Friday morning
Kris didn't need to go to work today, as his company (place of employment, not HIS company) was moving from one side of the freeway to the other side of the freeway, taking the day to do it. Since he's planning on working from home (read that either as as "working" from home or "WarHammering from home", your choice), he didn't want to drive ALL THE WAY to San Carlos for a Velocity workout, only to drive ALL THE WAY back home for "work."
What? Kris? Lazy? Now that's like calling me lazy or something.
Oh.
Wait.
So, I drove the truck up to Redwood City to meet up with Doyle at his house. We were planning on using my truck to cart the 60+ 2.5 gallon jugs of water for this weekend's Sectionals tournament. I offered my truck since it's bigger than Doyle's, and, well, in theory, able to hold more of that water weight ("Does this water make me look fat?").
I exited the freeway and was driving down Woodside when I was stopped at a light. I know, I know, HOW could I POSSIBLY be surprised that I was stopped at a light? I have only the WORST red light karma of anyone in the state, just drive with me to see.
So, I'm sitting there at the red light, watching the homeless person standing on the side of the road. I've taken to staring at these people in a valient attempt to make them feel uncomfortable, kinda the same way they make me feel uncomfortable with their staring at me as they sit there. Sorta like a staring content of some sort, first one who blinks loses. Sorta. Maybe. No, not really.
As I was watching, the guy turned, and I could read his sign.
It read something like "Homeless. I need. Profit! World! Your soul. It is worth. Nonbelievers are materialistic! Not spiritual!"
Initially, I was annoyed at the guy and his sign. I immediately launched into the defensive mode, thinking gah, this guy is like, or at least wants to be like, every person of power in an organized religion: he has the ear of God, and only he does, so listen to him if you want to know what God is saying. I fail to believe, or rather, I fail to suspend disbelief, that any person has a better ear on the voice of God thing, than anyone else does.
Kris says I don't do well with people telling me what to do, so this probably doesn't surprise him.
After thinking about the sign, however, I had to laugh at his statement, even as I was annoyed by it. I was annoyed by it because, well, I immediately fell into the cultural and societal belief that materialism is bad, and spiritualism is good. If materialism is so bad, why not just forsake all materialism? You don't really need that roof over your head. Those clothes? Yeah, those are material, too. That food? Hey, what do you know, it's made of some material, too! WOW! Go ahead, and leave those, too.
I gave up after that, deciding that the whole homeless guy's cardboard sign really wasn't worth it.