Living on the Edge

People living on the edge are more interesting than those living mundane lives of security. A favorite saying of Kadizzle is "Most men live lives of quiet desperation".  On the road we meet a lot of people living lives of pleasant desperation.  Traveling the Kadizzles meet a constant stream of interesting characters.  Warm climates attract people of limited means, and often these people are living out of a tent, a car, a van, or a pickup truck.  Our current crop includes Gary, Ryan, and Mary.  The other day I suggested to Gary who is living down the way trading penny stocks, that he might meet Gary.  Gary is living out of his pickup and a tent across the way.  Gary and Ryan became friends and made a grocery run together yesterday. Every chance to save gas is important.  After they returned it was time for everyone to have a hand rolled cigarette.  It was pipe tobacco.  The Commander is a good roller from the old days and did the honors.  Of course Gary is an expert.  Nicotine is killing Gary at a quick pace, but he is sure the vitamins he ordered for $200 will bring him back to life.

Now we got Mary an ex teacher living out of her SUV in a tent.  Women are not as common in the band of bums on the road.  The Kadizzles invited Mary in for a glass of wine and the cackling was strong.  Mary came to the south west on some sort of elder tour and has now joined the bum community at Windy Hill.  The Forest Service is under pressure to reduce the bum population so in the future fees may go up and a reservation system will be put in place.  Mary commented on another itinerant named Dwane.  Kadizzle has not met Dwane, but according to Mary, Dwane is up to his neck in right wing politics.  In Dwane’s world if there is an oil spot on the road Obama caused it.

One thing you learn as you meet the people living on the bum is that they are not ignorant.  Most of these people read a lot and are well informed in a variety of ways.  

Yesterday Gary told a good story about how he has never paid income tax.  At some point Federal Marshalls gathered Gary up and took him to the IRS.  The IRS agent threatened Gary in every way possible.  First they said they would garner his wages. Gary said he would quit an take another job across the street.  Next, they told Gary they would throw him in jail.  Gary responded that he had already been in federal prison and it was no big deal.  He told them if he went back it would give him time to write a book.  Perplexed the IRS agent said nothing for a few minutes so Gary got up to walk out of the room.  The federal marshalls blocked the door. The IRS agent gave up and said let him go.  Amazing that the government would try to squeeze a bum while billionaires rip off the government for millions.