A Pe(e)rsonal Reminder (645 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.7 on 13 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Atheist Embryo (View user info) at 2005-11-29 03:35:27 EST
"It's what I'm all about." I said.
Did I really just say that? I did. I cannot believe I just said that. Sitting on a chair in the screened-in patio I said the one thing I swore I would never say in my life.
As I sat there I remembered a conversation I had in an Exxon gas station many years ago.
I used to run, before I was a smoker, before I was a drinker, before I forgot everything, I would run. One night while I was running it was cold. When I run in the cold my throat dries out and I frequently have to stop for some sort of liquid.
I rounded the corner and started sprinting down the access road of I-35. I was chasing the gas station at my turn on Clayton Lane. By the time I reached the gas station I was ready to fall over and drink from the gas pumps just to feel some liquid go down my throat.
I staggered in and grabbed a thirty-two ounce Gatorade. I had almost finished the bottle before it was even my turn to pay. I was the last person in the line and I was still quite winded. I pulled the hood of my pullover sweater off so the clerk could see my face.
"Is this all for you tonight?" He asked.
I took the last swig of my Gatorade and a deep breath and said, "Yes, that'll do it."
I paid him and stood off to the side of the counter staring out the window of his tiny corner store.
"It's getting pretty cold out there." He said.
"Yeah I know, I just ran a few miles, I'm fucking freezing."
"Well why are you running boy?" He asked me.
"Aren't we all?" I said.
He began to laugh and I could tell from the look in his eyes he knew what I meant. Or at least I thought so.
"So who do you owe?" He responded.
"Owe? I don't owe anyone anything."
"Well, then what are you running from?"
Clearly he had missed what I was saying, I wasn't running from anything rather I was running to something. To her really, but that's another story.
I was tired and I didn't feel like explaining, I just said, "It doesn't matter really. What about you, who do you owe?"
"Shit, who don't I owe? But that's what it's all about." He said.
"What?" I asked.
"Life, it's about making money." He told me.
I didn't feel like having a response for that so I just walked out of the corner store.
But now, tonight, fuck tonight - for what feels like forever, I've forgotten to run to something. I'm simply avoiding everything.
Where did I go? I used to feel.
User Reviews
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-01-14 14:07:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i think i'm going to like you.
a good bit.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-11-30 13:45:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You know, I've found myself asking myself a similar question lately. I've started doing things I used to enjoy and take for granted and it's helped some. I dropped some coin on new guitar equipment last night and it was good. It's only money, I'll make more.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-11-29 16:53:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
good!
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2005-11-29 12:17:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
hmmph.
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2005-11-29 10:40:27 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by NOWorNEVER (user info) at 2005-11-29 09:40:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i tried to write something like this once awhile back. wasn't nearly this good... you captured what i was thinking better than i could. nice.
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2005-11-29 08:57:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
quite good.
Submitted by Fabit (user info) at 2005-11-29 06:50:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
My id is 15678
I would only just miss out on that ability. That would suck.
Submitted by FunnyAsCancer (user info) at 2005-11-29 05:29:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I wish bart would have a "power-to-ban-for-a-day" contest for anyone with a user ID below 15000...I would so take skipB out, just as a start.
Submitted by sKipB (user info) at 2005-11-29 05:18:52 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
wtf?
Submitted by Fabit (user info) at 2005-11-29 04:53:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Another embryonic masterpiece!
Submitted by Walker (user info) at 2005-11-29 04:07:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Ver nice indeed. Short and sweet!
Submitted by morontian (user info) at 2005-11-29 04:03:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
So where did you go? Hmmm... I'm going to have to turn this one over in my head for a little while.