Sunday, September 18, 2005

Quick Stop in Berkeley + Philosophy

So, today I went down to Berkeley to visit Cindy and see Mary some more, because I guess she just hasn't gotten enough of me. Ha. Well, I got there long before Mary did so after a lot of searching and over the phone instructions, I located Cindy and we walked along Telegraph. I had some cheap Boba, she had a Hot Dog, and then we went looking for Chinese movies. I found several: another Steven Chow film to add to my impressive collection, All Men Are Brothers, and (after 4 years of searching) Kairo!! Then Mary showed up, appearing out of nowhere like a movie Ninja. We all went and bought Masa a T-shirt from Berkeley since he will not be able to visit it, and we all signed it. Then we went to Pizza at a fantastic Pizza place called Zachary's in Oakland. Bidding eachother ado until next time, we went our separate ways. On the way back to the freeway I stopped for gas, where I met Gilbert, an ex-con who was looking for work and was washing car windows for tips.

Something I have always wondered is, are the stories that people tell you on the street really true? A man could ask you for money saying he is starving, but then use the money you gave him to buy booze. But if you distrust everyone who you meet outside of a conventional social setting, you will only ever meet basically the same type of people. Living a life full of distrust doesn't seem like a good way to live to me. On the other hand, trusting every one is quite naive and dangerous. I guess the most functional answer to this conundrum is to give people conditional trust. Believe their stories, but be prepared to change your mind if something goes amiss. Still this does not seem like an ideal solution to me.

Sorry for the philosophy, but that is what happens durring long lonely car rides.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

those comments are lame! here's a better one:

i saw you in downtown davis this afternoon, but you were too far away for me to get your attention. so HI TRENTON!

--renee

Anonymous said...

I love adds

Anonymous said...

If you give a person on the street some charity, reasonably believing them to using it for food, and they use it to buy booze, do you feel like your gesture has been wasted and that you have been taken advantage of? Or do you feel like at least while they have proven themselves to be deceptive, you have proven yourself to be kind? I guess it depends on which is more important to you: feeling like your acts are effective, or acting kindly regardless?

Trenton said...

I feel both. I feel like I have been taken advantage of, that I have been thought of as a dupe, which hurts. But at the same time I feel good that I am not so inhibited by fear and pride that I am able to occasionally become the dupe in order to do the right thing.

The tough part is wondering if my kindness actually helps anyone other than me become a better person.

Trenton said...

By the way David, good luck with this next impending Hurricane.