I saw Emo again today as we were driving down the drag back to our work site after break. He was squatting on the sidewalk eating what appeared to be some sort of pasta or noodles from a styrofoam to go box, with about six inches of noodle hanging below his chin. He was using the most basic of eating utensils, his hand. The word that popped into my mind was "feral". So here's this dragrat wolfing down noddles with his hands as the myriad thousands of college kids walk past him in both directions, obviously seeing him but pretending that he has his cloaking device activated...he is invisible to the privileged. Did he steal this styro box of noodles or did the staff at Madam mam's house of noodles take pity on this guy and give him a hand out?
Meanwhile, the radio is blathering on about the inauguration, you know, that 40 million dollar keg party celebrating the
And I wondered if that money could have been used to improve Emos station in life, and the many more just like him. The disenfranchised. On the other hand, maybe they like it that way. Bum enough spare change to get drunk or stoned or whatever and make passersby uncomfortable by slurping noodles off the sidewalk like a cro-mag ( the species, not the band ) and after that go shit in an alley and sleep in the woods, wake up early and shoplift a breakfast at the 7-11. Certainly not my idea of a good day.
It made me sad, and it gave me perspective on my own situation. Things could be worse...way worse.
I got that free sandwich coupon, along with coupons for a free slurpee, a donut, a coffee, and a taquito...I will pass them on to Emo the next time I see him close enough to pass them on.
I hope he doesn't try to bite me.
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