Hoo boy. The weather has changed and another sinus infection has me in its massive grip. This one's a doozy, not least because I have a busy workweek ahead of me. So it's 7:32 pm, and I'm going to bed.
Not before I post this, though. I thought it was hilarious, although that may be only because of the fever, chills, and Nyquil:
Daniel A. Lorenz regularly wore a collared shirt to work, but it clearly wasn't the type expected in the Wal-Mart Supercenter's dress code. He says he was fired last week upon reporting for duty in his priest's shirt with Roman collar, an Arab headdress and six crosses.
Supervisors had warned Lorenz that his job was at risk over his appearance, which they said violated dress codes and upset customers and fellow workers, particularly Catholics. But Lorenz, 20, ignored requests to shed the shirt and collar — the main bones of contention — claiming they reflect his unique spiritual beliefs.
"I told them that would be like turning my back on God, and I couldn't do that," said the Pipe Creek man whose religious fervor was fueled by a 2001 trip to Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. There, Lorenz first donned a kaffiyeh, an Arab headdress of folded cloth that's held on by a cord. Rounding out his unorthodox look are patches on his hip pack bearing the anarchy symbol and the words "vampire" and "ninja"...
Co-workers had varying views of Lorenz, who was a cashier and then a bakery staffer before becoming an overnight stocker for $8.30 an hour. One called him "whacko"; another said he was "a great guy."
What, are those two things supposed to be mutually exclusive?
In a year at the store, Lorenz said no one complained to him about his Muslim-Christian hybrid image, which he says reflects his nondiscriminatory philosophy about world religions.
Shouldn't that be "Muslim-Christian-Vampire-Ninja" image?
"I don't believe in any one religion," Lorenz said in his EEOC complaint. "I do believe in God, but I don't attend any one church. There is no title to my religion other than a universal belief system." Lorenz's ponytail and fuzzy chin reflect his belief that hair should not be cut because he is only "borrowing" his body. He won't date or marry, because all humans are family, he said, and that would make it incest.
My guess is that his female coworkers would use even stronger negative terminology if he asked to "borrow" their bodies for an evening. And it gets better. His mother and sister are current and ex-Walmart employees. His mother converted to his "religion," and his sister is suing Wal-Mart as well for wrongful termination.
Ahhh, Vampire Ninja Muslim Christians - whole families of 'em - working at Wal-Mart. In Texas. What grist for my Nyquil-induced dreams.
And on that note, goodnight.
Posted by kswygert at March 8, 2004 07:43 PM