tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post5498863889111293258..comments2024-03-28T18:35:54.237+09:00Comments on BigHominid's Hairy Chasms: goodbye, RockportsKevin Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-77731893514854711342017-03-28T00:28:56.289+09:002017-03-28T00:28:56.289+09:00I was being facetious about the cruelty, but part ...I was being facetious about the cruelty, but part of me does wonder why he didn't tell you his intentions <i>before</i> you all went to sleep. Heh.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-3669837234495152192017-03-27T22:25:48.913+09:002017-03-27T22:25:48.913+09:00Actually, no, he didn't have a cruel streak at...Actually, no, he didn't have a cruel streak at all. Had that been the case, he wouldn't have told me about the shoes first thing in the morning. Had the shoe been on the other foot (ahem), I probably would have waited a while.Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-66580469704701415012017-03-27T12:34:16.108+09:002017-03-27T12:34:16.108+09:00I bet that missionary had a cruel streak and wante...I bet that missionary had a cruel streak and wanted to teach you all a lesson. Makes me think of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/25/arts/the-guardian-on-hbo.html" rel="nofollow">Lou Gossett's character in "The Guardian."</a>Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-4516682131097638012017-03-27T04:33:53.986+09:002017-03-27T04:33:53.986+09:00I don't know if I would say that you were at f...I don't know if I would say that you were at fault. Yes, you might have gone through a careful thought process that led you to the conclusion that it would not be a good idea to leave your shoes next to your desk... but people do stuff like that all the time. Yeah, I definitely wouldn't call it your fault.<br /><br />Your tale made me think of a funny thing that happened to me once, though. I was with a Korean church team in Mozambique, and the missionary there warned us not to leave our shoes outside of our tents, because the locals might come along and walk off with them--not because they were inveterate thieves, but because anything left out in the open was considered public property.<br /><br />Naturally, we all left our shoes outside of our tents anyway that first night. The next morning I was the first to get up (I was actually the team leader, which kind of made me responsible for things), and when I opened up the tent flap and looked outside... my shoes were gone. I looked around at all the other tents and saw that all the other shoes were gone as well.<br /><br />In that brief moment I went through the five stages of grief. No way. This cannot be happening. We did <i>not</i> all just lose our shoes. Argh! Why didn't we listen to the missionary?! What is wrong with these people?! OK, God, if you'll just somehow get our shoes back to us, I <i>swear</i> we will never leave them outside the tents again. Oh, man, I can't believe this. We just got here and now we have no shoes. This sucks so badly. No, no, it's going to be OK. After all, humanity survived for thousands of years--and still survives in many places--without shoes. It's only two weeks. We can do this. It will be good for us. It will be a learning experience.<br /><br />All of these thoughts went through my mind in far less time than it took me to type them, of course. It couldn't have been more than five seconds after I opened my tent flap that the missionary came out and greeted me. "Good morning! Just wanted to let you know that I took everyone's shoes and put them inside so they wouldn't be taken."<br /><br />Needless to say, we never left our shoes outside our tents again during that trip.<br /><br />Cold comfort, I suppose, but I just thought I would share.Charleshttp://www.liminality.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-31346008856641064642017-03-26T22:43:17.083+09:002017-03-26T22:43:17.083+09:00Indeed. Thanks.Indeed. Thanks.Kevin Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01328790917314282058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541500.post-15591577502426917242017-03-26T21:37:11.167+09:002017-03-26T21:37:11.167+09:00Ah,too bad. I guess with depreciation you are onl...Ah,too bad. I guess with depreciation you are only out twenty bucks or so, but still condolences on losing an old and comfortable friend (pair of friends I reckon).<br /><br />On the bright side, if this is the worse thing to happen to you this year, it's gonna be a good one!John Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614775172062071697noreply@blogger.com