A life without adversity

I recently attended a memorial for a man that I knew from high school. He was a soch, athletic and handsome. He was married to his high school crush, they had 3 children who then all had husbands, Military Honor Guards no less, and children.
The memorial was held in a hotel Ballroom with over 1000 people in attendance, food buffets and open bar service. The guy owned a very successful business and nearly 300 employees in attendance. It was standing room only. I met up and sat with friends that I have known since I was 12.
The evening started with his best friend expounding for nearly 20 minutes on what a great guy he was. He was followed by the three-some of golfers who are now missing the foursome, told their own stories with one guy unable to finish his discourse because of the flow of tears and snot. Next came 8 more people one at a time with their own ballads of tremendous humanity, humor, generosity and cooking. The night ended with a 15 minute slideshow with ooos and awwws and hoots and hollers from the audience as each slide showed more and more of a gifted, world traveled and privileged life.
Suicide is selfish act which transfers one's burdens to family and friends. As soon as the final tribute effused and the entire family acknowledged I turned and whispered in my friends ear "What an asshole."

Got a quarter?

There is a young man that is on the subway everyday walking in and out of the length of each car repeating the same question over and over and over: "You got a quarter? I'm trying to catch the bus." He is tenacious and unaffected by people's responses or ignorance. He keeps repeating his question over and over every ten seconds, walking through the crowded train cars, hand outreached. He has rhythm and cadence that is hard to ignore. People peer between others or their books. No one gives him a quarter, not the regulars. Then a tourist will reach in a pocket and hand him one and he never stops, not even a thank you. "You got a quarter? I'm trying to catch the bus."

A fat man fell on me.

I was sitting facing forward on the Metro today and an older Middle Eastern man got on at Universal station. The forward facing seat in front of me was open and he hesitated to sit down and the train doors closed and the train lurched forward forcing the standing man into my lap.

I tried to break his fall with my hands but he was quite heavy and between falling in my lap and my wrists aching with his body weight I now think he thinks we are engaged.

This is where I talk about riding the subway in Los Angeles

I started a job downtown LA and the price of parking and gas forced me to take the Metro. I started in October, cool weather, low paying job, conscienceness for the environment. In colder weather people wear more clothing. In hot weather people show more skin and others are exposed to body odors as well. There are a few people that ride the Metro that have no sense of body space and do not want to share what little bit of seat is open next to them. One guy stood next to me as I sat and put his junk basically four inches from my right ear. Another guy sat with his legs spread wide open so I had to straddle over his thighs in order to get past him to sit in the only empty seat on the train. No one should have to endure this on a daily basis in hot weather, so I drive my Prius and pay $8. a day to park.

A snake stuck in the toilet

My grandparents lived in a mobil home in a trailer park on Harbor Blvd. when I was 5 years old. We were there for a visit one day and my parents and grandparents were in the front part and my younger sister and I were in our Aunt's bedroom playing with all of her chrome horses.

As we were playing we could hear the adults talking and my grandpa starts talking about how a snake got stuck in the toilet. That's all I heard and focused on 'snake caught in the toilet". After a while I had to pee and I made my sister watch the toilet bowl while I stratteled the bowl and peed. My only thought was that if I sat down that snake would rise up and bite me on the butt. I stratteled, I peed, she watched. This routine went on for years each time we went to visit my grandparents in their mobile home. Squat, watch, pee, flush, watch, quickly close seat. Repeated over and over for 2 little girls for years........

It was years later that I found out what a "snake" was and quickly go back in time to that time every time someone mentions having to use a snake.