The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1950-01-03
NOTHING
SPECIAL
BY NINA

creasing instead of lessening,
which is still another thing | can
not understand because it
stands to reason that we live and
learn, or at least should -.
Now we begin all over again,
as have succeeded in losing
track altogether of where that
sentence began or should end.
And that reminds me of some
thing a man once said about my
writing. "A perfect example, Z he
said, 'of stream-of- consciousness
writing" | beamed. l had never
heard of stream-of- consciousness
writing in my life. but it sounded
good. Then he added: Yes. Good
God" Whereupon / stoppe d
beaming, because / HAD heard
that before, and understood it
full well.
However, to get back to the
original subject of this one thing
among the legion of things that
puzzle me. Why is it, can any
one tel line that people who have
come down 1s the world never
cease telling anyone who will
listen all about this downcoming,
step by step. sordid detail by sor-
did detail, and seem to take a sort
81 gruesome pleasure in the re-
cital?
And, by the same token, why
is it that people who began life
under very poor conditions, and
have by sheer struggle and force
of will, reached enviable posi-
tons in life, never say anything
about it, and never pin anyone
down and make them listen to
the story of how they got where
they are, and furthermore are in
clined to minimize the effort it
took them to get there?
Surely it is more laudable to so
up than to go down. and certainly
a recital of upward progress is
more inter esting to hear than a
recital of headlong downfall
In preparation for delivery of
their dismal monologues, these
decayed has beens usually assume
a facial expression that is deli
cate blend of lively cmugneSs.
and satisfied di appointment, and
their opening words are almost
always: II have not ALWAYS
lived like this, you know
Right away / am irritated, be-
cause / haven't the faintest idea
how they used to live. How would
/? l didn't grow up with them.
And their assumption that it is
plain to be seen they lived any
other way than the way they are
now living is plain foolish. They
could easily have been spawned
in a rotten tree stump, for all /
or anyone else know or care.
The surprising thing about all
these stories of the traversing of
the winding downward path is
that someone else is always re-
sponsible, never the person of the
first part. Their personal role was
that of pawn or catspaw Some
body else was always right be-
hind booting them down and
tromping on them the farther
down they got
l always have the urge, and
frequently act on it, to tell these
people just exactly what / think
about the whole business, which
accounts in good measure, it &C.
ours to me, for the extremely linn
tied radius of my circle of
friends.
Then, when l meet someone
who has accomplished such lot
in the little time they have,
someone VINO has made wonder
full, wonderful person of themsel-
YES with so little on which to be-
gin and build. / try to get them
to talk of themselves, TO tell the
things that would be so interest
ing to hear. Will they7 Nope.
But meanwhile, in the back
ground, there is the constant
buzz, buzz buzz Of someone who
used to have. bat hasn't now, and
if you ask me, | don't think they
ever did have.