It's chilly tonight

Around midnight, I saw two men hunkering down in front of the Labor Ready. One, at least, had a sleeping bag. The other sat with his back against the wall, head cushioned by the hood of a white, puffy jacket.

It looked miserable, and I wrestle with the fact that even at the lowest points in my life, I was never there.

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My advisor for the first two years of grad school was gracious enough to really act as a great mentor for me - despite the fact that I had only a fleeting interest in quantitative analysis and general non-chalance about being a student. He brought me in on a paper looking at the growth of temporary labor agencies (I think my initial response was "labor sharks?" - yeah, labor sharks.). His thesis was - if I were to paraphrase it in a manner far removed from the language of hypotheses that he'd use - certain social and organizational relationships exist in certain environments for certain reasons. A parasite and a partner will both occupy any hospitable niches made available to them. Labor sharks are hungry for those who are desperate for work. And fortunately for them, our current configuration of social relationships offers them a very hospitable environment.

But apparently, not for their prey, trying to sleep on the cold pavement.