Childhood's End

As a small child, I lived in a bubble. The people I knew were all pretty much sane. My parents had normal people as friends, and then, following their example, I chose normal people to be my friends. By "normal" I mean people who could read and write and speak and understand English, who slept in beds at night and not under a bridge, who showered daily and brushed their teeth, and who respected authority. There were three TV stations and the shows were all very similar and informative and sometimes made me laugh.

Then I got older and took LSD and smoked pot and tried some other things. This was still "normal" behavior, at least for members of my generation. I went to college and Woodstock and met people just like me. I knew there were crazies "out there" but never had to confront their craziness. I fell asleep easily at night. I never watched TV.

Eventually the Internet was created and crazy people started coming right into my house. Now it is commonplace for stupid people, morons even, to be in my face every day. They've taken over all the TV stations and are seeping into politics. People who can't speak plain English -- forget the complicated kind -- or spell the word CAT without help. They rant and rave and rage and complain about everything. They eat bacon-wrapped-double-cheese-stuffed-crust pizzas and drink cherry soda and hang out in shopping malls, sometimes even shooting people there.

My bubble has burst. No wonder I cry for no reason.