I was sitting down to lunch today when a group of young people sat down next to me. Their conversations tended to go over the wide ranging topics of youth: who's fucking who; who's selling the best weed; so-and-so's latest pregnancy scare; etcetera, etcetera. For a while I sat there attempting to ignore them while I read one of my favorite books when one of the boys leaned over to me and asked, “What you reading for?”
Seriously? What am I reading for?
“Yeah, I mean ain’t nobody reading books no more.”
I’m reading books so that I don’t talk like an inbred, cow fucker who can only get his pecker hard after his latest date sprays him with mace.
“Are you fucking talking about me?”
No, I’m talking about your friend over there, I said with a wave to the young girl sitting in the corner.
She laughed and said, “You’re funny as fuck.”
Thanks.
“So why are you reading,” she asked in that little girl voice that women seem to think is so pleasing to our ears.
Lots of reasons, Doll, but most of them involve me wanting to keep sharp so that I can get ready for the fall when I go back to school.
“School?” said her mono-browed companion. “Man I had to drop out of school.”
Why? Did you have to help support your family?
“No. Rules, man. I couldn’t take their bullshit rules.”
Ah, so you’re telling me that you dropped out of school - the only way you’re ever going to be more than a pot head, meth dealing, social pariah - because of rules.
“Sh-yeah!”
How’s that working out for you so far?
“Not too bad. I’ve got bitches and more cash in my pocket than you’d ever imagine.”
Doubtful, G.
“Man, you got a real disrespectful fucking mouth.”
The mouth’s fine, Slick, it’s the mind that’s giving you the problems.
“How would you like it if I knocked your fucking teeth through the back of your skull?”
I slowly turned my seat to the side, so that I could angle my knee just right if he pressed this, and said, Test me.
Seriously? What am I reading for?
“Yeah, I mean ain’t nobody reading books no more.”
I’m reading books so that I don’t talk like an inbred, cow fucker who can only get his pecker hard after his latest date sprays him with mace.
“Are you fucking talking about me?”
No, I’m talking about your friend over there, I said with a wave to the young girl sitting in the corner.
She laughed and said, “You’re funny as fuck.”
Thanks.
“So why are you reading,” she asked in that little girl voice that women seem to think is so pleasing to our ears.
Lots of reasons, Doll, but most of them involve me wanting to keep sharp so that I can get ready for the fall when I go back to school.
“School?” said her mono-browed companion. “Man I had to drop out of school.”
Why? Did you have to help support your family?
“No. Rules, man. I couldn’t take their bullshit rules.”
Ah, so you’re telling me that you dropped out of school - the only way you’re ever going to be more than a pot head, meth dealing, social pariah - because of rules.
“Sh-yeah!”
How’s that working out for you so far?
“Not too bad. I’ve got bitches and more cash in my pocket than you’d ever imagine.”
Doubtful, G.
“Man, you got a real disrespectful fucking mouth.”
The mouth’s fine, Slick, it’s the mind that’s giving you the problems.
“How would you like it if I knocked your fucking teeth through the back of your skull?”
I slowly turned my seat to the side, so that I could angle my knee just right if he pressed this, and said, Test me.
Yeah dropping out can certainly limit one just look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg imagine how far they could have gone... of course they could probably read a whole book.
ReplyDeleteAnd they didn't drop out of high school like this dumb ass did.
DeleteJust being a wise guy myself. Some people will be a dumb-ass and fail to achieve irregardless of the education they (nominally) achieve.
DeleteStaying to the bitter end and getting nothing from it is pointless.
Charles, your narrative gift is something I'm very envious of. You really need to start writing hard-boiled detective novels my friend.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim! I'm heading that way; just not there yet.
DeleteI had several "encounters" like this in school, though not with actual drop-outs. It always amazes me that some people can't understand why anyone would read a book if not actually forced to. And usually they start in on you because they want to make a public scene so they can loudly prove how much better they are than some obvious loser book-reading type.
ReplyDelete