holy rollers

since my last piece had me bumming on the l.b.c., this is for balance:

today i witnessed something that has restored my faith in the goodness of my community: when i walked to the beach this morning with my parents' poodle, sophie, i was initially annoyed with a group of college-aged bicyclists riding on the sidewalk along the cliffs where it is clearly marked NO BIKES! i pulled sophie in close as i muzzled my uncontrollable-old-man-urge to yell at the disrespectful youths.

then i noticed one of the law-breakers get off his bike next to two slumbering men (who appeared to have all the trappings of homeless people) and proceed to place two sack lunches from his backpack next to their sleeping bodies. my smile was instantaneous! these kids were breaking the (bicycle) law to feed the needy!

i walked home in the warm sun and thought to myself: yesterday sophie got out of my yard for 5 hours (her second offence) and was caught and nursed (she had a cut between her claws) by two lovely ladies on orange and 8th... today i see a gang of college students feeding the less fortunate in our community--and last night I ROCKED THE JOINT REGARDLESS!

LONG BEACH IS A.O.K.!!!

but the story doesn't end there... i decided to bike to my favorite breakfast spot--quick plug for the "#3 hobo omelet" at the omelet inn on 3rd and pine--and when i got there, i spotted the same bicycle gang from the beach at the intersection of pacific and 3rd (long beach--"the big little city"). i had to know: they were handing out lunches, right? it wasn't a drug deal i had witnessed this morning, right?

so i waited for them to cross the street and asked one of them what was up with the brown bags. it turns out my suspicions were correct: he and a group of friends that go to his church pass out sack lunches to the hungry. how cool is that? i told them they were doing the lord's work ("[you're] on a mission from god."), and i applauded their caring for our community.

today's treasure moment: holy rollers in the queen city