No, not that little alert sound you’ve selected on your phone to
immediately check to see the latest place someone is eating or the video of
their kids playing in the snow, but the paper trail that arrives in a box at
your front door.
Woke up at the sunrise today or else I wouldn’t be writing this. Rumble
around and wander into the kitchen to heat up some water to fill the cup of
magic powder that will awaken my brain. Looking out the window there are no
broken windows in the parking lot and no bodies on the lawns.
Check the woods and the creatures are moving slowly but the sun is
coming out. Best to feed them today.
First things first, turn on the magic box that connects us all to see if
the world was destroyed last night and I didn’t get the text message. Nope,
just puppies, children and senseless memes fill the screen and can’t scroll
fast enough to get them out of my way. Check the e-mails, just incase someone
had a thought or a question, but no one does. Guess I should turn on my phone
now.
After some warm water and a new costume, check one more time for that
urgent message that isn’t there.
Several days confined is a awaking to the sunshine. It is colder than I
thought it would be but I’m prepared in layers. The chill on my cheeks reminds
me that I’ve shaved. Fresh air is most rewarding.
Drop off the monthly fees for living in the blue box and avoid the ice
and the heavy traffic. Seems there were lots of other cabin fever kids or are
they just getting prepared for the big game tomorrow?
More bumper cars than usual, but I’ve got nothing but time. This is my
movie and the dancers are active, yet I don’t know the script. Not hungry then
decide on nachos. Shredded cheez, sour cream (do they have a smaller tub?),
peppers, salsa…. Seems others are thinking nachos too. Twist around and go
another direction and weave back to find a new group of deer gazed eyes staring
at the salsa. The phone comes out and I reverse my course. Look! Another guitar
magazine!! Finally grab the refried beans (I really don’t like them but…) and
head to the scan, grab and go…. But there is a traffic jam, so cruise around
some more.
Keith scans me out and the lines are filled with impatient explorers
questing for a spot. Big boots and bouncing boobs. Life is good in the
sunshine. The air, even in a parking lot, smells fresh. Been in the cave too
long.
Spread the feast for the hungry and watch. Better check the computer
again for someone might have….?
Move into the heated area and prepare too much food for the game I will
not watch. Time to look again for a message and there it is.
This is nothing special. Just usual nonsense but it is the only
conversation I have. Take time to think how to respond, as if writing with pen
on paper and dropping it in the blue box like my bills.
Walk out to the box on the gate and open to find my paper mail.
Sometimes it is empty and sometimes it has junk and never does it have a hand
written letter from anyone I know or don’t know.
Sell your house? Join the gym? AARP? AAA? Hearing aids? Insurance deals
for home and car? Best pizza offer in town? Employment opportunities addressed
to my dead wife? Scan through like Super Bowl commercials and into the trash.
Still this is how we communicate today. I made a phone call the other
day and after waiting 30-minutes with really bad music, I talked to a real
person and made my arrangement in less time than it takes to heat a burrito.
I’ll check again before I turn out the lights. Maybe someone made a
comment or posted something I feel needs my input.
Then the screen goes black.
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