Counting games

I know exactly how many houses I own, and it's a fraction. It's a great nod of faux politeness that he deferred the Kindergarten question with an admittance of uncertainty. "Maybe I can pretend they didn't ask something so rude."

It seems obvious he's embarrassed by the fact of having four or more domiciles, or he would have openly guessed (were it true he did not truly know). I blunder into all kinds of admissions constantly for lack of guile. I'm no naif, though; I always lock everything, I am literal in person to the point of being unpoetic, and I have hardly ever been screwed over.

I hate it when people answer yes-or-no's or any of the "W's" with a generalized evasion like "did not have sexual relations."

"Do you like it?"

"Well, the color is bold, which is good, and the balance of elements is structured to turn the figure into a representation of the person's role, and the use of torn paper underneath the paint helps accent the brushstrokes, all amounting to a pleasing composition that is all the more compelling because it signifies a key point in the artist's rejection of the previous forms."

I do not resent people's ability to have what amounts to several of their own hôtels scattered about the globe. After all, it's a dream I used to entertain. The comedy act ran thin, however, and my audience fled. Do I like it? No. But there's nothing to be done about it, except make some rich friends and play on their dime for a brief and shallow spell.

Those of us who incessantly read certain fiction know that such a plan is flawed; however, I have found my proximity-based relationships with the destitute to be just as fleeting and unsatisfactory (on an emotional level, I mean. On a physical one, of course, the rich people have better food, furniture, and discussion matter). In other words, most people you just happen to meet and then have to collaborate with to produce some kind of product or service, especially ones with whom you do not share a general economic level, are not friends and pass in and out of "life" based on their usefulness, or, as stated bluntly, locative association.

Then there are the ones that are different. And those are good to have. But you can't love everyone, no matter what Jesus says, because on Earth, time is limited. Love does not multiply like a magic penny, contrary to the children's song. Spend it, lend it, and you'll have so many people vying for your time and attention that you will forget whatever it used to be that you wanted to do and whatever it was that you used to enjoy thinking about.