I have a final in a few hours, and I should be studying, but I have to document these encounters, or I fear that I will forget them.
So, I have this constant need for motion. If I have to sit in one place, then this expresses itself as lots of fidgeting, but I prefer something more active. A good way to do this is swinging. It's constant motion, I don't risk running into anyone, and I can do it as long as want. I realize that I look extremely odd, a college student doing something meant for children, but the benefits outweigh the embarrassment.
It does seem to bring all the weirdos to the yard though.
Encounter one: While swinging, a woman comes up to me.
Her: Hey kid!
Me: *Turns to look*
Her: All the food we buy is poisoned, even what we buy in the grocery stores. *Holds up a milk jug full of water* That's why I came here to get water. (There's a creek right next to the park.) So be careful!
Me: Gotcha!
Well, what else does one say? I could have pointed out that filthy creek water probably wasn't much better, but there didn't seem to be a point.
Encounter two: After I finish swinging, and I'm walking to the bus stop, a young man stops me.
Him: Excuse me.
Me: *Stops, assuming he wants directions.*
Him: What's your name?
Me: *More than a little weirded out* "Uh, Veleda." (Not actual name given.)
Him: I'm *I honestly can't remember what he said.* I saw you swinging, and I just want to tell you that God has something special for you in store.
Me: Um, ok. That's... good.
Him: I just wanted you to know.
Me: Well... good to know.
Then we parted ways.
You know, I think I'm less weirded out by the poisoned food lady. I mean, she was obviously crazy, and in general, being crazy sucks, but one of the few benefits is that you get to say crazy stuff, and no one will be surprised. Plus, there's a small part of me that honestly wouldn't surprised if it turned out to be true. Plus, with all the hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup that's in so much of what we eat, and all the reports of arsenic and lead in our drinking water, I'm not sure I can call it completely false. (Dirty creek water still isn't the answer though.)
On the other hand, the God guy looked and sounded completely normal. And what he said wouldn't have sounded out of place in a church, but I was just a random person on the street. And I have always found it extremely difficult to believe that any higher power there might be has a specific interest in me. I always figure that God/the goddess/the universe is way to busy running the big picture to pay attention to my puny life.
Anyway, on rare occasions, my life is interesting
