In Troubled Times, Skatebirder Spreads Calm
Humans of the Surreal Plane
[Artist's depiction of the Skatebirder by Flynn Bryan]
Mr. Antonin travels back and forth between Harvard and M.I.T. three times a day, always atop of his one-of-a-kind set of wheels: two skateboards duct-taped together, with a milk crate on top, and pulled by strings tied to a dozen or so pigeons. It’s like a version of Santa’s dogsled but from the dusty corner of your imagination, and although not the quickest way around, it’s got style. When the captain tosses pieces of bread ahead of his pigeon crew, they waddle forwards and tug the sleigh.
You may know Mr. Antonin for the way he travels without a worry in the world, reading a book in one hand and occasionally tossing bread crumbs with the other.
Sometimes he sits in one spot for a while, leaving his pigeons at their own devices to hop around on his legs and shoulders, or to wander off.
He rarely is one to initiate a conversation. But, if you say hello to him, you’re almost guaranteed to learn something subtle and interesting about the world that you’d have never considered otherwise. Just keep poking the conversation along, give Antonin space to talk, and see what comes to fruition.
Much like the way Mr. Antonin allows others to be the ones to initiate conversation with him, he allows his pigeons to come and go freely. Somehow, his good nature attracts them and the crew continues to grow organically.
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