Immeasurably Late in the Morning (Short Story) - 7/23/2013 6:19:23 AM
Although you don't state it, I'm sure this is part of a novel. Very well written and intriguing. While I don't have any real experience with drugs, Beam is my poison over Jack. And, I'm not an alcoholic and never have been, so I might say that I don't have any real experience with that, either. Either you do have experience or you've done your research quite well. From a woman I know that has been in and out of drugs and dysfunctional relationships for years, the ending is right on.
I rate this piece highly for those interested in reading about the lives of people who have destroyed their lives through substance abuse.
Ron
On Geek Chic (Article) - 7/25/2013 6:45:39 AM
You had me laughing several times with this superbly written piece. Your knowledge of pop culture could only have come from deep immersion in it.
I've had recent conversations with our geek from high school. I was surprised that he claimed to have a hard time with relationships, because his brilliance and BM OC demeanor led me to believe otherwise. In spite of his many accomplishments at a young age, he felt inferior, unappreciated, what they would call today, “low self-esteem.” His response was not to embrace geekdom (he invented his own kingdom, with coins and paper money, in high school), but to join the Air Force.
I was told once by a counselor when I asked why a disabled young man raised and ugly carved, tattoo-like symbol on his arm. She replied, “Low self-esteem.” Which gets me to my conclusion. People who go to extremes to show off mannerisms, dress and weird lifestyles generally have low self-esteem that they are trying to overcome by being outlandish.
Because I love computers… And what they can do for me (especially Apple computers because of their ease of use) and work with them, many would classify me as a geek (being quadriplegic almost always put you in that category anyway). However, while I have suffered depression, I never had low self-esteem that required me to endure the pain of piercing my tongue so that I could lick somebody better or have to decorate my body because I didn't like it very much.
All that said… This is a fantastic essay and keep on writing…
Ron
