Coffin

Upon espying the prematurely aging Les on the bus the other day, I was in a state of shock. How can a guy age so rapidly, unless he is under extreme duress? Perhaps he discovered that he has been worshipping a mythical deity for too many years and subsequently ascertained that "eternal life" will not be forthcoming. How old will he look next year?

Speaking of shocking, I cannot even begin to express my reaction to continued observations of elderly homeless people. Senior citizens, the geriatric crowd, all homeless. As far as I can ascertain, the situation is epidemic. Heck, I will most likely be joining the ranks of homeless senior citizens very soon. What is the cause of the trend? That's a rhetorical question.

What is a "home"? That's the question of my recent ruminations. A "home" is required in the "ownership society." The "home" is the only neutral zone where loitering charges by the police state can be avoided. It is the only place where a powerless individual can experience limited freedom. Of course, under the surveillance gauntlet, privacy in a "home" is questionable.

For the average rank-and-file peon, a "home" is essentially the same dimensions as a small mausoleum. Sometimes, the tiny "home" isabout the size of a coffin. The "home" is where its occupants are supposedly free to do anything. Yet, what is there to do? Eat, sleep, lay around, worship the tube like a shrine, spend time on the Net with a computer of "smartphone," choke da chicken. What else? The "home" is also for family and friends. In my case, I have only two purposes for a "home" ... sleep and access the Net (if available). So, why do I need a coffin ... errr, I meant, "home"? Why else would I sell the townhouse in Kane'ohe and the condominium in Waikiki?

I have been studying the homeless somewhat religiously. Actually, there's not much difference between them and me. Since, during the day, I can neither return to Waimanalo or my motor vehicle parked in Hawai'i Kai, I must wander around or loiter in various locations. The homeless engage in the same benign activity because they have nowhere to go until nightfall. Where I am, there they are. How else would I be able to observe them firsthand?

What about the homeless motorhome (read: luxury minivan)? The rear cargo area is just large enough to fit a coffin. Coincidentally, a minivan looks just like a hearse (i.e., funerary vehicle). Well, how much more fitting can that be? Perhaps I should share the latter tidbits with the prematurely aging Les, eh?

Usual Hawai'i Kai visit. Moms is doing fine. Moms looks to be 75 years of age, and Les looks to be 75 years of age. However, there is an actual age difference of 35 years. What are we to make of that? Anyway, the agenda and itinerary remained the same. Who knew?

Well, as foolish as it may seem, I purchased another cheap "smartphone" ($50 on sale) at the nationwide electronics store that just filed for bankruptcy. I won't activate the service plan for another week or so. That's when the service plan expires for the currently active cheap "smartphone." For the same monthly fee, I will have unlimited data (at slower speeds after the data cap is reached) and no roaming charges. I will probably use the older cheap "smartphone" as a tablet computer until it is donated to charity. Yeah, my decisions keep changing all the time because my life is now in a state of flux.

Surveillance Mini-Update®
The despicable surveillance robot made another surprise appearance at 6pm HST. Fortunately, the 'bot has limited its intrusive visits to once every month or so. What more can be said?