A Matter of Perspective

Yesterday I did make it to the hot tub at the YMCA. There were two other old, balding men in there with me, and we got to talking. (The other two guys can start the story the same way).

About Japan, of course.

"Man, I'm not complaining about our weather anymore," I said. "Snow and cold is fine with me when you start talking earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, and nuclear meltdowns."

The other two guys kind of agreed with me, but then the older of the two gentlemen nearly caused me to disappear into the bubbling water.

"I hate those people anyway?" he said.

I didn't think I heard him right.

"The Japs," he said. "I was in the marines and my brother was too. We hate all them bastards. The Japs, the Chinks, the Koreans. They are all gooks."

I felt like I was tubbing with Archie Bunker. In fact, I couldn't even formulate an answer to such a statement and he was looking right at me.

"Did I shock you?" he asked.

"Sort of," I said. "Lots of people suffering."

The man was about to lecture me. I recognized the look that crossed his face as though he were about to hit me with double shots of unbelievable wisdom.

"They should be used to radiation," he said. "From when we blasted their asses. You see, it's all a matter of perspective. I met those filthy people. You didn't. So, you're horrified by what they're going through and I'm not."

I gave him the same sort of perplexed look that I'd given my wife earlier when she asked me to take her photo.

"I was just talking about the weather," I said.

"You gotta' understand, we were trained to hate them. I still do."

I would have liked a longer soak, but I didn't have any interest in finishing the conversation. I looked at the other guy. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

A matter of perspective.

An earthquake followed by a tsunami followed by an erupting volcano followed by a nuclear threat, resulting in loss of property, human lives and utter devastation is evidently good news in some quarters.

What a freaking moron.

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