drawing by LONG
Panda Bear sat munching his veggie burger at an In-N-Out off the I-5. A kid that was sitting at a nearby table was drinking soda very methodically. He was sipping through a straw and then immediately covering the straw with his index finger. Then after positioning the straw above his mouth he would let go of his index finger and let the soda flow down. Each time he did so, a smile of contentment warmed over his face.
Panda Bear (smiling to himself): Kids take joy in the simplest things.
Panda Bear and Royal Mutt were having a lunch break at an In-N-Out in the center of the the San Fernando Valley. Royal Mutt chewed his double-double as he looked out the window over the valley. The I-5 cut through it like a multicolor metallic snake, the cars scales on its back reflecting the relentless glare of the midday sun. It was terribly sunny and it was getting hotter by the minute.
Royal Mutt (thinking out loud): The Sunshine State.
Panda: What's that?
Royal: Nothing.
Royal Mutt took a big bite of his burger and continued to look out as if in a trance over the I-5. As he finished chewing his burger he spoke.
Royal (motioning to the freeway with his nose): Ever wonder where everyone is going?
Panda: I assume most of them are going to work.
Royal: Right.
Panda (motioning behind Royal): Man, the kid behind us is really funny. He's drinking his entire drink like this.
Panda Bear mimicked the boy's drinking procedure for Royal Mutt. Royal inconspicuously looked over his right shoulder at the kid. The kid's mother was sitting next to the kid and chided the child to stop and to just drink the drink directly. Royal Mutt looked back at Panda Bear and smirked.
Royal: What a scientist.
Panda: Oh, look.
The kid's mom took the straw away from the child not knowing that the straw had soda in it, thus spilling it out on her lap. She put the straw back in the drink and told the kid angrily to drink the drink straight and left for the restroom. The child drank his drink quietly.
Royal: Shame, the kid stopped.
Panda: Well, the mom probably thought it wasn't good having her son playing around with food like that. Personally I thought it was entertaining.
Royal: Why wasn't it "good"?
Panda: The way the kid was drinking wasn't getting the soda to his mouth that well, which is important.
Royal: Nothing is important.
Panda: Ok Mr. I want to live forever.
Royal: Importance is a creation, something we impose on reality.
Panda: Then why do you impose so much importance on life?
Royal: Cuz I want to.
Panda: Hmm, well then that doesn't make you so different from the mom. The way you're defining importance, anyone can make anything important, for the mom it's to make the kid not fool around.
Royal: You're right, but what about the kid? When you realize nothing is important, you can see how no one's idea of importance overshadows another. Importance is an illusion.
Panda: So you're saying a kid's idea of importance is just as important as his mom's?
Royal: You're right, but what about the kid? When you realize nothing is important, you can see how no one's idea of importance overshadows another. Importance is an illusion.
Panda: So you're saying a kid's idea of importance is just as important as his mom's?
Before Royal Mutt could respond a pubescent, pimply In-N-Out clerk came to their table.
In-N-Out Clerk: Excuse me. Sorry, no animals inside.
Panda Bear and Royal Mutt got up out of their seats. They were done with their meals anyways. Royal made sure to mean mug the In-N-Out guy as he turned and walked away. The kid that was sitting at the other table pointed at them and laughed.
As they were leaving,
Royal (to Panda): That mom should teach that kid some manners.
In-N-Out Clerk: Excuse me. Sorry, no animals inside.
Panda Bear and Royal Mutt got up out of their seats. They were done with their meals anyways. Royal made sure to mean mug the In-N-Out guy as he turned and walked away. The kid that was sitting at the other table pointed at them and laughed.
As they were leaving,
Royal (to Panda): That mom should teach that kid some manners.
Previously on Royal Mutt and Panda Bear:
