THE MEAN

My friend said that what surprised him was that for the first time in a long while not a single part of his body hurt in any way. His work involves minor bits of physical lifting and exertion, the weather sometimes affects his joints, etcetera etcetera. And he takes this for granted, having gradually grown into the age he is now. What I didn't tell him was "that's okay, I'm making up for it". All the same conditions which I mentioned hold, my day had been longer than usual, and I'm a bit older and less crepit.

What I would like is for there to be an average to which everything returns after veering off the mean only a little bit. A standard, if you will. With balance and symmetry.

That way none of us can really be upset when things go slightly akilter. It will all return to normal, or maybe go in a different direction briefly before doing so.


My apartment mate wishes that her skin looked better. I only listened with half an ear, because her sense of her dermal state has always been whacko. She looks fine.

Being Chinese, she still looks twenty years younger than someone white.
Which is precisely as it should be.

And, of course, as a Chinese American female, her mother spent years telling her she was ugly and stupid, because apparently that's what you do to raise quiet obedient girls who will marry a dentist from the same home town, who will dutifully spew brilliant sons who go to Stanford until you fade into the background. It's a twisted worldview, but I've met several people who subconsciously carry that baggage with them through life.

All children should be brilliant and quiet. Boys more so on the first quality, girls especially the last. In a properly run universe there would be no democracy or free-will, as everyone would follow the instructions of the benevolent wise old people without making mistakes.


Naturally, most people think that that is a load of horse puckey.
We just haven't told the old people yet.
They're already very upset.
Don't make it worse.



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