The Land of the Lost. by Wesley

2-25-15

Of late, I have realized that I have landed in a world where the norms have been reversed and behaviors I once considered obvious are now reason to render me a pariah.  We will call this place, "The Land of the Lost".

For months I have heard people talk about lost opportunities.  Not the kind of opportunities you might be thinking of...lost loves, great jobs, or vacation not taken.  Not so much here.

"I wish I would have had my pistol,"  is the most common refrain when describing a missed opportunities in the Land of the Lost.  Invariably they are describing running across someone with a lot of cash or property, and the teller of the story, describing how he wished he could have robbed them.  Damn, the fickle whims of fate!

I have learned that any opportunity to steal must be taken.  If something is not nailed down, steal it.  If it is nailed down, bring a pry bar, so it can be taken as well.

An important, related issue is that many of these guys know each other outside these walls.  They are loosely organized and have no leadership, but they are in cahoots.  If you have had something stolen in Northern Harris county, or Southern Montgomery county- anything- chances are these guys did it, or they know who did.

And they are not specialists either.  A guy who makes a living dealing drugs will take any opportunity to steal.  It is called, "hitting a lick".

I asked someone recently, who was outside stealing and dealing drugs, if everyone they knew was in jail.  Because it seems like everyone they know has been lifted up, and dropped in here.  A whole society.  With norms.  And I work with them.

Which means that I must conform to their norms- or I am an outcast.

I have found myself defending myself.  Not physically, but from accusations that I think I'm too good for others, because I won't steal.  There is no irony here, if you don't or won't steal, you become a bit of an outcast in the Land of the Lost.

I often don't know the rules of this society.  Sometimes the guys don't expect me to.  They'll say, "you're not in the game", or "you're not a hustler" or "criminal" when describing how I have violated some rule I didn't know about.  I get passes for that, as long as I keep up boundaries and don't get too friendly.  If I get friendly, the problems start.

Once the barriers drop, I no longer get the pass.  So I keep them up.  And it shows.  The other day a young man asked me if I didn't like talking to people.  I was taken aback for an instant.  Ordinarily, I am gregarious and silly, but here I have become an island in the Land of the Lost, (assuming there is a body of water, in said land, large enough to have an island).