Surrounded by Stupid

I gave in to Jenna's calls and went bowling and for a meal with her, her boyfriend and her boyfriend's friend. It smelled like a setup to me but she swore it wasn't. The entire evening was a waste of time, I was counting the minutes until I could go home.

Her boyfriend's friend, the Tool, thought he was something. He kept shouting 'WHHAAATTT" at random intervals for no reason whatsoever. He also continued to randomly dance to the ridiculous music.

At one point he actually said: "You may have noticed that I am a little different. So what do you think of these glasses, should I keep them on?"

Me: No.

the Tool:That's what I thought- but then everyone else told me I should wear the.

It was all I could do not to burst out laughing. Even I'm not that heartless. Beside,s I was more focused on my budding score of 38.

Me: I thought you were unique, do what suits you.

the Tool:Yeah yeah, I am unique, but you know, everyone kept telling me to wear them.

I have to say the topper of the evening was Jenna asking me about my necklace, which is a replica of an ancient tablet found in Syria. It says Allah in Arabic and has the ayat al-Q'ursi on it but too small to read. Anyway this was the conversation, or at least the jist of it:

Jenna: What is that, that's really pretty. Is it like the Bible?

Me: No, I wouldn't wear something from the Bible around my neck. It says Allah and has a prayer written in Arabic.

Jenna: Oh. Don't you read the Koorraannnn?

Me: Yes.

Jenna: So you know that guy they're trying to find? That guy... like, that guy who did the attacks. That guy...

Me: Osama bin Laden?

Jenna: Yea him! Why did he do what he did? Doesn't he like want to convert everyone into what he believes in?

Me: I don't really know why he did what he did. He's a fanatic. A lot of people think those attacks were done for different reasons. I think it had more to do with revenge for America's policies in the Middle East. Thousands of people have died and continue to die because of American actions in the region but no one really shows interest or seems to care about it. I think this had to do with that more than with religion. I personally don't think it had much to do with religion at all but a lot of other people do.

Jenna: (Wide-eyed) Why, what do you mean America does stuff in the Middle East?

The Tool also made a showing in this department. He asked me what language my parents speak, and then asked: "What country is that?"

I swear, I don't know how these people manage to breathe. I encounter crap like this on a regular basis. You wouldn't believe how many people have told me how well I speak English. I don't live in the sticks either - I live very close to New York City in one of the wealthiest cities in the US. You would think that with so much exposure and so many resources, people wouldn't be so moronic.

I have spent time travelling in China and while I was in some of the most rural villages I met people much more aware of the world than I meet here. I worked in a University in central China for awhile and the students I met were infinitely more aware than the students in classes at my prestigious alma mater. They were not only more aware, they knew how to process information. Perhaps it is because they regularly receive filtered, and often false information and are restricted from internet access. That still leaves me with the pressing question: how is it that the people with the most freedom are such idiots? Is it because they take everything for granted? Or maybe because they think they know everything they need to know. I think it's simpler than that.

They just don't care.