My wife and I have made frequent trips to southern California over the last few years. My morning routine involves a visit to the nearby Peet's Coffee and the McDonalds on Beach and Warner.While our trips to California are sporadic, there is one thing that has been completely predictable: when I walk into the McDonalds, the gentleman in this photo is sitting at this same table in the same position with what appears to be the same three books. And he is always reading and taking notes with great concentration.Yesterday, I watched him work as I ate my breakfast and overcame a compulsion to introduce myself. But I didn't because I felt like I would be walking into my picture. And as I write this, I wonder if he's real. Maybe he is a very clever McDonalds joke. Or a work of art by Duane Hanson?I am going back this morning. I am guessing that, like the sun coming up over the eastern mountains, he will be there.