In this post, we resume the Justin and Justina dialogue series, which covers the conversations of two unusual-yet-similarly-named friends in Brooklyn. In today’s post, we find Justin and Justina crossing Sackett Street to get from the Columbia Street Waterfront District in Brooklyn to Carroll Gardens – just a few blocks down from a certain bridge-crossing at Summit Street. While waiting to cross into Carroll Gardens, Justina’s attention is arrested by a flier taped to a electrical box with a QR code. The flier reads “HOW DOES GROWTH EVEN HAPPEN?” What does this mean? There is no one better to ask than Justin.
(Justin and Justina are a fictional New Leaf Journal dialogue duo created by New Leaf Journal editor Nicholas A. Ferrell. Their dialogues cover their strange, sometimes random conversations (usually) in Brooklyn, New York. If you enjoy this dialogue, you can find many (over 50) more in our Justin and Justina Collection hub.)
The Dialogue
Justina: Hey, what’s this?
Justin: What’s what?
Justina: This flier here. It has a QR code. Let me get my scanner…
Justin: Justina…
Justina: What?
Justin: You shouldn’t scan random QR codes on the street.
Justina: Why not?
Justin: You don’t know where they go. That’s like taking candy from a stranger. You need to see the full URL.
Justina: But it looks funny…
Justin: It does… alright. I’ll get a picture for everyone and crop out the QR code.
Justina: Everyone?
Justin: I’ve been seeing these fliers pop up around this area. But most don’t make any sense. This one really makes you think.
Justina: About how growth even happens?
Justin: No, about who the guy is under the bedsheet.
Justina: How do you know it’s a guy? Sexist.
Justin: Man’s intuition, young lady.
Justina: …
Justin: Are you saying a man can’t have intuition?
Justina: Anyway – I don’t get it. What’s the point of this? I could find out but you won’t let me scan the QR code.
Justin: I think it’s a young philosopher.
Justina: Come again?
Justin: So it’s a young man in a ghost costume.
Justina: Alright.
Justin: See the sandals?
Justina: Yeah.
Justin: Greek philosopher-lite here, walking around in sandals.
Justina: Of course.
Justin: How does growth happen?
Justina: Biology?
Justin: Hose.
Justina: What?
Justin: Why does the man with the hose use so much water?
Justina: I have wondered why men use so much water when they’re cleaning the sidewalk… what is it with you people?
Justin: It’s how growth happens.
Justina: What?
Justin: Internal growth.
Justina: You’re not making any sense.
Justin: The pot there – that’s the man’s soul. He’s wondering how it grows.
Justina: I don’t think it is.
Justin: He wants to know how his soul grows into Cyrus’s garden.
Justina: Who?
Justin: This is pretty deep. Real shame about my no-weird-QR code policy.
Justina: It just occurred to me that you never explained why the guy is wearing a bedsheet.
Justin: That hadn’t occurred to me. I forgot. Let’s see…
Justina: That wasn’t an invitation!
Justin: You know, you can learn how growth happens with a small downpayment.
Justina: How small?
Justin: If you refer five friends, your personal downpayment is $500. Each friend pays $2000.
Justina: …
Justin: There are people scanning weird QR codes who would take me up on that offer.
