How to be Old and Silly
SUCCESSFULLY
__________________________
INTERLUDE ONE
“Hm. Not sure I’m all that keen.”
“Well fuck you then ! I could scarcely guarantee to write stuff that tickled your fancy, could I ?!”
Lofty ignoring of my heated response and a thoughtful countenance ..
“There’s something missing.”
“There’s ninety-nine point nine per cent missing, dickhead !”
Pained expression.
“No need to sink to that level of vulgarity. This has to be sorted out.”
A silence fell during which one of us looked intelligent but puzzled and the other looked offended but guilty. It lasted so long that I was thinking of just wandering away, when ..
“AH !! – THAT’S IT !!”
“Is it ? What ?”
“Your title isn’t being supported – isn’t being .. umm .. followed up.”
I cocked my head at a slight angle (ignoring the hideous cracking noises that always follow any neck movement, these days) and did my best to appear quizzical without saying anything: I raised what remains of my eyebrows.
“You’ve called it HOW TO, remember ?”
“I do, difficult and all as that is ..”
“Well, there should be some aspect of the development that teaches a kind of lesson. Hang on, let me think of an example .. Yes ! – pretend it’s that alphabet book !”
O joy ! – an opportunity to show off ..
“I suppose you’re referring to A Moral Alphabet by Hilaire Belloc ..?
T for the Genial Tourist, who resides
In Peckham, where he writes Italian Guides.
MORAL
Learn from this information not to cavil
At slight mistakes in books on foreign travel.
I recited, smugly, adding “But I can hardly copy that !”
The expression became pained, as did the response:
“What I have in mind is not copying, my dear ! – rather, learning from. Let us say, studying then utilising in your own way.”
Scales fell from my once short-sighted eyes, soundlessly.
Whew. For a minute there I was afraid you were still moving, or maybe moving yet again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wait.
Just wait.
:D
LikeLike
“Scales fell from my once short-sighted eyes, soundlessly.” Love it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am an android: even my eyes are false !! [grin]
LikeLike
Sure! Anyone less like an android I can’t imagine!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How about a robot then ? [grin]
LikeLike
Still doesn’t compute!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh you are the quick-witted one !!! :D
LikeLike
Haha M-R … not often, actually, but I thought I got it that time so am glad you saw it!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is nothing short-sighted about you! My dear M-R, you have such a quick wit with insight and humor! And I was thinking about the question of yesterday and what came to mind was “serial.” Maybe you’re writing a serial with the central topic the history of your moves! You may have answered some of this yourself, but our conversation yesterday is not loading today. The WP platform isn’t cooperating with me today. :-)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I decided on the fly to include interlocutor conversations re bringing about this ‘book’, Deb – as you can see ! :) Adds another ‘location’ to the all-1st-person writing, I hope.
I wonderif I’m the most egocentric blogger in the world ..?! :\
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do like the way your mind works! :-) Truly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Deb, you gorgeous thing: you are beautiful in face, mind and spirit !!!
LikeLiked by 1 person