A homeless guy fed us

Here's an unlikely story. Steve and I went for a long long walk in Stanley Park last Sunday. We ended going around the sea wall, through the park, out by the lost lagoon and the Heron's colony, and back through St-Paul's towards Yaletown. If this means nothing to you, it's enough to say that it was a 4 hour walk and by the time were were heading home it was 7:30pm.

We were starving and as we walked a short stretch near Davie we could smell the food. Neither of us had any cash or means to get cash. We talked about how crazy it was to be surrounded by food but have no way to access it. We talked about begging. We talked about what it must feel like to be homeless and penniless. We talked about the Vancouver Street Retreat that is being planned. All the while just aching to get home and eat.

Just as we were crossing the last park before getting to our building we run into a homeless guy that Steve had talked to before (Danny). Danny says hello and starts talking to us. We talk for a bit but then tell him that we're very hungry and need to get home. He says "Oh I have food...here! Take this!" and hands us an untouched large portion of chicken fried rice. We feel bad about taking his food but he assures us that he has had 4 pieces of pizza and he's not hungry. Steve heartily digs in.

We keep talking for a bit and we can tell Danny is getting a little anxious. He wants money. It's not clear why but the discussion touches on marijuana...and later beer. Hearing no judgement from us he suddenly admits that he is a 'user' and that he's been lying about the other drugs. He is needing his fix. He needs $10 ("that's how much it costs?" I'm incredulous). But of course we have no money on us. But we're across the street from our apartment...we have money there...he's given us food..and all he wants is a fix. Ok, all morality aside, seems like $10 will make him very happy. I promise to return with $10.

I return a few minutes later with $20 and I give it to him. He then admits that the story about the 4 pieces of pizza is a lie. This is crazy! "Why didn't you eat the food?" He says that the heroine makes him not hungry. I can't tell if this is the complete truth or if he was planning on selling the food the whole time? Or? In any case, he is smiling and telling me he's "going right now" to get a fix at the safe injection site. Just before he leaves he tells me that I shouldn't kid myself, all panhandlers are users.

With all this reading about narrative and fiction and non-fiction and possible world theory, the stories Danny tells are such a mix that they are an invitation to ride uncertain ground without insisting on a truth break.

What I'm reading

I just got my order from Amazon:

Narrative as Virtual Reality: Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media By: Marie-Laure Ryan
Avatars of Story By: Marie-Laure Ryan (Author)
Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide By: Henry Jenkins (Author)

These were recommended by David Humphrey, a graduate student in Emily Carr's Masters of Applied Arts program. I am particularly pleased with the Avatars of Story book. It does a good job of creating a classification of story and narrative (narrative being an instantiation of story). This classification allows a discussion of which media is suited to which type of narrative. I like how she makes a distinction between something "being narrative" and something "having narrativity". For example, she claims that our individual lives have narrativity but are not narratives. She also makes the point that it is quite possible that it will take a while for us to fully take advantage of the narrative potention of digital media because we have been so immersed in verbal and textual narratives.

I will keep posting thoughts as I continue reading.

The tragic story of Iraq as told by Evan Kohlmann

I'm posting this because it is perhaps the sanest account of what is happening in Iraq that I've seen to date. It really brings home the point that, having created an unfortunate chaotic situation, we have to engage with it with a view to regaining some sort of just and dignified position. I know it sounds completely idealistic but it seems to me that even if something was started on the wrong premise, there is always a chance to change our motivation. I say 'we' even though Canada is not fighting in Iraq because I feel we all bear the burden, and therefore responsibility, for the outcome of this war. It shouldn't have been started but there's no going back so let's think about how to make some space in this conflict -- some space to think about an ending that doesn't involve suffering for the next 10+ years. This is perhaps where the UN could make a difference. If it is incapable of dealing with this type of destabilizing influence then we need a different model for unity between nations. One of the most shocking quotes in the Salon interview is this:

"You know we're doing a bad job of communicating our own message when we're losing the propaganda war to people who cut other people's heads off on camera. Think about it: People in one of the most Westernized countries in the Middle East would rather trust al-Qaida than the United States. That's a terrible sign of things to come". -- Evan Kohlmann