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The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part Two)

07/7/2008, 2:00 pm -- by Chloe | No comments

George’s third layer is a gray zip-up hoody with pockets right where he can slip his hands in. He wears this in the fall and spring when the weather hasn’t chosen its extreme yet. He found it in New Mexico at a thrift store. He saw a woman come in with boxes and bags filled with all kinds of coats and gloves, so he asked her where they were from. No one person could have that many clothes, he thought. She told him they were from the school she worked at. “Every winter,” she explained, “the Special Ed department offers a free cup of coffee to students who bring in clothes to donate to the Good Will. This is the first week’s drop.” He found the jacket and left. He keeps the kindness of strangers close to his heart, but far enough away so that the kindness won’t burn when it turns sour. It almost always does.

His fourth layer is his big army jacket — the one that keeps him warm on the harsh New York winter days. He carries all his belongings in the pockets: his skipping stone with “prosperity” carved into it, his Canadian dime, a ticket stub from the first and last movie he ever saw — Gone with Wind — a business card from the pastor down at the soup kitchen, and his gold — the library card.

When it gets too cold, all he needs is that card and he can go to the library and read a book or go on the Internet or do whatever he wants. Sometimes he’ll just sit and watch the people go by. He knows this makes them quicken their step and clutch a purse or a child’s hand a little tighter. It doesn’t matter. He wears all his layers on top; their stereotypes mean nothing to him. His coat used to be dark green like his T-shirt, but after years of falling asleep in it, using it as a pillow or a mattress, there is no color. There is Broadway, 24th and Main, Times Square, Central Park, the obscure alleyways in Queens. The color of his coat is New York. He wears his life on the top layer — who he is, where he goes, what he does. It’s all there for everyone to see.

Then there are his regulars. His black jeans, now gray with white spots and oil stains, his black boots with scuff marks, scratches and a hole at each pinky toe, and his brown socks that used to be white, the ones he nicked from Payless six years ago. There’s also his cap with a broken bill and his driving gloves with slick leather grips and holes at each fingertip. These are all the commonalities in his life. These are the sins he’s committed, the good he’s done, the things that have scratched him and scuffed him and taken things out of him. These are the things that have stolen his years and over time put dirt under his nails and in the wrinkles of his face, dirt that will never wash out. These are the things people assume are there because they see them in everyone else like him. He wears these assumptions no matter what the weather, right against his skin.

Last, there’s his blanket. It is brown and frayed at the edges. There are torn places where a strip or two has been shed. He found it a long time ago on a subway, covering another degenerate who had been lucky enough to find a token for a ride, but unlucky enough to choose a car where no one would realize that he had expired. George saw him and informed the conductor, but not before he took a memento of the man to remember him by. Now this blanket is what protects him when the world gets to be too judgmental. He wears a shield as his last layer so he can wear his other layers on top, show them off. He wears his last layer to remind him that this too shall pass, that when he dies, the world will still go on and the subway will not stop running.

The Last Few Articles

Bweinh! Goes to the Movies: Hancock

07/3/2008, 5:38 pm -- by Connie | 2 comments

I went on a spontaneous date night the other evening to see Wanted, but ended up in an unexpected early showing of Hancock. We’ve all seen the trailers for the reluctant drunken superhero played by Will Smith, and it looked good — so since my movie required waiting an additional hour and had Jolie in it, we opted for Hancock. But I have to say, I kind of wish we had waited for James McAvoy. . .

I must be true to myself and give it only an EINH (B-/C+) on our BWEINH! scale. I’m still down wit’ Will (I’ll see you next July, man), but this film just did not deliver the goods.

Read the whole review here!

The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part One)

07/2/2008, 10:30 am -- by Chloe | No comments

They say people have layers, that each layer gives you a little insight into a person’s life. Most people hide their layers, though, so you won’t see who they really are, what they care about, why they’re here. Most people go their whole lives without anyone seeing all their layers. They die as undiscovered people.

Almost everyone in New York City wears one layer: the executive accountant, senior partner, musician. They scream their success with cell phones and hair dos and million-dollar purses. The lawyers live in Armani, the musicians in black, and the artists under crooked berets. That is the only layer you see. Most people don’t show underwear or bear skin. They don’t want you to know about that part of them.

George chose to be different the day he walked away from his childhood. He was 15. Since then, he’s learned a lot of things — about the world, about the people, about himself — and he’s learned that the best way to wear the truth is out where everyone can see it. Shock ‘em. It’s the only way to go.

Read the rest here!

Isaiah 44 — Part 2

06/30/2008, 12:00 am -- by Djere | No comments

Tuesday, having come and now gone, brought with it a visit from missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I did my homework before they arrived, reading my copy of the Book of Mormon and jotting down notes from the Bible.

I didn’t want to scare them off or arrogantly present my faith to them. I wanted them to be comfortable, to open up and present their gospel so that I could calmly and rationally present the Gospel.

I certainly didn’t score any slam dunks, but I’d like to think that I got two shots in under their radar… two seeds that I hope and pray will take root and grow.

Seed 1 — God is spirit.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with LDS theology, I’ll bring you up to speed. They believe God the Father is a literal, physical person with a body of flesh and bone who is both physically and literally our father. (Doctrine & Covenants, Section 130:22)

Read the rest here!

The Last Ten Featured Pieces

The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part Two) by Chloe
Bweinh! Goes to the Movies: Hancock by Connie
The Wardrobe of a Homeless Man (Part One) by Chloe
Isaiah 44 — Part 2 by Djere
New Developments in the Field of Silence by Chloe
Girl Dumps Boyfriend To ‘Get Closer To God’; ‘God’ Apparently Another Guy by Job Tate
Best of Mike: Holy Sadness by Mike
Isaiah 44 — Part 1 by Djere
When They Were Eighteen by David
The Death of Midtown by Steve

The Council’s Ruling — Most Pleasant Month of the Year

07/7/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No comments

This and every Monday, the Bweinh!tributors, having convened in secret for hours of reasoned debate and consideration, will issue a brief and binding ruling on an issue of great societal import.

This week’s question — What is the most pleasant month of the year?

The Council delivers the ruling of May, but was unable to agree on a rationale.

Tom offers this opinion, joined by Kaitlin and Steve:

May. Warm, but not scorching. Verdant, but not soaked.

Read it all here!

Bible Discussion

Bible Discussion: Esther 3-5

07/2/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No comments

This week, Bweinh.com starts a brand new book by discussing the next three chapters of Esther!

DEEP THEOLOGICAL MEANING:
David:
Mordecai told Esther that if she refused to intervene, God would save His people some other way — but she and her family would be destroyed. God using us is as much about saving us as anyone we might reach through our ministry.

VERSE TO REMEMBER:
Chloe, David, Connie, Steve:
4:13-14 — “Mordecai told them to answer Esther: ‘Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ ”

GENERAL RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE:
Connie:
I couldn’t stop reading — who could stop reading? I’m ready for next week already!

Read it all here!

Battle of the Bands LXI: Special Edition

07/3/2008, 1:05 am -- by Bweinh | No comments

Here is the next batch of band names from Esther — and the Luke finals!

Kings of Babylon and Seven Eunuchs move on!

What band name is the best?

One Hundred Words

One Hundred Words (22)

07/2/2008, 2:00 am -- by Chloe | No comments

I fall in love with every car I drive.

The first was a huge silver Dodge with a diesel engine and a roar that herded cows more than once.

The second was a little red Toyota stick shift. I loved to hear the (shift) VROOM (shift) VROOM that made me feel like a drag racer. (The very day I named it Macbeth, it blew a head gasket and soundly died.)

Now I’m driving a Ram Charger with gargantuan wheels and fantastic speakers. I lean back with one arm out the window, music blasting, and feel a little bit awesome.

One Hundred Words (21)

06/27/2008, 9:45 am -- by Connie | 1 comment

“Do not be . . . yoked with unbelievers . . . what communion has light with darkness?” — 2 Cor 6:14

I heard George Carlin died this week. It was surprising; he was younger than I thought and never a favorite, so I didn’t keep up. I realized I disliked him because I could always hear anger in his humor, even the clean stuff. He seemed an angry, vile, vulgar, dark man who couldn’t mask that persona. I only hope in his last moments, he saw the light and found seven other words to express himself — “Help me Jesus; save my soul tonight.”

–CSM

Clash of the Titans LXXXV: Where to Park?

07/1/2008, 12:00 pm -- by Bweinh | No comments

Connie (parking close): “My time is at a premium and I must protect it at all cost. I simply cannot afford to park rows away when a spot is available closer. Plus, with the time I’ve saved, I will be more prepared for my appointment. I will be seated sooner, remembering points or questions I plan to raise or cover.”

MC-B (parking far): “As a youngish man, I simply cannot see a reason to drive around the parking lot looking for a good space and wasting time when I could park at a moderate, or even far distance, and get there almost as quickly. Additionally, there are a number of benefits to parking far. Exercise is probably the most obvious. . .”

Read the rest — and cast your vote — here!

Clash of the Titans LXXXIV: Dressing Up

06/6/2008, 10:00 am -- by Bweinh | 4 comments

Job (against dressing up): “Dressing up has become increasingly uncomfortable, inefficient, impractical and at times blatantly immoral — if not through the exposure or enhancement of flesh, then by the consuming, metastasized materialism that boils inside those dedicated to looking ‘good.’ ”

Chloe (in its favor): “When Job came to visit Steve, he was dressed in his Navy uniform. The attendant at the toll booth saw his outfit and gave Job a significant discount on his toll. Job has found that when he dresses up in his uniform, he not only gets more respect, he also gets a lot of freebies and discounts.”

Read the rest — and cast your vote — here!

Daily Feature

Quote of the Day, 7/8/08

07/8/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No comments

“Some people claim that marriage interferes with romance. There’s no doubt about it. Anytime you have a romance, your wife is bound to interfere.” — G. Marx

Joke of the Day, 7/7/08

07/7/2008, 7:00 am -- by Bweinh | No comments

A man was driving down a quiet country lane when out into the road strayed a rooster. Whack! The rooster disappeared under the car in a cloud of feathers.

Shaken, the man pulled over at the farmhouse and rang the doorbell. A farmer appeared. The man nervously said, “I think I killed your rooster — may I replace him?”

“Suit yourself,” the farmer replied. “The henhouse is around back.”