Re: First Catcher memories?
Malcolm Lawrence (malcolm@wolfenet.com)
Sun, 30 Nov 1997 20:53:48 -0800
Tim O'Connor wrote:
> NovenA16@aol.com says:
>
> > I have learned to miss people like Ackley and others and I don't turn my
> > face away in disgust from the falseness of people anymore.I laugh.Is that any
> > better?I don't know.
>
> I think it is. I think learning not to turn away in disgust is an
> important step in moving from one naive piece of ground to another, more
> realistic, piece of ground.
>
> Besides, we all become phonies at some point, for some period of time,
> don't we? It may be for the length of a phone call, or a moment passing
> someone in the street, or saying "glad to have met you" (as I had to do
> THREE times this week to strangers!) in a social situation. As we become
> adults we learn to let go, a little, of our early views. But each time I
> said "glad to have met you," I felt the presence of a little fellow on my
> shoulder, wearing a hunting cap, whispering, "Phony!" Moral of that story?
> I lived. I don't hate myself for it.
To add to this I'd just mention...don't get too caught up in the concept of what or
whom is "phony." If you really want to try an experiment and see how "phony" you
are, move somewhere on your own where nobody knows you, and if it's a place where
you can't find a decent job and you find your money running out, that's better; and
if it's a place where you don't speak the language, that's even better still.
You'll be surprised just how quickly your perceptions of what constitutes a "phony"
change. Suddenly, the authors one reads, the music one listens to, the type of
jacket one wears...all these designations become phony, and all that's left is who
is kind enough to let you stay with them or willing to risk their friendship with
someone by hoping he can trust you enough so that he can introduce you to someone
who can help you get back on your feet. The quickest path to maturity is when you
realize that not only are you someplace where you've forgotten who or what is or
isn't phony, but that you're also someplace where no one cares who you are.
Malcs