A couple of days ago I was on the train, headed to work, diligently reading my book, when a short man came walking through the car with a small stack of paper in his hands who was handing out pamphlets—one on each bench. He placed one down on the empty seat right next to me. I couldn’t believe it.

Reverend John, one of the most important inspirations for this whole project, seems to have got himself a woman to help out in his effort to “restore your lost nature.”

In fact, over the past couple of years I’ve collected a handful of pamphlets made by this group, each with a different personality listed at the top, and a slightly different promise on the inside. There’s a beautiful one with a red ink stamped border on the outside that’s among my favorites (after the original Rev. John pamphlet, of course). Unfortunately the design has gone a bit downhill since then—let’s just admit now that the Mrs.’ does not have the same panache as the Mr.’s.

What shocked me was to see the little man, quietly walking down the near-empty train car, silently distributing his tracts, only stopping at the very end of the car to hand one directly to a sleepy looking Hispanic man leaning against the wall of the car. The recipient took the pamphlet obediently, said nothing in return, save a low grunt of acknowledgement. The distributor, in his faded orange windbreaker, asymmetric backpack, and greying white sneakers, nodded and then walked to the door to wait for the next stop.

I briefly thought of jumping up and asking the man some questions—Where did he have the pamphlets printed? Who designs them? What’s the scam they’re operating? But I was fairly certain he wouldn’t be much interested in speaking to me.

I feel certain now that he and his pamphlets have become my White Rabbit. I wonder what wonderland they will lead me to…