Little me: You do WHAT???
me: Yeah, not really what we planned.
Little me: You live WHERE???
me: (see above)
Little me: You drive WHAT???
me: (see above)
Little me: You don’t eat WHAT???
me: (see above)
Little me: You’re dating HER???
me: See? Some things do turn out the way you wanted.
I would tell my younger self how to goddamn recognize when a girl is coming on to him.
Then: Hmmph. ::stares me up and down contemptuously:: So you’re me, if I survive that long. You look like you’ve tried to join up and be accepted. I never would want to look like you do. Never mind. What have you done?
Now: I tried. I still care. I bet you’re thinking right now that when you grow up and they have to take you seriously, you’ll do this and you’ll do that. I just got older and they never took me seriously. I’m just like you. Except tireder. You’re looking forward to adulthood. I’m looking forward to old age. You’ve got more faith in adulthood giving you opportunities than I have in old age giving them to me.
Then: So you haven’t done anything?
Now: I did the article and got it published. Right here.
Then: ::reads article:: ::asks some questions about terms:: You think this is it? You don’t think it’s just because I…we…are smarter than the other kids and they hated us for not being stupid?
Now: I don’t think so. Even in high school there were smart kids who didn’t get treated like this. And remember that guy Craig in 5th grade? He was smart. You know he was. And they didn’t hate him. He got to be “class president”
Then: Of course I remember him, that was just last year. … OK, he was smart and I liked him too. He wasn’t mean. OK. What are you doing about the “kid thing”?
Now: For awhile there was a fragmentary children’s liberation thing going on. Actually, you could have been a part of it if you’d been in the right place at the right time. And assuming they actually listened to real live kids and didn’t just make a cause out of children’s oppression. No, I have not forgotten. This one is hard to push right now. People “like kids” but they aren’t generally political about the institution of childhood. The rights of children to self-determination. You know what I mean.
Then: I’m not dumb. I should not be treated any different than an adult for the same behaviors. I tried to collect signatures against my reading teacher and everyone signed what I passed around in class but I never got it back. I tried to do it again in recess but no one would sign when they realized I was going to go to the principal with it. They thought they would get into trouble.
Now: Yeah, it’s like that when you are adults. Everyone will shoot their mouth off until it counts then they hide. People don’t like to take risks.
Then: Why the hippie look? I just can’t believe it.
Now: It was conformist when you didn’t like it. But the first people who did it were not conforming, they were against conformity. In 1969 in grade school you were a freak if you didn’t try to look like a Junior Beatle, and I did not ever join that attitude. But I read some books about the first…hippies, I guess you’d call them…it’s OK, they are us. The kids who make fun of you for not having your hair long would have made fun of longhaired kids when Daddy was in 5th grade. I didn’t join them. I just like having my hair long.
Then: OK. I guess you’ll do.