Goodbye Russia

A while back I talked about a guy we call Russia.
This guy is an unemployed heroine addict. He plays this game of hide and seek where he panhandles in the parking lot until we get numerous complaints about some homeless guy harassing people and then he some how knows we're coming to tell him to leave and hides in the bushes on the edge of the property where we can't say anything to him because he's technically not on the property anymore. When we go back inside he comes back and the cycle repeats.
I've talked to other cashiers at the local stores and he plays the same game with everyone.

This guy has even bothered at the local laundromat when I'm off the clock just trying to do my laundry. He tried to "help" me put my bras and panties in the dryer. Dude you're old enough to be my dad, get the fuck out of here.
He always complains about how his life is so horrible, how he's a Russian immigrant and his mom kicked him out when he was 9, how everyone is out to fuck him over, how he see's demons and ghouls but he swears he wasn't on drugs when he saw them. He just wants everyone to feel bad for him and thinks the world owes him something and he deserves handouts while not having to work for anything.

I used to feel bad for him but I don't anymore. There's a quote I love by a Japanese actress named 景子北川 - Keiko Kitagawa. On her blog she once said:

 "You're not alone in struggling alone.
The world is full of people who are struggling as you do.
Each by themselves, but not alone.
Each separate from the other, but by no means alone...
We humans may go through some tough days for a while,
and it may make me wonder if
I'm the heroine in the world's biggest tragedy,
but I'm not the only one who has it tough or has difficulties.
I was made to realize that
everyone of us has to live with their share of troubles and hardships.
All around the world there are people who are suffering much more,
so with my troubles being minute in comparison,
are they even deserving of worry?"

Basically we all have our problems, but we aren't the only ones in the world with problems. You can either let life overwhelm you and feel sorry for yourself or you can do something and try to improve your life.

As fucked up as it sounds, one day when Russia was bothering me I thought to myself "this guy is just wasting his life feeling sorry for himself. If he's not willing to help himself why should anyone else? He's just a burden on society and the world would be better off if he just overdosed and died"

Well I found out the other night he did overdose on heroine about a week ago and he's dead now. Am I sad now that he actually is dead? No. I feel like I can walk around my neighborhood now without worrying about him bothering me.
I am sad that he wasn't able to live a better life, I'm sad for him that he let his life get as pathetic as it was.

So I guess RIP Russia. Maybe now he's in a better place.

Lost in Mentaltown

A man comes in around midnight and asks what town he's in. I said "This is Mentaltown". He says "Really? I've been wandering around for several hours trying to figure out where I am" I asked him where he was heading and he named a town about 20 miles away so I asked him if he wanted to use our phone to call a cab, he said "No I've got the money but I'm a firm believer in what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" I am too, but I'm not going to walk 20 miles somewhere I don't have directions to, in 20 degree weather. I asked the guy if he was sure, and he said yeah and left.

A few hours later he comes back to buy some Red Bull. I asked him how his travels were and he said "I got half way there and decided to come back"

Excuse me officer can you help me...? I need a pack of Newports

I don't know what this lady was on... But I want it lol. She comes in and buys some candy with food stamps, and then she wanted to buy a pack of Newport's. Those are our most popular cigarettes so it's one of the few items I actually know the price of off hand. They're $8.28 with tax but the lady only had $5 so then she wanted to return the candy to afford them. When I told her that wouldn't work she asked why... I don't know ma'am because you can't buy cigarettes with food stamps? So she hangs around for a bit, talking to me (I have no idea what she's talking about, I'm just agreeing with everything she says) and asking people if they can spare $3.
What was hilarious though was when a cop came through my line. She says "excuse me officer can you help me?" I thought maybe she was going to ask for a ride home since she was fucked up and mentioned she lived a bit of a (walking) distance away. Instead she says "can you help me officer...? I need $3 for a pack of smokes" lmao! It was so hard for me, and I think the cop too to not laugh at her. I'm also shocked the cop didn't do a sobriety test.

It was getting to the point where I was considering calling the manager to kick her out when she finally left. That lady was enough crazy for one night...

Apparently WW3 is being started next month by Canada?

A dirty homeless looking guy came into the grocery store asking for help finding something so I went to help him and check him out. While I'm checking him out he looks around to see if anyone else is nearby and says to me "You know not many people know this but WW3 is starting in March. The Canadians, Chinese and Russians are all going to team up on Israel" I asked him why he thought that and he said he learned it listening to a show online every Saturday that he doesn't remember the name of. His story reminded me of this old video



He also told me Jesus is coming in 10 years.