9.23.25: Scooter Monk

The first time I visited Thailand, I saw a monk on a scooter wearing orange robes flapping in the wind like a superhero cape. He pulled up to a 7-Eleven, bought a Coke, and zoomed away. That moment broke my brain. I had been conditioned to view monks as these untouchable figures of austerity. But maybe enlightenment doesn’t mean abandoning earthly pleasures, it means mastering the art of buying soda without shattering the illusion of serenity. I couldn’t stop laughing. Still can’t. Every time I see a Coke, I picture a monk, sipping, unbothered, cruising past rush-hour traffic.