you do; you should know what you are eating. If you just don’t care then why not eat skunks or rats as well, instead of eating more sociably acceptable animals? Would you eat man’s best friend? If these ideas don’t sound appetizing to you, then also contemplate that all living animals deserve to be treated the same. Becoming vegetarian will not only make you healthier, but give you an over all sense of well being.
There are numerous health benefits to being vegetarian, and many studies have supported this diet. “One major advantage to consuming a plant-based diet is the reversal of coronary heart disease, shown most recently by Dean Ornish, M.D., and his Preventive Medicine Research Institute. His program demonstrated that arteries that have become clogged with fatty deposits actually respond to lifestyle and dietary changes, including a low-fat vegetarian diet…” (Dorfman 3), states the Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide. It’s proven that eating meat increases your fat intake, and that increases your chances of getting heart disease. A vegetarian diet decreases many health risks, and even types of cancer. “Reduced rates of lung and colorectal cancer have also been shown, likely because of the abundance of dietary fiber, vegetables, and fruits consumed. Lower estrogen levels in vegetarian women may also protect against breast cancer. A 1998 study published in the American Dietetic Association Journal reported less oxidative DNA damage and lower breast cancer risk when consuming cooked vegetables versus a diet with meat” (Dorfman 4) reports the Sports Nutrition Guide for Vegetarians. Eating the correct vegetarian diet can easily be comparable to a meat diet and in most ways even healthier.
Many myths arise about not eating enough nutrients, especially protein, on a vegetarian diet. Consider this: when an athlete wants to improve his or her performance they cut down on meats, and increase their intake of carbohydrates (Havala, Suzanne 18). This increases their stamina and results in better performance. Thus, vegetarian diets have an advantage because they tend consist of primarily pastas, rice, grains and bread product which all contain high amounts of carbohydrates. Some may think that the only good source of protein is meat, this is also a myth. When considering that the main part of an animal’s diet comes from greens and leafy products, it is easily seen that the protein made starts from plant sources. Why not cut the “middle man” out and just eat the plants? Too much protein can have its negative effects too. An abundance of protein can raise acid levels in the body, deplete calcium sources, tear up your kidneys, and possibly accelerate the age of many bodily organs. Even NASA has realized this, the increase of kidney stones in space, and is considering a vegetarian diet for their astronauts. Even consuming meat just for the protein is not good, because of all the other fats and contaminates contained in it. Vegetarians eat nuts, grain, milk, eggs, beans and such to gain protein while not intoxicating their bodies with it. Dr. Mervyn G. Gardinge, medical physician and researcher with degrees from Harvard and Stanford, wrote a whole paper on “Do human beings need to eat meat?”, finally concluding that we can do without the substance (Null 137). Why even pay for something, when you can get the better nutrients at a lower cost?
Meat is the American cultural symbol. A lot of our economy’s money goes into the production and effects of meat. “Our government is in fact subsidizing the cost of meat there times over: first for its production, second for its environmental cost, and third for the increase in health care costs” (Vesanto, Melina 76). If farming favored grains and vegetables, then a greater number of people could be feed more cheaply and efficiently. Even simply deciding not to buy that steak or huge turkey can save you more, and overall increase your spending money. There you go; vegetarianism answers all your problems, even financial ones. If you even missed that taste of meat, there are a plethora of substitute products at your disposal.
We have all heard of them, meat substitutes. They are the cheap mans meat or girly patties, wrong! If you don’t eat those Boca burgers simply because you are scared of what people will think of you then you are missing out. There is a plethora of products available as an alternative to eating meat. There is hotdogs, burgers, ground beef, sausages, fish, and chicken that are all healthier substitutes to eating the real thing. Much of the grocery sold meat replacements contain significantly less amounts of fat, and contain more protein than meat itself. Some may argue they don’t taste like its real predecessor, but that’s simply due to the lack of harmful toxins and unhealthy material. One can simply cut the real meat out of their diet, not eating more or less vegetables or fruits, and add in the meat substitute without noticing a difference in taste or nutrients. In fact, this way would definitely be healthier and cut most of the dreaded fat out of our daily consumption. If this lifestyle is not even considered, then there must something wrong with Americans today, right?
It is precisely that, there is something wrong. It’s called American Culture. Meat has been held up high for so long that it has become a part of our image of a perfect society. We need it as much as we need sport utility vehicles for highway driving. There is no factual reason to keep meat in our diets, yet there is only about seven percent of Americans who choose to be Vegetarian (Havala 14). The American society is based on improvement, making its people the best and leading the “perfect” life. So why not choose vegetarianism if it embodies American ideals, making our lives better. Maybe its time we thought about what we do, instead of letting the popular image make our choices.
Vegetarianism
You’re hungry, what will you eat. Are you thinking about a nice big steak, or juicy hamburger to fill you up? It is possible that the food we choose to eat greatly impacts our society and our individual lives. Americans proud themselves on being better than one another, and we are always trying to beat out the competitor. A simple change in our diet can improve the world around us: economy, environment, health, and well-being. The change of not eating meat, thus stopping mass production of animals, may not seem all that simple. Some cringe at the thought of this, but why is meat so precious to us Americans if it is proven we don’t need it to survive? In fact we are healthier without it. The few who opt for this diet are called vegetarians. Anyone who leads a meatless diet is considered vegetarian, but there are also different degrees of this diet. They range from eating eggs and milk to no animal products at all, even the use of leather. In return, vegetarians as a whole are healthier and tend to have a higher life expectancy. Yes, you may live longer by being vegetarian. So what reasons do we have for eating meat?
Vegetarianism has been around for centuries. Its history dates back to ancient Indian and Greek civilizations. Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher, believed and recommended the vegetarian diet. This philosophy was also practiced by Socrates and his pupil, Plato. Most ancient communities found it was easier to be vegetarian, because of the work involved in catching and killing animals. Many meats were hard to come by, and more expensive for the working class to purchase. Vegetarianism today has been boosted by many movements in history. During the fifteenth century, painter, sculptor, and inventor Leonardo da Vinci was one of the most notable vegetarians in Western society. Da Vinci also believed that using animals for clothing and food was brutal and showed a lack of mercy (Serafin 13). Vegetarianism was reintroduced in the 1960’s, with the protest for an end to the war in Vietnam came new thoughts for people to care for the environment and the world around us. Many of the people who participated in this new environmental movement were vegetarians. Health food stores and vegetarian restaurants began to appear in some cities and many college towns around the United States (Serafin 14). Vegetarianism is wide spread today, and it is a part of our cultural history.
Our culture is woven around vegetarians, and you might not even know if your best friend is vegetarian. William Shakespeare, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley were all known vegetarians. Many famous athletes don’t eat meat, such as tennis champion Martina Navratilova, baseball player and home run champion Hank Aaron, and Kathy Johnson, an Olympic medalist in gymnastics (Serafin 14). They and other great athletes are living proof that vegetarians are not weaker and less active than those who eat meat, as some claim they are. Movie and television stars like Steve Martin, Dustin Hoffman, Kim Basinger, and Sara Gilbert are all proudly vegetarian. Maybe you have listened to the music of Michael Jackson, Natalie Merchant, or Paul McCartney, all of whom are vegetarians as well (Serafin 15). This is to show that being vegetarian doesn’t mean you are an outcast from society, and every vegetarian has different reasons for being so.
When considering vegetarianism, there are many aspects to factor in. When you eat meat, you are condoning animal cruelty and the way our society takes life for granted. Vegetarians believe in animal rights, and disagree with the way animals are bred to be killed. A great amount of these animals experience cruelty and even torture during their short lived lives. Chickens are kept in small cages, cows in stalls with no room to exercise. Many animals are contaminated with hormones, antibiotics, tranquilizers, preservatives, additives and pesticides that can have a negative effect on our health (Null 5); to even see how these animals are slaughtered is enough to contemplate vegetarianism.
Pastures for grazing animals are a waste of food and energy. Proof is shown in the Sports Nutrition Guide for Vegetarians: “The grain used to feed animals provides only a fraction of the energy involved in eating the grain. For every 100 calories of plant material eaten by a cow, only 10 calories are stored in the cow. It takes an average of 430 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat…” (Dorfman 4), this is to show the tremendous waste of energy involved in raising animals opposed to growing crops. The over production of animals increases waste matter, this is also a damaging factor to our environment. The waste can run off into streams and pollute the water. Nitrogen levels build up in the streams causing algae growth, thus disrupting the ecosystem equilibrium. The excess methane gas from animal waste can have a small, but significant effect on Global Warming. Forests are being cleared for more grazing land. This lack of trees impacts nature’s way of balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide gases. With purchasing and consuming of meat products you are allowing the waste and destruction of the earth. An increase in vegetarians would result in a reduction of meat production, and therefore a greater environmental balance. Know what you’re eating and do something about it.
To understand how a piece of meat got on your plate is a disgusting thing to think about, so some people just plead ignorance. If you really thought about it, you would not want to eat it. When you eat a hamburger at McDonald’s do you actually think about what is in it? It could very well be the not so pleasant parts of an animal. Most people don’t realize what they eat affects everything you do; you should know what you are eating. If you just don’t care then why not eat skunks or rats as well, instead of eating more sociably acceptable animals? Would you eat man’s best friend? If these ideas don’t sound appetizing to you, then also contemplate that all living animals deserve to be treated the same. Becoming vegetarian will not only make you healthier, but give you an over all sense of well being.
There are numerous health benefits to being vegetarian, and many studies have supported this diet. “One major advantage to consuming a plant-based diet is the reversal of coronary heart disease, shown most recently by Dean Ornish, M.D., and his Preventive Medicine Research Institute. His program demonstrated that arteries that have become clogged with fatty deposits actually respond to lifestyle and dietary changes, including a low-fat vegetarian diet…” (Dorfman 3), states the Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide. It’s proven that eating meat increases your fat intake, and that increases your chances of getting heart disease. A vegetarian diet decreases many health risks, and even types of cancer. “Reduced rates of lung and colorectal cancer have also been shown, likely because of the abundance of dietary fiber, vegetables, and fruits consumed. Lower estrogen levels in vegetarian women may also protect against breast cancer. A 1998 study published in the American Dietetic Association Journal reported less oxidative DNA damage and lower breast cancer risk when consuming cooked vegetables versus a diet with meat” (Dorfman 4) reports the Sports Nutrition Guide for Vegetarians. Eating the correct vegetarian diet can easily be comparable to a meat diet and in most ways even healthier.
Many myths arise about not eating enough nutrients, especially protein, on a vegetarian diet. Consider this: when an athlete wants to improve his or her performance they cut down on meats, and increase their intake of carbohydrates (Havala, Suzanne 18). This increases their stamina and results in better performance. Thus, vegetarian diets have an advantage because they tend consist of primarily pastas, rice, grains and bread product which all contain high amounts of carbohydrates. Some may think that the only good source of protein is meat, this is also a myth. When considering that the main part of an animal’s diet comes from greens and leafy products, it is easily seen that the protein made starts from plant sources. Why not cut the “middle man” out and just eat the plants? Too much protein can have its negative effects too. An abundance of protein can raise acid levels in the body, deplete calcium sources, tear up your kidneys, and possibly accelerate the age of many bodily organs. Even NASA has realized this, the increase of kidney stones in space, and is considering a vegetarian diet for their astronauts. Even consuming meat just for the protein is not good, because of all the other fats and contaminates contained in it. Vegetarians eat nuts, grain, milk, eggs, beans and such to gain protein while not intoxicating their bodies with it. Dr. Mervyn G. Gardinge, medical physician and researcher with degrees from Harvard and Stanford, wrote a whole paper on “Do human beings need to eat meat?”, finally concluding that we can do without the substance (Null 137). Why even pay for something, when you can get the better nutrients at a lower cost?
Meat is the American cultural symbol. A lot of our economy’s money goes into the production and effects of meat. “Our government is in fact subsidizing the cost of meat there times over: first for its production, second for its environmental cost, and third for the increase in health care costs” (Vesanto, Melina 76). If farming favored grains and vegetables, then a greater number of people could be feed more cheaply and efficiently. Even simply deciding not to buy that steak or huge turkey can save you more, and overall increase your spending money. There you go; vegetarianism answers all your problems, even financial ones. If you even missed that taste of meat, there are a plethora of substitute products at your disposal.
We have all heard of them, meat substitutes. They are the cheap mans meat or girly patties, wrong! If you don’t eat those Boca burgers simply because you are scared of what people will think of you then you are missing out. There is a plethora of products available as an alternative to eating meat. There is hotdogs, burgers, ground beef, sausages, fish, and chicken that are all healthier substitutes to eating the real thing. Much of the grocery sold meat replacements contain significantly less amounts of fat, and contain more protein than meat itself. Some may argue they don’t taste like its real predecessor, but that’s simply due to the lack of harmful toxins and unhealthy material. One can simply cut the real meat out of their diet, not eating more or less vegetables or fruits, and add in the meat substitute without noticing a difference in taste or nutrients. In fact, this way would definitely be healthier and cut most of the dreaded fat out of our daily consumption. If this lifestyle is not even considered, then there must something wrong with Americans today, right?
It is precisely that, there is something wrong. It’s called American Culture. Meat has been held up high for so long that it has become a part of our image of a perfect society. We need it as much as we need sport utility vehicles for highway driving. There is no factual reason to keep meat in our diets, yet there is only about seven percent of Americans who choose to be Vegetarian (Havala 14). The American society is based on improvement, making its people the best and leading the “perfect” life. So why not choose vegetarianism if it embodies American ideals, making our lives better. Maybe its time we thought about what we do, instead of letting the popular image make our choices.
Thursday, November 21, 2002
This is an Essay I wrote for english class about a life expirence I have had:
Who Cares About Tomorrow
It was November 14, another day of 12th grade was about to begin. I woke up wondering why Omar or Chris hadn’t called me the night before for our usual talk about the girls we liked, but I thought nothing of it. I came all prepared for the day ahead and walked in my first class just as the bell rang. It was about thirty minutes into the class when Mr. Goldman, my counselor, knocked at the door and interrupted my regular class nap.
“May I please see Michael Blahut for a few moments?” I quickly thought back to see if I had done anything wrong and I couldn’t find myself guilty of any such actions, so naturally I was glad to be relieved of my algebra class. I got up, wiped any drool remains off my face, and followed Mr. Goldman down the hall.
“So, how have you been?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“Pretty good” I replied in a hesitant manner, not knowing what he was getting at.
“How’s soccer going?” asked Mr. Goldman.
“Alright” I stated as we walked into the main office.
He informed me we were going to talk with a few people, I was really wondering what
was going on. Once I walked into this conference room I was feverishly knocking my brain, trying to figure what this was all about. A calm faced woman, nicely dressed with a serious and professional look in her eyes was sitting down at the end of the long table. She spoke plainly and asked me to take a seat, while more people were to be expected. At first I thought this was going to be about my family situation, because of my parents’ recent divorce and my sister refusing to attend school. My notions slowly changed when I saw my friends entering the room. First it was Preston, a fellow soccer player, then Matt, another friend. Other people came in that I recognized including Omar’s current girl friend, Meghan. We were all just sitting there waiting for something to begin, waiting on the straight faced lady. My mind crept back to continue the day dream I was having.
The car was fast and I was jealous. My best friend Omar had just bought a 1993 Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo. We had shopped around together looking at cars for him to buy and I kept telling him not to get anything too exotic or fast but he always wanted to go fast. Of course I didn’t blame him; I was always trying to get my ‘94 Acura Integra to go faster. Now he had the faster car and I was happy for him, but at the same time I wanted to steal the RX7 and peal out at every stop light on my way to Vegas. So now that Omar had a car, other than his previous beat up Honda Accord, he would be taking us around and showing off his new muscle. By us, I mean me and Chris, our other best friend. We were the trio of friends that did everything together, from soccer to chewing sunflower seeds on the side of the road. The problems arose when Omar got the car, because it only seated two, a passenger and a driver. So it was obvious to see the dilemma.
“Alright, rock-paper-scissors!” proclaimed Chris, who was always the instigator. Chris and I were always doing rock-paper-scissors to see who would get to ride with Omar and who would take their own car to wherever we were headed off to. I didn’t mind losing the seat to Chris, because I liked driving my Integra, but Chris always insisted on “best out of three” for any game we played. The sucker I was, I always agreed to the next rounds until I lost. So it became that I didn’t even bother going with Omar anymore, and Chris was all time “shotgun”.
“Dude, that was freakin’ hilarious!” I shouted after Omar condemned a bike cop to Hell.
“We got to tell Chris about that one…” exclaimed Omar.
At the time this was all just fun, something to make our routine lives more exciting. We all had fun riding with Omar, it gave us some interesting stories to tell, and something to brag about to our less adventurous friends. We had fun and that’s all we ever cared about.
Omar, Chris, and I did everything together. Many of times we found ourselves in conflict with other authorities, but with Omar’s mouth, Chris’ charm, and my intelligence, we were able to wiggle ourselves out of almost any situation. Chris’ parents had just bought him a brand new Jeep Cherokee, fully loaded. Naturally, we wanted to see if this car could hold up to its sport utility name. We did everything to that car, even unexplainable things. When the mechanics couldn’t understand how a door got bent completely backwards, Chris made up some out of this world story involving a gas station and faulty door closing mechanism. Unknown to the mechanics and Chris’ parents, he had been goofing around when Omar was getting into the car, flooring it backwards while the door hit a light pole. The three of us had many adventures off-roading that I will not dare to incriminate myself in. The winter was my favorite time. When school was cancelled due to the “un-drivable” conditions of the road, we called each other up and agreed to take out the Jeep.
“Man, I can’t believe I survived that” I blurted out of my mouth.
“Yeah, that was pretty dangerous” Chris said with a laughter.
“Let’s do it again!” Omar shouted, but we had already started another run. We attached sleds to the back of the car and took turns sliding at speeds of forty, even fifty miles an hour and eventually ending up in a snow bank along side of the road. We did the usual doughnuts through parking lots and jumped snow piles, each taking turns at the wheel. As dangerous as this seems now, we were just teenagers trying to make the best of any situation, and we never regretted a moment of it.
“Dude, I’m pretty beat. Let’s wrap it up with a last run and get some grub.” I said out of breath.
“Oh, snap! Who’s that guy coming over here?” Questioned Chris
“I don’t know and I don’t want to find out. Dudes, let’s get out of here, pronto.” Omar said. We herd the grumpy man yelling something in an unpleasant voice. We threw our stuff in the back of the Jeep and Chris drove out in the other direction, I don’t even know if we were on a road but the guy was no where to be seen. The three of us couldn’t stop laughing. My day dream was interrupted abruptly.
Finally she stood up; I had this horrible feeling that what she had to say was going to change my life forever.
“I have something I need to tell you all. Omar and Chris were in a car accident coming home from work last night. Omar is injured and will be alright but Chris died early this morning. I am sorry” she said plain and simple, then proceeded to exit the room leaving behind the disaster she had just created.
The room busted out with cries and sobs. My stomach instantly dropped, I felt like I swallowed a stick of dynamite and it exploded inside me. I couldn’t believe it, nothing like this could ever happen to my friends, but when I looked around the room, at the pain and tears, I too began uncontrollably crying. “How could this happen” I kept thinking, “It’s not real, it’s not real”. How the hell could anyone just stand up and blatantly say that to me. They dragged me into this panic room, pulled out machine guns loaded with unthinkable words and shot mortal holes in my entire life. That lady just told me my best friends were injured and dead! I wanted to run and tackle her, punch and beat that lady and make her take it back. While I held back my aggression, Preston did not. He slammed his fist into the wall and went stampeding out of the room. Some other counselors grabbed him and held him back, his arms were flailing everywhere. He couldn’t be contained and they knew it, so they let him run out into the halls. The counselors said they were there for us but nothing could take away this pain except me seeing Omar and Chris alright. I laid in bed for next couple of days. I mainly just wanted to forget it ever happened and didn’t want to talk to anyone. I laid there and thought of a million questions a minute, why’s and how’s, but none of it really mattered. I wanted to see Omar and tell him everything I was feeling, and ask him everything that happened. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through so I just left him alone. I didn’t know anything and I was scared, I wanted so much and I wanted nothing. Confused and motionless, I just stared my self to sleep.
I was in no way holding anything against my best friend, Omar. They are still not really sure of how he had lost control, but you could tell by what was left of the RX-7, Omar was lucky to even survive. He had a punctured lung, but it has completely healed up, and he still only remembers little pieces of what happened. As much as I miss the company of my close friend Chris, there is no way I can look in the past and want to change anything. Omar and I closer than ever before, and we still laugh and joke about Chris and all the things we did together.
“Omar, dude, what happened?” I questioned.
“I don’t know man, but I’m glad you’re here. I miss him.” Omar said.
“Yeah, me too…remember that time he put chocolate syrup on my car, and I got him back by putting toilet paper mixed with peanut butter on his windshield. He was pretty mad…” I said with a chuckle.
“Oh yeah, that cracked me up. I just sat there and laughed at you guys.” Omar said with
a smile on his face.
Who Cares About Tomorrow
It was November 14, another day of 12th grade was about to begin. I woke up wondering why Omar or Chris hadn’t called me the night before for our usual talk about the girls we liked, but I thought nothing of it. I came all prepared for the day ahead and walked in my first class just as the bell rang. It was about thirty minutes into the class when Mr. Goldman, my counselor, knocked at the door and interrupted my regular class nap.
“May I please see Michael Blahut for a few moments?” I quickly thought back to see if I had done anything wrong and I couldn’t find myself guilty of any such actions, so naturally I was glad to be relieved of my algebra class. I got up, wiped any drool remains off my face, and followed Mr. Goldman down the hall.
“So, how have you been?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“Pretty good” I replied in a hesitant manner, not knowing what he was getting at.
“How’s soccer going?” asked Mr. Goldman.
“Alright” I stated as we walked into the main office.
He informed me we were going to talk with a few people, I was really wondering what
was going on. Once I walked into this conference room I was feverishly knocking my brain, trying to figure what this was all about. A calm faced woman, nicely dressed with a serious and professional look in her eyes was sitting down at the end of the long table. She spoke plainly and asked me to take a seat, while more people were to be expected. At first I thought this was going to be about my family situation, because of my parents’ recent divorce and my sister refusing to attend school. My notions slowly changed when I saw my friends entering the room. First it was Preston, a fellow soccer player, then Matt, another friend. Other people came in that I recognized including Omar’s current girl friend, Meghan. We were all just sitting there waiting for something to begin, waiting on the straight faced lady. My mind crept back to continue the day dream I was having.
The car was fast and I was jealous. My best friend Omar had just bought a 1993 Mazda RX7 Twin Turbo. We had shopped around together looking at cars for him to buy and I kept telling him not to get anything too exotic or fast but he always wanted to go fast. Of course I didn’t blame him; I was always trying to get my ‘94 Acura Integra to go faster. Now he had the faster car and I was happy for him, but at the same time I wanted to steal the RX7 and peal out at every stop light on my way to Vegas. So now that Omar had a car, other than his previous beat up Honda Accord, he would be taking us around and showing off his new muscle. By us, I mean me and Chris, our other best friend. We were the trio of friends that did everything together, from soccer to chewing sunflower seeds on the side of the road. The problems arose when Omar got the car, because it only seated two, a passenger and a driver. So it was obvious to see the dilemma.
“Alright, rock-paper-scissors!” proclaimed Chris, who was always the instigator. Chris and I were always doing rock-paper-scissors to see who would get to ride with Omar and who would take their own car to wherever we were headed off to. I didn’t mind losing the seat to Chris, because I liked driving my Integra, but Chris always insisted on “best out of three” for any game we played. The sucker I was, I always agreed to the next rounds until I lost. So it became that I didn’t even bother going with Omar anymore, and Chris was all time “shotgun”.
“Dude, that was freakin’ hilarious!” I shouted after Omar condemned a bike cop to Hell.
“We got to tell Chris about that one…” exclaimed Omar.
At the time this was all just fun, something to make our routine lives more exciting. We all had fun riding with Omar, it gave us some interesting stories to tell, and something to brag about to our less adventurous friends. We had fun and that’s all we ever cared about.
Omar, Chris, and I did everything together. Many of times we found ourselves in conflict with other authorities, but with Omar’s mouth, Chris’ charm, and my intelligence, we were able to wiggle ourselves out of almost any situation. Chris’ parents had just bought him a brand new Jeep Cherokee, fully loaded. Naturally, we wanted to see if this car could hold up to its sport utility name. We did everything to that car, even unexplainable things. When the mechanics couldn’t understand how a door got bent completely backwards, Chris made up some out of this world story involving a gas station and faulty door closing mechanism. Unknown to the mechanics and Chris’ parents, he had been goofing around when Omar was getting into the car, flooring it backwards while the door hit a light pole. The three of us had many adventures off-roading that I will not dare to incriminate myself in. The winter was my favorite time. When school was cancelled due to the “un-drivable” conditions of the road, we called each other up and agreed to take out the Jeep.
“Man, I can’t believe I survived that” I blurted out of my mouth.
“Yeah, that was pretty dangerous” Chris said with a laughter.
“Let’s do it again!” Omar shouted, but we had already started another run. We attached sleds to the back of the car and took turns sliding at speeds of forty, even fifty miles an hour and eventually ending up in a snow bank along side of the road. We did the usual doughnuts through parking lots and jumped snow piles, each taking turns at the wheel. As dangerous as this seems now, we were just teenagers trying to make the best of any situation, and we never regretted a moment of it.
“Dude, I’m pretty beat. Let’s wrap it up with a last run and get some grub.” I said out of breath.
“Oh, snap! Who’s that guy coming over here?” Questioned Chris
“I don’t know and I don’t want to find out. Dudes, let’s get out of here, pronto.” Omar said. We herd the grumpy man yelling something in an unpleasant voice. We threw our stuff in the back of the Jeep and Chris drove out in the other direction, I don’t even know if we were on a road but the guy was no where to be seen. The three of us couldn’t stop laughing. My day dream was interrupted abruptly.
Finally she stood up; I had this horrible feeling that what she had to say was going to change my life forever.
“I have something I need to tell you all. Omar and Chris were in a car accident coming home from work last night. Omar is injured and will be alright but Chris died early this morning. I am sorry” she said plain and simple, then proceeded to exit the room leaving behind the disaster she had just created.
The room busted out with cries and sobs. My stomach instantly dropped, I felt like I swallowed a stick of dynamite and it exploded inside me. I couldn’t believe it, nothing like this could ever happen to my friends, but when I looked around the room, at the pain and tears, I too began uncontrollably crying. “How could this happen” I kept thinking, “It’s not real, it’s not real”. How the hell could anyone just stand up and blatantly say that to me. They dragged me into this panic room, pulled out machine guns loaded with unthinkable words and shot mortal holes in my entire life. That lady just told me my best friends were injured and dead! I wanted to run and tackle her, punch and beat that lady and make her take it back. While I held back my aggression, Preston did not. He slammed his fist into the wall and went stampeding out of the room. Some other counselors grabbed him and held him back, his arms were flailing everywhere. He couldn’t be contained and they knew it, so they let him run out into the halls. The counselors said they were there for us but nothing could take away this pain except me seeing Omar and Chris alright. I laid in bed for next couple of days. I mainly just wanted to forget it ever happened and didn’t want to talk to anyone. I laid there and thought of a million questions a minute, why’s and how’s, but none of it really mattered. I wanted to see Omar and tell him everything I was feeling, and ask him everything that happened. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through so I just left him alone. I didn’t know anything and I was scared, I wanted so much and I wanted nothing. Confused and motionless, I just stared my self to sleep.
I was in no way holding anything against my best friend, Omar. They are still not really sure of how he had lost control, but you could tell by what was left of the RX-7, Omar was lucky to even survive. He had a punctured lung, but it has completely healed up, and he still only remembers little pieces of what happened. As much as I miss the company of my close friend Chris, there is no way I can look in the past and want to change anything. Omar and I closer than ever before, and we still laugh and joke about Chris and all the things we did together.
“Omar, dude, what happened?” I questioned.
“I don’t know man, but I’m glad you’re here. I miss him.” Omar said.
“Yeah, me too…remember that time he put chocolate syrup on my car, and I got him back by putting toilet paper mixed with peanut butter on his windshield. He was pretty mad…” I said with a chuckle.
“Oh yeah, that cracked me up. I just sat there and laughed at you guys.” Omar said with
a smile on his face.
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not peruasive; persuasive words are not good. He who knows has no wide learning; he who has wide learning does not know.
The sage does not hoard.
Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more;
Having given all he has to others, he is richer still
The way of heaven benefits and does not harm him; the way of the sage is bountiful and does not contend.
*(Lao Tsu in the Tao Te Ching) if you are looking to learn more about taoism there are many books and information to read. I recomend : The Tao of Pooh by Benjaman Hoff. Let me know if you have any thoughts.....
The sage does not hoard.
Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more;
Having given all he has to others, he is richer still
The way of heaven benefits and does not harm him; the way of the sage is bountiful and does not contend.
*(Lao Tsu in the Tao Te Ching) if you are looking to learn more about taoism there are many books and information to read. I recomend : The Tao of Pooh by Benjaman Hoff. Let me know if you have any thoughts.....
Replenished Strawberries
Now that I'm good, now that I'm fine
I don't want you comming around here all the time
Stay away from me, don't you see
I was all torn up inside
Seems you ate all my strawberries and lied
Looked like a dove in my strawberry patch of love
No more contaminated hands touching my stuff
I gave you all I had and it wasn't enough
Push came to shove in my strawberry patch of love
I said it and you had nothing to say
Just packed your bags and went away
I was a pairless glove in my strawberry patch of love
Now I've grown back my berries again
And you are banging on the door to be let in
Stay away from me can't you see
As smart as my brain is my heart is too big
You can't have my strawberries so how bout' a fig?
Now that I'm good, now that I'm fine
I don't want you comming around here all the time
Stay away from me, don't you see
I was all torn up inside
Seems you ate all my strawberries and lied
Looked like a dove in my strawberry patch of love
No more contaminated hands touching my stuff
I gave you all I had and it wasn't enough
Push came to shove in my strawberry patch of love
I said it and you had nothing to say
Just packed your bags and went away
I was a pairless glove in my strawberry patch of love
Now I've grown back my berries again
And you are banging on the door to be let in
Stay away from me can't you see
As smart as my brain is my heart is too big
You can't have my strawberries so how bout' a fig?
Reincarnated
star lied to be toung tied, cant forget the embarassment
gone too far, now my treil has disappeared
what it the only thing a ice cream man can do in the desert
kids playwith rocks tossed in dirt
hope is lost and faith was never held
handed downs have left with this generation
bone to sand and licked by starving birds
at least you provided for some life, but none was for you
when you think your life was a mistake, look now
money is not everything, but inpression in time is what you will have
every time the bell rings with exhaused quenching
the remembered souls will be dipped in ice
sprinkles just add sugar to an already active day
all seems lost when you stare forever
the sky changes and you cant blink your eye
a person like so, no wrath comes to you
when you look back you wish you could turn
the life once hed with hate looks great
th only way a rock dies is to be blased by sand
as you wither, that ant you stepped on looks tempting
you get what you give, so next is toilet paper
star lied to be toung tied, cant forget the embarassment
gone too far, now my treil has disappeared
what it the only thing a ice cream man can do in the desert
kids playwith rocks tossed in dirt
hope is lost and faith was never held
handed downs have left with this generation
bone to sand and licked by starving birds
at least you provided for some life, but none was for you
when you think your life was a mistake, look now
money is not everything, but inpression in time is what you will have
every time the bell rings with exhaused quenching
the remembered souls will be dipped in ice
sprinkles just add sugar to an already active day
all seems lost when you stare forever
the sky changes and you cant blink your eye
a person like so, no wrath comes to you
when you look back you wish you could turn
the life once hed with hate looks great
th only way a rock dies is to be blased by sand
as you wither, that ant you stepped on looks tempting
you get what you give, so next is toilet paper
Sunday, November 17, 2002
Thursday, November 14, 2002
Not Homeless Happy but not so happy
Happy is his name. This guy i always see asking for money, but theres more to it that what meets the eye. He claims to be the owner of an art store on Main St., which really leads me to question why hes asking for money. Well the first time I saw him me and my girlfriend were walking down Broad St. minding our own business. He came up to us , on a bicycle mind you, and asked if we had any money that he could have to catch the bus, he apparently didn't have any change. Well the first question that popped into my head was why he needed to take the bus if he had a bicycle. He continued on to state that hes not just begging for money because he owns the art store on main, and hes just trying to get home. This seeemed slightly reasonable, but after more thinking , this guy was obisously needing the money for a different reason. He showed us his wallet with all the credit cards and the drivers liscense, trying to prove his point that hes not usually a begger. Im quite taken by this scam, it seems more reasonable and less confrontational. He obviously thought this through, and it had been beautifully executed. Well Meaghan and I had no spare change anyway so we stated so, and continued down the street. After he was out of sight, we began disscusing what had just happened, and how it really didn't make any sense considering that he was riding a bicycle. Well this happened a month to two months ago, and I haden't really given it much more thought since then. But recently I saw him again, pulling the same scam. He approached some other unsuspecting college student, giving him the same spheal as he had done to us, showing the credit cards and all. I just instantly chuckled in my head, not knowing before that this could have been a re-occuring scandel. I just couldn't believe it, I'm dissapointed in Happy. Whatever he was trying to use the money for, drugs or whatnot, he didn't get any change this time either. So now im wondering what he really needs the change for. Maybe he just likes the sport of it, and having some extra change around. I mean this sounds like a good idea to me, when ever I am bored I could be making some extra change with a carefully planned out approach to other college students, such as: "Oh hey man could you help me out for a second, I just missed the bus and I need to get back to my doorm. Could you spare some change for a taxi..(of course I would have to dressed nicely and talking in an english acent)" . I would then go on to say that If I got their number or name or something then I could pay them back when I got back to my dorm....this is good idea. OR I could walk around fast food places saying I just am needing a buck or two to pay for my lunch, this would be less effictive though. Im also thinking about playing my guitar on the street to see what kind of change that will bring in, or I could offer balloon animals..but that needs preperation and balloons, which I don't have. Well whatever it is I can do, I would just like to thank Happy for inspiring me to get off my lazy bum and make some spare change....um yes, I think im going out right now for my first swindle, wish me luck.
Happy is his name. This guy i always see asking for money, but theres more to it that what meets the eye. He claims to be the owner of an art store on Main St., which really leads me to question why hes asking for money. Well the first time I saw him me and my girlfriend were walking down Broad St. minding our own business. He came up to us , on a bicycle mind you, and asked if we had any money that he could have to catch the bus, he apparently didn't have any change. Well the first question that popped into my head was why he needed to take the bus if he had a bicycle. He continued on to state that hes not just begging for money because he owns the art store on main, and hes just trying to get home. This seeemed slightly reasonable, but after more thinking , this guy was obisously needing the money for a different reason. He showed us his wallet with all the credit cards and the drivers liscense, trying to prove his point that hes not usually a begger. Im quite taken by this scam, it seems more reasonable and less confrontational. He obviously thought this through, and it had been beautifully executed. Well Meaghan and I had no spare change anyway so we stated so, and continued down the street. After he was out of sight, we began disscusing what had just happened, and how it really didn't make any sense considering that he was riding a bicycle. Well this happened a month to two months ago, and I haden't really given it much more thought since then. But recently I saw him again, pulling the same scam. He approached some other unsuspecting college student, giving him the same spheal as he had done to us, showing the credit cards and all. I just instantly chuckled in my head, not knowing before that this could have been a re-occuring scandel. I just couldn't believe it, I'm dissapointed in Happy. Whatever he was trying to use the money for, drugs or whatnot, he didn't get any change this time either. So now im wondering what he really needs the change for. Maybe he just likes the sport of it, and having some extra change around. I mean this sounds like a good idea to me, when ever I am bored I could be making some extra change with a carefully planned out approach to other college students, such as: "Oh hey man could you help me out for a second, I just missed the bus and I need to get back to my doorm. Could you spare some change for a taxi..(of course I would have to dressed nicely and talking in an english acent)" . I would then go on to say that If I got their number or name or something then I could pay them back when I got back to my dorm....this is good idea. OR I could walk around fast food places saying I just am needing a buck or two to pay for my lunch, this would be less effictive though. Im also thinking about playing my guitar on the street to see what kind of change that will bring in, or I could offer balloon animals..but that needs preperation and balloons, which I don't have. Well whatever it is I can do, I would just like to thank Happy for inspiring me to get off my lazy bum and make some spare change....um yes, I think im going out right now for my first swindle, wish me luck.
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN PISSED OFF OR COMPLETELY SUBLIME
Have you ever thought about what it means to be alive.. Does it mean to wake up evey day just to do the things you are supposed to do. Is it as long as you have a heart beat and some brain activity, does this mean you are alive? Sometimes I can't help but think about why I'm here and what I'm actually supposed to do. Maybe just be happy..well if I was just to be happy then I wouldnt do anything I dont like doing, like waking up at 7 in the morning. I wouldnt do any work at all. "work consists of what one has to do, and play consists of what one doesnt have to do" - Mark Twain. The perfect senerio is like the movie Office Space. To just be happy..in total relaxation, with no cares in the world. Do what you want, when you want it... I would love to do this, but for some reason I know I wouldnt be happy. I feel the need to do everything I can..try to stand up for the injustices, make a difference, improve myself, make others happy even if I have to work harder. I dont know what being alive really means. Its just something you feel inside you. Its when something happens and you look back on it with a smile or maybe with tears. Its doing something you know is bigger than you can handel, but still trying. Its your favorite shoes or hat. Its the midnight snack, or walk, or skate. Its the smell before a storm, and the wind that makes you shiver. The bright sun when you walk outside after being in for too long, and the streching of your legs and the cracking of your back. Its giving the last french fry to someone you love, or someone you dont love. The automatic lazer toilets and sinks. Its dirt and the shower water that chages temperatures. Drinking your favorite drink, or that anticipation before actually drinking it. Sneezing and Hicupps. Your favorite song or movie. Its the lint in your belly button or in between your toes. your favorite stuffed animail or blanket. black and white TV. blinking light. The walk and dont walk symbol. Pointing out shapes in the clouds. Flying kites. Watching little kids, watching people. Its everything that happens makes us alive, its just if you see it or not. even thouhg its rough at times, you wouldnt feel so good when your at the beach if your life wasnt hard. Every thing you do in life is connected in one way or another by a small choice you made in the past. If you look back and think about doing one little thing different then you would cange everything about who you are today, and change the people and lives around you. Now imagine your life without a leg because you didn't stop and pick up that nickel before you crossed the street thus being hit by a speeding car. Its the moments like this that help us realize every second counts, and everything we do has some meaning and some way of altering our future. Now, im not saying to stop and contemplate every decision that comes your way, dont try to see into the future just do what you feel inside to be right. This is the only way to live without regretting or anger, because you dont want to be blaming the world or other people for your problems, and always be pissed off at everyone. Just know that if something bad or good happens you are the ultimate decider of what is to come. That is the only way to live. Dont eat animals..its bad karma, plus...well thats a whole differnent story.
Have you ever thought about what it means to be alive.. Does it mean to wake up evey day just to do the things you are supposed to do. Is it as long as you have a heart beat and some brain activity, does this mean you are alive? Sometimes I can't help but think about why I'm here and what I'm actually supposed to do. Maybe just be happy..well if I was just to be happy then I wouldnt do anything I dont like doing, like waking up at 7 in the morning. I wouldnt do any work at all. "work consists of what one has to do, and play consists of what one doesnt have to do" - Mark Twain. The perfect senerio is like the movie Office Space. To just be happy..in total relaxation, with no cares in the world. Do what you want, when you want it... I would love to do this, but for some reason I know I wouldnt be happy. I feel the need to do everything I can..try to stand up for the injustices, make a difference, improve myself, make others happy even if I have to work harder. I dont know what being alive really means. Its just something you feel inside you. Its when something happens and you look back on it with a smile or maybe with tears. Its doing something you know is bigger than you can handel, but still trying. Its your favorite shoes or hat. Its the midnight snack, or walk, or skate. Its the smell before a storm, and the wind that makes you shiver. The bright sun when you walk outside after being in for too long, and the streching of your legs and the cracking of your back. Its giving the last french fry to someone you love, or someone you dont love. The automatic lazer toilets and sinks. Its dirt and the shower water that chages temperatures. Drinking your favorite drink, or that anticipation before actually drinking it. Sneezing and Hicupps. Your favorite song or movie. Its the lint in your belly button or in between your toes. your favorite stuffed animail or blanket. black and white TV. blinking light. The walk and dont walk symbol. Pointing out shapes in the clouds. Flying kites. Watching little kids, watching people. Its everything that happens makes us alive, its just if you see it or not. even thouhg its rough at times, you wouldnt feel so good when your at the beach if your life wasnt hard. Every thing you do in life is connected in one way or another by a small choice you made in the past. If you look back and think about doing one little thing different then you would cange everything about who you are today, and change the people and lives around you. Now imagine your life without a leg because you didn't stop and pick up that nickel before you crossed the street thus being hit by a speeding car. Its the moments like this that help us realize every second counts, and everything we do has some meaning and some way of altering our future. Now, im not saying to stop and contemplate every decision that comes your way, dont try to see into the future just do what you feel inside to be right. This is the only way to live without regretting or anger, because you dont want to be blaming the world or other people for your problems, and always be pissed off at everyone. Just know that if something bad or good happens you are the ultimate decider of what is to come. That is the only way to live. Dont eat animals..its bad karma, plus...well thats a whole differnent story.
Saturday, November 09, 2002
Friday, November 08, 2002
Wednesday, November 06, 2002
Tuesday, November 05, 2002
Another Homeless sighting:
Norman (I actually know his name)
Ok, so I took a homeless man's blanket. He forced it upon me, well me and my girlfriend. We had just gotton off of the bus, a stop before we should have because Meaghan was feeling ill...she was gonna puke. So we got off, and sat against the brick wall. It was a bit of a breezer day, kinda cold out and we were both shivering. Then this guy comes out of nowhere. He askes if we need a blanket and we naturally said no, being that we didn't want to take a homeless prized possesion. Although he had a whole bag of new looking blakets, it just didnt seem right. He asked agian, "Do you NEED a blanket?" We said no, its ok, but thank you. He then asked if we were waiting for the bus and I quickly stated yes, because it would have been eaiser to explain than feeling sorry for him, but meaghan said No we are not waitng for the bus, im sick and cant walk right now. He came closer, and peered into my eyes and said "Do you all have a place to go to?", Woah he thought we were homeless. Well we were kinda tattered looking, but not homeless thats for sure. He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes to see if I was lying to him. I said yes we have a place to go to. "Listen man, I live on the streets, this is my home. If you ever need anything, my name is Norman" he said. "Here, how about you take a blanket to keep warm now". He asked what color we wanted..and we said it didnt really matter. He handed us a nicely pressed pale green blanket, it was of the cheap flannel variety, of course he probally got it for free at a homeless shelter. "In jesus' name" he added as he still held my hand, staring in my eyes. "You want a doughnut?" Meaghan asked (oh yeah we had just come from the pancake place where meaghan threw up a couple times, but before that we went to krispy kreme. We were so hungry we got a dozen doughnuts, but only ate 2 and a half before we were sick of them, so we decied that doughnuts were not the best thing to stuff ourselves with)... Any way he said no to the doughnuts, becuse he was going to get some beer, and that was his "doughnuts". We laughed, in a creeped out kind of way, and bid him good bye. We waited until he got out of sight, then started on our way back to the dorms contemplating what just happened. Norman, where ever you are, God bless you.
Norman (I actually know his name)
Ok, so I took a homeless man's blanket. He forced it upon me, well me and my girlfriend. We had just gotton off of the bus, a stop before we should have because Meaghan was feeling ill...she was gonna puke. So we got off, and sat against the brick wall. It was a bit of a breezer day, kinda cold out and we were both shivering. Then this guy comes out of nowhere. He askes if we need a blanket and we naturally said no, being that we didn't want to take a homeless prized possesion. Although he had a whole bag of new looking blakets, it just didnt seem right. He asked agian, "Do you NEED a blanket?" We said no, its ok, but thank you. He then asked if we were waiting for the bus and I quickly stated yes, because it would have been eaiser to explain than feeling sorry for him, but meaghan said No we are not waitng for the bus, im sick and cant walk right now. He came closer, and peered into my eyes and said "Do you all have a place to go to?", Woah he thought we were homeless. Well we were kinda tattered looking, but not homeless thats for sure. He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes to see if I was lying to him. I said yes we have a place to go to. "Listen man, I live on the streets, this is my home. If you ever need anything, my name is Norman" he said. "Here, how about you take a blanket to keep warm now". He asked what color we wanted..and we said it didnt really matter. He handed us a nicely pressed pale green blanket, it was of the cheap flannel variety, of course he probally got it for free at a homeless shelter. "In jesus' name" he added as he still held my hand, staring in my eyes. "You want a doughnut?" Meaghan asked (oh yeah we had just come from the pancake place where meaghan threw up a couple times, but before that we went to krispy kreme. We were so hungry we got a dozen doughnuts, but only ate 2 and a half before we were sick of them, so we decied that doughnuts were not the best thing to stuff ourselves with)... Any way he said no to the doughnuts, becuse he was going to get some beer, and that was his "doughnuts". We laughed, in a creeped out kind of way, and bid him good bye. We waited until he got out of sight, then started on our way back to the dorms contemplating what just happened. Norman, where ever you are, God bless you.
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