Reality Bites

An article by Don Quixote    1 Comment

So, when I’m not working four jobs, eating, playing board games, I can often be found watching TiVo (Mmmmm… TiVo, is there anything it can’t do?) Tivo is a wonderful thing I have hooked up to DirecTV. It allows me to watch whatever crap whenever I want without the hassle of commercials and all that other needless fluff that’s between the good stuff.

So what am I watching these days? Reality television and re-runs of Law and Order. Pretty much everything on the Discovery Channel, including such wonderful hits as:

American Chopper
American Hot Rod
Monster House
Mythbusters
Joe Schmo 2 on SpikeTV
Punk’d on MTV
Nick & Jessica Simpson
Tripping the Rift on SciFi

While the last one isn’t a reality show, well tough. I find them all entertaining watching.

I’m a total Survivor Fan (and no, not the group from the 80s), and I enjoy the Amazing Race. There is just something about watching how people work and play together that reveals so much. If you want to know who you really are, go play Survivor, what will a man do for 1 Million dollars?

But, I’ve found that I really don’t have to watch TV to learn the true nature of man, I’m a classic people watcher (as opposed to a peeping Tom or your all around pervert). I study how people interact, see how they handle the stress of standing in line. People are so amazing. I love them and hate them at the same time. I wish they would all go away (especially when I’m trying to watch a movie or visit the mall), but at the same time, I know that they need more in this life than they have. I just hope I can offer that to them.

There’s always a line from a Normals song that I recall everything I go out to eat, “I leave a tip like I think Jesus would…”.

So I’m having lunch the other day at Logan’s Steakhouse of whatever the heck it’s called. They screwed up my burger. So I sent it back. Not only did they cook me a new one, the manager hand delivered it, appologized, and gave me my meal free. Well, I didn’t want a free meal, I just wanted my burger cooked all the way through. But no, they refused to let me pay, so I tipped the waitress the price of the burger plus her normal tip (I always tip 5 bucks where ever I go unless the meal was really pricy in which case I tip about 25%). I’ve had so many friends who’ve had to make their living off tips that I like to return the favor. “Here’s a tip for you, show up for class.” – Classic line left for a friend of mine.

People are… well, people to. I have to always remind myself that they have feelings too, they have places they are trying to get to, that I am indeed not the only person on this planet that matters. Whenever I want to make a snide comment in my head about the way someone looks, a snap judgement on the kind of person they must be, I catch myself and pray for that person. Not because they need it, but because I need to be reminded that God loves them just as much as he loves me. We are so hard on others. We make fun of fat people, we admire the pretty people, we look down on the poor people, (Hey, it’s not my fault I’m gainfully employeed – Tom Flammer). Take a look around you and see beyond whats there, see beyond the perception you have of the people around you and make a difference in who they are.

What does all this have to do with anything. Not a whole lot, just random crapped tossed out their for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to fast forward as desired.