Trapped
“Conveniences have trapped us indoors!”
Conrad's newspaper rattled with frustration as he straightened the stubborn crease. He refused to read the news on anything other than actual paper. He even, sometimes, turned off the TV if the announcer annoyed him.
“We don’t know how to do anything without some kind of device telling us what to do. Look outside. It’s raining - pouring actually - but where do we go for the weather? To some kind of device. Sure it’s more detailed and, sometimes, even entertaining. But in this city of microclimates, I want to know what it’s like at my house! On my street!”
Mabel had given up a long time ago. Not about convincing him of the value of those ‘damned devices’ he was always on about. But about changing his grumpiness. It was just his way. That’s what she told herself so she could go about her day calmly.
“Well then dear, get your rain gear and boots on. I’ve got our big umbrella out and ready. We’ll go for coffee with the rest of the naysayers and have a laugh.”
“I was mortified by the prospect of becoming
hopelessly trapped in someone else’s story.”
~ Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin
No comments:
Post a Comment