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We sold some old things this week to the junk man. Things that didn't work and we don't need anymore that my father always kept around just in case some massive shit hits the fan, like global famine, an asteroid strike, world war III or the second coming.Selling these decade old junks (old electric fans, toaster, computer monitor, computer printer, old clothes, old school books, etc) has actually been a cause for recurring arguments between me and my parents with me going "we dont need these! Its taking up too much space!" and my parents going "we can use them to trade with in times of war!"well that made some sense and should've shut me up.. Until i got to thinking... Wait a minute.. Who's gonna carry ALL that shit when its time to head for the mountains??
Certainly not my father, he has to keep his hands free when he negotiates with the people we come across. Besides, he doesn't even help with carrying the groceries inside the house. Not my mother., she has arthritis.. Not my sisters, they cant carry much after all.. Such dwindling prospects could only lead to an ooooohhh shiiiittt epiphany... So that's why my father bought the home gym! I was the designated human mule!
Well an alternative plan was needed quick. Thus the junk man and our relatively new piggy bank slowly filling up with coins - still quite heavy but negates the need to strap the whole fuckin house on my back just in case things went to the shitters. My father still don't realize that all that "in case of war"junk were already dispatched though. He's too busy watching the latest BBC news on the global financial crisis probably wondering if i will be strong enough when my destiny is finally revealed.
Anyway, junk man went home happy with the stash and i was quite happy counting the proceeds of the sale - which was why while finishing the independence day book later that day, all i could think about while all them cities burnt to the ground and all them massive flying saucers crashed down to the earth was... WoW! That's a load of junk man! I wonder how much all those scrap metal would go for?
Ever notice how junk men are almost always the first ones out after a massive storm? they go from house to house looking for pieces of torn roofing materials and items that the storm destroyed. You can see them negotiating with property owners scant hours after the storm. Solemnly shaking their heads at the torn roofing materials' pretending to sympathize with you, while fishing out their wallets and waving their money in front of your face with their other hand. One man's garbage is another man's gold they say. And in this case, one man's disaster is another man's blessing.
Sometimes its hard to imagine that there are jobs and businesses on this earth that depend upon the misfortune of others and the junk man is just the tip of the iceberg.funeral homes depend on people dying preferably in large batches. The police depend on people committing a crime. Doctors depend on people getting sick and credit card companies depend on people getting greedy.
Of course, one would also be right in saying that the examples given above are just half of the picture or one side of a coin. One could just as easily say that doctors depend on making people well, the police depend on keeping peace and order and credit cards are a form of financial help.
Stretching this out, one could also say that the current global financial crisis is just a wake up call for all of us who are getting into the habit of buying things which we haven't yet earned. Or perhaps global warming is just the earth's strategy of ridding itself of its vernim - we don't need to save the planet, its the planet who needs to save itself from us.
In the end, it all boils down to a question of perspectives.Is the glass of water half empty or half full? Or in case my father finally realizes the missing house junk - is the house half empty or half full? Wa haha!
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