I know I do a lot more pondering of my orb and reiterating points I've already made and a lot less writing than I want to, but-
Idk, I'm sleepy and can't stop thinking about how much Don Lorenzo LOVES life. One of his frequent topics of conversation is money but that's because of how much he loves life and living and being able to enjoy life. His experiences have taught him that to be safe and comfortable and enjoy life to the fullest, you need to have money. His experiences have taught him that the more money you have, the more freedom you have to take your life by the reigns and bask in the glory of Living.
Of course he's obsessed with money. At his core, Don Lorenzo wants to live. Even at his absolute worst, he still grabbed the first opportunity to not just survive but live with both hands. Sure, I like to interpret his request for gold teeth as being a disbelieving, slightly sarcastic test for Snuffy, but the fact that he humored Snuffy at all despite the man making promises that any worn down, world weary person would certainly dismiss as a scam... Despite the very real chances that Snuffy could have been lying to him for sinister purposes- Lorenzo still decided to bite the bullet and give Snuffy a chance to prove himself.
Sure, part of it was definitely the natural desperation for help anyone in Don's position would feel- but part of me feels like it's also a genuine love for life that would becone so intrinsic to who he is as a person. It's dangerous to trust random strangers making deals that seem too good to be true when you're in such a vulnerable position, but Don took that gamble because no matter what happened, it had to be better than giving up and dying.
What's the difference between desperation and loving life in that specific case then? Because I do point out a distinct difference. And I think that's how one responds after the desperation and fear and vulnerability pass. Don Lorenzo was so desperate back then- but he doesn't seem to have become bitter about it. This is the way in which I think him and Kaiser are such interesting foils.
Both went through awful experiences no one should have to endure. Kaiser became bitter. It's hard to say he loves life, he loves grinding people's faces in the glow of his achievements because he never stopped being that scared little boy who learned through example that anger should be his response to fear. Kaiser can only see the worst in everyone and reacts accordingly.
Similarly, you would think that Don should also by every right be angry at the world that would abandon a child on the streets to rot. But he isn't. Perhaps he's disillusioned and weird and very dismissive of people and their opinions of him. But it's less that he's allowed the world to make him spiteful like Kaiser has, and more that he's embraced that in his life, his happiness is king and he's responsible for how he gets to enjoy his new opportunities to LIVE. Of course he's not untouched by his experiences. No one walks out all sunshine and pure optimism from traumatic events. It's shaped a rather cynical view of value and worth and money, but it never robbed him of his love for life.
Don Lorenzo is familiar with fear and injustice and frustration and desperation. But he walked away deciding he's not going to waste his time blaming the world, he's going to make bank and enjoy everything the world can give him.
AUGH, I just love him... welcome to what feels like me harping on the same points for the n billionth time.
I very briefly considered tagging Kaiser in the tags but I feel like it doesn't focus on him enough to warrant put this in his tag.
Slight addendum: judging some as worthless or valuable based off monetary value IS a jaded thing to do that definitely spawns from his own experiences of being judged as worthless for being homeless and penniless. But I'm trying to articulate that I don't think he does that because he hates the world or hates people. Don does that because, aside from Snuffy, he accepts that probably no one else is particularly invested in his health and well being and happiness, and has much anecdotal evidence to prove that actually people would be just fine leaving him to rot. Would you have any desire to expend energy on people you know don't care? Plenty who actively convey their distaste for you openly and honestly? But I think he's actually shockingly well adjusted for the fact that he's,,, almost playful about it. Not that he's... well adjusted but you know what I mean. He's not drowning in negative emotions. He doesn't call you worthless because he hates you, like Kaiser would. He calls you worthless because there's so much life to live and he's prioritizing where he should be focusing himself to enjoy life the most.
