Let's see if this can not be self-serving
Two girls walked out of a downtown pizza place last evening. They leaned against an outside wall and talked while they ate. The first girl seemed indignant; she told her friend how the cashier had not given her back her change for the pizza, but had instead put it directly into his own tip jar, right in front of her. She told how she had been planning on putting her change there anyway, but since she had been so rudely treated, she was instead going to boycott their pizza for a few weeks. "I can't respect an establishment that won't treat me fairly," she said. The second girl seemed slightly annoyed at the statement, and made a brief attempt to talk her friend down, saying that it was just a little change, it shouldn't mean so much to her. The first girl, sensing dissent, reasserted her statement, and her opposite let the subject drop.
Talk dwindled for a few minutes and I became reabsorbed in my own pizza. A while later, though, I watched as a man who had obviously been without a shower for several days approached the two girls. He went rapidly into a speech describing his position: hung over, broke, missed work, just needed $3 for a bus fare so he could go home, please, that's all. The first girl looked uncomfortable and didn't say anything. The second girl dug in her purse, pulled out a few folded bills, and handed them to the man. The man thanked her and walked away. They both watched as the same man approached a different person a block down the street, gestures indicating that he was probably delivering the same speech again.
The first girl said something here that I didn't hear, but the second girl replied, "If he needs money, whatever for..."
"I know," the first girl said, cutting her off. Around here is when I got a call and left, so I'll cut the dialogue off before making anything up.
Economic rationalism versus romantic idealism, on the unknowing stage of a Capitol Hill near-slum. I'm interested to hear, so please do comment on this, what you think of these two. I think to some extent it boils down to the question of which is more important, human reason or human interest? I have my own bias, certainly, but that's not for this entry.
Talk dwindled for a few minutes and I became reabsorbed in my own pizza. A while later, though, I watched as a man who had obviously been without a shower for several days approached the two girls. He went rapidly into a speech describing his position: hung over, broke, missed work, just needed $3 for a bus fare so he could go home, please, that's all. The first girl looked uncomfortable and didn't say anything. The second girl dug in her purse, pulled out a few folded bills, and handed them to the man. The man thanked her and walked away. They both watched as the same man approached a different person a block down the street, gestures indicating that he was probably delivering the same speech again.
The first girl said something here that I didn't hear, but the second girl replied, "If he needs money, whatever for..."
"I know," the first girl said, cutting her off. Around here is when I got a call and left, so I'll cut the dialogue off before making anything up.
Economic rationalism versus romantic idealism, on the unknowing stage of a Capitol Hill near-slum. I'm interested to hear, so please do comment on this, what you think of these two. I think to some extent it boils down to the question of which is more important, human reason or human interest? I have my own bias, certainly, but that's not for this entry.