31 Days, 31 Memories - Day 27
Does anyone remember this exchange from Brave New World, where everyone is medicated to want little and get everything they do want immediately? --"Has any of you been compelled to live through a long time-interval between the consciousness of a desire and its fufilment?"
"Well," began one of the boys, and hesitated.
"Speak up," said the D.H.C. "Don't keep his fordship waiting."
"I once had to wait nearly four weeks before a girl I wanted would let me have her."
Because that was running through my head all day as I planned to run by Blockbuster and pick up "Immortal," which I feel like I've wanted to see for a long time when really it's just been 36 hours. Utter lack of ability to delay gratification. synn and I watched it tonight along with "Enemy Mine." Both great. Thomas K. remains German sex symbol. Beautiful Man/God/Blue Mutant slashiness was enjoyed. Details when it isn't bedtime.
For now, today's memory. I went to a funeral this afternoon, so in that vein:
27. Middle School
My mother's best friend's husband, A., had diabetes, a disease I came to know through his whispered-about poor health and rare appearances in the house, his mysterious machine called Dialysis (I always imagined it to look like a piece of exercise equipment), Stacey in the Baby-sitters Club books, and a Discovery Channel special where a diabetic lost his foot to gangrene. When I was in middle school A. had surgery, I don't remember for what exactly but it was some complication of the condition. I'd gone to bed before word came back. Early in the night I heard my parents on the phone, walking around, coming up the stairs. My mother paused in my doorway and I asked what was happening.
"A. died," she said in a voice holding back such an awful mix of emotions that the words came out emotionless. A moment, and then she was walking again. I lay there trying to absorb the information and go to sleep.
The next day she apologized for relaying the news so brusquely, but I have this snapshot-memory of her standing there in silhouette against the hallway light with that flat voice.
"Well," began one of the boys, and hesitated.
"Speak up," said the D.H.C. "Don't keep his fordship waiting."
"I once had to wait nearly four weeks before a girl I wanted would let me have her."
Because that was running through my head all day as I planned to run by Blockbuster and pick up "Immortal," which I feel like I've wanted to see for a long time when really it's just been 36 hours. Utter lack of ability to delay gratification. synn and I watched it tonight along with "Enemy Mine." Both great. Thomas K. remains German sex symbol. Beautiful Man/God/Blue Mutant slashiness was enjoyed. Details when it isn't bedtime.
For now, today's memory. I went to a funeral this afternoon, so in that vein:
27. Middle School
My mother's best friend's husband, A., had diabetes, a disease I came to know through his whispered-about poor health and rare appearances in the house, his mysterious machine called Dialysis (I always imagined it to look like a piece of exercise equipment), Stacey in the Baby-sitters Club books, and a Discovery Channel special where a diabetic lost his foot to gangrene. When I was in middle school A. had surgery, I don't remember for what exactly but it was some complication of the condition. I'd gone to bed before word came back. Early in the night I heard my parents on the phone, walking around, coming up the stairs. My mother paused in my doorway and I asked what was happening.
"A. died," she said in a voice holding back such an awful mix of emotions that the words came out emotionless. A moment, and then she was walking again. I lay there trying to absorb the information and go to sleep.
The next day she apologized for relaying the news so brusquely, but I have this snapshot-memory of her standing there in silhouette against the hallway light with that flat voice.