That smell!

This morning I was riding the Metro Blue Line down to Long Beach. About halfway down the tracks a man got on the train and took the seat in front of me. I wouldn't have even noticed, except for the smell that wafted my way. I'm normally one with a high tolerance for odors of all kinds, but this was really nasty. The guy was neatly dressed, but clearly hadn't had a bath in a while.

I struggled for a bit, thought about moving, and decided that I would stay right where I was without really knowing why.

Later, over lunch, I walked by an open dumpster in downtown Long Beach and smelled the same smell.

We treat people like garbage. We pick and choose our favorites, we care for those we love, and the rest--the nameless troubled masses--we leave for garbage. And after a while, it all starts to smell pretty bad.

In fact, it stinks.