Life takes
us in different directions. Each path is made of the choices we
make, moment to moment. I witnessed a woman this morning in her
early 20's, fully dressed, backpack on her back and a gallon water
jug in her left hand. She walked passed me as I sat curled up in a
blanket with coffee, staring off at the horizon where the sun had
made itself known. We allowed our focus to turn to each other and in
that moment life stood still. I became curious. Who is she? Where
is she going? What led her to this moment in the desert, miles from
civilization, just walking?
Afterwards, I chatted at the Oasis Club, a private
members only club, where membership per month is $20, or $5 for a
weeks' worth of conversation and coffee. I chose to abstain from
coffee and do conversation, my forte. I was the
youngest amongst the group where ten of us talked about life. Even though I was an outsider, the new blood I brought brewed excitement. The conversation took on a where are
you from, what is life for you like outside of the Slab and so forth.
During this, a police officer drove by quite quickly which sparked
up frustration. “I don't see why they don't stop in and talk to
us. We're just people. It's as if they like to throw their power
around and use it as intimidation.” And then the group proposed a mandatory
police walking around communities idea, which caught a lot of
agreement. One gentleman said that our proposal was already in
action in some jurisdictions, which everyone was pleased with.
The
most noteworthy piece of information I took away from yesterday was when I asked
what ingredients made a “Slab society member”. Up
until this conversation I had proposed smoking weed as the only
criteria. The response I got was surprising and in earnest: “We're real here.
Nobody is better or higher than anyone else,” said a long bearded,
beer bellied, Harley biker looking type. He had stayed out of
the conversation until this moment. “We don't care who you are, how
much money you have, or any of that bullshit. We're just real. People here look each other in the eye.”
Everyone seemed satisfied with that response, and nodded in agreement; the movie director, the
full time Slab resident, the newbie retired woman, and the closest to
death man I have ever seen.
Afterwards, I chatted at the Oasis Club, a private
members only club, where membership per month is $20, or $5 for a
weeks' worth of conversation and coffee. I chose to abstain from
coffee and do conversation, my forte. I was the
youngest amongst the group where ten of us talked about life. Even though I was an outsider, the new blood I brought brewed excitement. The conversation took on a where are
you from, what is life for you like outside of the Slab and so forth.
During this, a police officer drove by quite quickly which sparked
up frustration. “I don't see why they don't stop in and talk to
us. We're just people. It's as if they like to throw their power
around and use it as intimidation.” And then the group proposed a mandatory
police walking around communities idea, which caught a lot of
agreement. One gentleman said that our proposal was already in
action in some jurisdictions, which everyone was pleased with.