tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18652433.post-27369838041597255552008-07-07T09:51:00.000-07:002008-07-07T16:27:45.487-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2645953691_eb60cbc60f_b.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2645953691_eb60cbc60f_b.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>"Why are we here?" he asked. I had come in on the suggestion of a friend because I needed a job, and I had worked at a paint store before. It was 1991, my parents were overseas, and I was running desperately low on cash. The question was, well, odd, I thought.<br /><br />"You mean, we, as in humanity?" I replied.<br /><br />"No, <i>we</i>, as in, this store." He countered.<br /><br />I suppose I should have known that I was different before now, but it really wouldn't occur to me until a few minutes from now, when I was getting back into my car.<br /><br />"We're here to provide quality products and service to our community." I confidently replied. It was the wrong answer. The right answer? <i>To make money.</i> That's when I knew. I knew I wasn't going to make it in the normal world.<br /><br /><hr><br />"Fat people are Jolly people!" She said.<br /><br />"What?" I said, wanting some clarification that she'd <i>actually</i> said this.<br /><br />"Yeah...fat people are jolly people!" She said again, with even more belief in her eyes.<br /><br />"No. Fat people are not all <i>jolly</i>...not all of us are Santa." I replied. I like to hope that I left her with a gift that day, but I'll never really know.<br /><br /><hr><br />"Well, you always have to have progress and growth, right?" she told me, after our discussion of the housing boom of a few years ago.<br /><br />"No." I said. "Not always. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we're growing too fast, that this whole inflated housing market crashes in a couple of years."<br /><br />"But we need growth!" She replied emphatically.<br /><br />"The Oncler said the same thing, until the final Truffula tree was felled, and his world was ruined." The reference was lost on her. I reached across the table, put my hand on her shoulder and said "Truffula trees are what people need...not adjustable rate mortgages and a false sense of ownership. Those are Thneeds...and nobody <i>really</i> needs a Thneed."<br /><br /><hr><br />How are you different?toadmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06899700977986759414noreply@blogger.com