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The Neverending Story
May. 6th, 2025 09:24 amMost folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be, Abraham Lincoln—a famous depressive—is reported to have once remarked.
To me, this sounds exactly like the type of quotation some late 19th-century journalist in St. Louis or Cleveland might have invented to spice up a gushing piece on New Year's resolutions.
But I admire it anyway. 'Cause I think it's true!
Though it does make me feel like a self-indulgent slob: My part of the world is going into its third solid day of rain and grey, and since three days = "perpetual," I am miserable. There is simply no reason to be alive.
###
Belinda has told me the True Tale of her Harrowing Childhood four times now.
Each time she tells me, her lower lip trembles and her eyes fill with tears. It is very evident that she is embarking upon a spontaneous recitation of something deeply personal and intimate and fraught. This being the case, I always wonder: How is it possible that she doesn't remember she told all this to me before?
Now, I repeat stories, too!
It's something old people do. I don't remember repeating stories to people when I was young or having them repeat stories to me, but maybe that's because young people's lives are brimming over with new experiences. Young people are interesting on their own; they don't really need to pull out set theater pieces to command attention—because that's really what these stories are: theater pieces. I know exactly which words to emphasize for maximum effect, where to raise my eyebrows archly, where to pause for audience reaction (laugher, sympathy.)
Thing is I know when I've told the story before!
I simply forget the audience I've told the story to.
Belinda really seems to believe she's telling the story for the very first time.
And no, it's not the onset of dementia.
I honestly don't know what it is.
###
Other than lunch with Belinda and grocery shopping and being absolutely flummoxed by the price of seedling heat mats in the Upscale Supermarket's garden supply department—they are wayyyyy cheaper online, but perhaps I'm still seeing pre-China tariff prices?—I did very little of anything yesterday.
So, I will have to do a lot of something today.
To me, this sounds exactly like the type of quotation some late 19th-century journalist in St. Louis or Cleveland might have invented to spice up a gushing piece on New Year's resolutions.
But I admire it anyway. 'Cause I think it's true!
Though it does make me feel like a self-indulgent slob: My part of the world is going into its third solid day of rain and grey, and since three days = "perpetual," I am miserable. There is simply no reason to be alive.
###
Belinda has told me the True Tale of her Harrowing Childhood four times now.
Each time she tells me, her lower lip trembles and her eyes fill with tears. It is very evident that she is embarking upon a spontaneous recitation of something deeply personal and intimate and fraught. This being the case, I always wonder: How is it possible that she doesn't remember she told all this to me before?
Now, I repeat stories, too!
It's something old people do. I don't remember repeating stories to people when I was young or having them repeat stories to me, but maybe that's because young people's lives are brimming over with new experiences. Young people are interesting on their own; they don't really need to pull out set theater pieces to command attention—because that's really what these stories are: theater pieces. I know exactly which words to emphasize for maximum effect, where to raise my eyebrows archly, where to pause for audience reaction (laugher, sympathy.)
Thing is I know when I've told the story before!
I simply forget the audience I've told the story to.
Belinda really seems to believe she's telling the story for the very first time.
And no, it's not the onset of dementia.
I honestly don't know what it is.
###
Other than lunch with Belinda and grocery shopping and being absolutely flummoxed by the price of seedling heat mats in the Upscale Supermarket's garden supply department—they are wayyyyy cheaper online, but perhaps I'm still seeing pre-China tariff prices?—I did very little of anything yesterday.
So, I will have to do a lot of something today.
