And then, eventually, cue the guilt. Because we know we should care for people, and that when people have serious issues, they don't really want or need our disdain heaped onto the pile. They need prayer, a listening ear, maybe some advice, maybe some sort of tangible help. But probably not my ridicule.
Anyway, I recently had a conversation with some random dude, and I just don't know how to think or feel about it. So I submit it to you, fellow tangent explorers, in the hope that you can shed some light on it, but also ponder the way you feel and act toward random dudes.
The most mystifying conversation I've ever had
Jon is walking alone on a Friday night. No explanation given for his boring social life. A 21-year-old male ("Dude") approaches him from across the street. Dude steps in stride with Jon.
Dude: So are you thinking about jumping off a bridge?
Jon: Um, no. Wait, what?
Dude: That's what selfish people do. They think about jumping off bridges.
Jon: Sorry man, I don't know what you're talking about.
Dude: (Scowling) I think it's pretty obvious.
Jon: (Looking around to make sure there are people/witnesses) Sorry, it's not obvious to me.
Dude: Well I'm not in the habit of repeating myself when what I'm saying is obvious. Are you American? Do you speak English?
Jon: Yeah.
Dude: (Belligerent) Oh, so you just want me to repeat what I'm saying for your stupidity?
Jon: Hey man, I'm sorry I don't understand you. (Jon stops walking so that Dude's momentum will hopefully carry him forward and end the conversation. It works.)
Dude: Look, the truth is right there. If you don't want to look at it, if you don't want to get into it, that's your problem. (Walks away.)
Is this real life?
Normally, that part of town would have been flooded with college students on a Friday night, but they're away for spring break. So, as I walked to my car from my dinner with a friend, the stage was set perfectly for this incredibly bizarre stand-off between Dude and myself. I was shaken by the craziness of it all, and I immediately called my sister to calm down before driving home.
Like I said before, I don't have any mental category under which to place this experience. I also haven't been able to understand that opening line. The guy seemed pretty lucid. And he was young. The whole thing just seems like a nightmare.
Help me
Can you interpret what this guy was saying? Feel free to get creative.
Any thoughts about compassion, guilt, etc.?
Jon
Well Jon...
ReplyDeleteThis was extremely interesting and entertaining to read. I would categorize myself into the crazy person category, and therefore feel more than qualified to reveal this guys mind in front of you and what he was really trying to tell you....., you ready?....Here it goes...
He really didnt want you to jump of that Bridge Jon, LOL. Also are you ok do you wanna talk about something, iam always ready to listen bro?
And stop being selfish!!! LOL j/k ...(not)
On a more serious note, i think what he said could have been just a reflection of what was or has been going on in his life or somebodies life he is/was heavily involved in, family member friend, who knows.
Other then that, crazy people are crazy, and they dont talk to enrich themselves, but rather talk about stuff that they deem as valuable to share. Thats what makes them so weird and crazy at times. What other people think of as random and totaly out of the ordinary is for weird and crazy people valuable nuggets of information.
In summation i have no clue what I am talking about, and there really is no reason to be meticulous and try to get down to the nitty gritty, after all he was a crazy dude talking random stuff :) lol
~Arian
straight up LOLed in Starbucks. THANK YOU!!! HAHAHAH i think that was an angel..you never know.
ReplyDeleteFirst:
ReplyDeleteYou left out what could be the most potentially-enlightening piece of information about this encounter.
WHAT WAS DUDE WEARING?
These are my hypotheticals:
#1- (Dude was wearing a popped-collar-polo and Northface jacket.) Definitely a transfer-student, participating in an odd dare in order to complete his spring-semester fraternity-rush.
#2- (Dude was wearing hoodie, carying nalgene, and wearing chacos.) Most likely from an on-campus religious organization, and this "evangalizing-encounter" had met with much more successful results when he was scheming it out in his dorm-room beforehand.
#3- (Dude was wearing sweatpants, and an army-issued overcoat) Probably just crazy.
1. Dude was a Sociology major on assignment
ReplyDelete2. dude was making you feel selfish before panhandling you for cash so you could prove you are unselfish
1) Maybe he was pondering whether or not to jump off a bridge and you just happened to be there so instead of talking to himself to make sense, he talked to someone walking on the same street.
ReplyDelete2)Maybe he had someone dear to him jump off a bridge and he resented that memory.
3)Maybe his friends dared him to talk to you as a result of his poor game playing skills.
4)Maybe he wanted to see if anyone would listen to him before he decided to jump off the bridge.
5)You happened to be in the right place at the right time, or vice versa.
Wow. I just want to hug him. In any of the above cases. If he's a frat boy pulling a silly prank, he needs a hug. If he's crazy and nonsensical, still needs a hug. If he's drunk and presenting well and also speaking nonsense, he needs a hug. If he's a sociology student, he needs a hug because he's never learned how to do real, number-crunching research. And if, as I suspect, he was out alone, walking, thinking, desperate, he soooo needs a hug.
ReplyDeleteThis compassion/guilt thing is interesting. A super-belligerent drunk guy came up to our table at a restaurant last week, and started throwing racial slurs at my friends. He was a major jerk, and while I have never been more delighted to be friends with someone who had the brilliance to ask him if he knew how to dance like Beyonce (he did), I also felt the most incredible compassion for him. Which I know was of God, because most of the time, I'm the major jerk. It was actually a strange moment, of realizing just how much God loves him, even the part of him that can be a drunk tool. I know I'm so lame Christian-y for saying this, but that love, that compassion--it's breathtaking.
@ Louise "If he's a sociology student, he needs a hug because he's never learned how to do real, number-crunching research." That was one of the greatest blog comments ever!
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone close to Dude jumped off a bridge and he is clearly feeling a lot of emotion, specifically anger. Maybe he just took it out on you because he randomly associated you with this person/memory. Who knows!
ReplyDeleteOr Dude was drunk.
All I know is that I me some crazy dudes and they need compassion too!
@ Tim-- Thanks. We all carry the burden for loving sociology students, and guiding them to an understanding of real research. :-)
ReplyDeleteJon Mathieu,
ReplyDeleteI must admit that if this is the first time something like this has happened to you then I want to know how you do it? In my experience it is usually something deeper that doesn't always surface right away. I don't believe you will ever see this bro again but maybe God put this in your life to make you think about it? You could meet up with him in the future or another person who needs compassion. Christ did not call us to love our enemies because it is easy. even though you may not think he is your enemy (s)he is someone we are called to love.
I have seen this happen where people come to Christ, use me as a listening shoulder and come to me for life changing advice. I am glad this person made you think about this more then just meeting him and done. If you look at Christ ministry it started with people such as the man you ran into? Food for thought!
Oh by the way I love Arian's comment and Louise's comments. We all need to know that we are loved at times and a hug is the perfect way to show it.
Sincerely Your Bro in Christ,
-Blaine
There can only be one answer. Time travel.
ReplyDeleteBut Future Dude forgot about the Matsuhashi-Chevrapaligupta Variance and so instead of warning Current, err, Regrettably Recently Past Homey, he warned you instead.
this reminds me of a quote i heard one time,
ReplyDelete"Some wonder what causes so many people to commit suicide. I wonder what causes so many people not to. Everyday I'm convinced afresh that apart from God, nothing makes sense."
-Steve Taylor
With this in mind, from the non-Christian angle if your not thinking about jumping off bridges your weird.
And maybe he is completely rational and was out looking for someone to do extreme sports with???