Friday, September 17, 2010

dear mediocre heart: (the laughing man)

"
I was not the only legitimate living descendant of the Laughing Man.  There were twenty-five Comanches in the club, or twenty-five legitimate living descendants of the Laughing Man - all of us circulating ominously, and incognito, throughout the city, sizing up elevator operators as potential arch-enemies, whispering side-of-the-mouth but fluent orders into the ears of cocker spaniels, drawing beads, with index fingers, on the foreheads of arithmetic teachers. And always waiting, waiting for a decent chance to strike terror and admiration in the nearest mediocre heart.

"
Salinger, THE LAUGHING MAN

2 comments:

The Sarg said...

"I thought what I'd do was I'd pretend I'm one of those deaf-mutes. Or should I?"

finn said...

If anybody wanted to tell me something, they'd have to write it on a piece of paper and shove it over to me. They'd get bored as hell doing that after a while, and then I'd be through with having conversations for the rest of my life. Everybody'd think I was just a poor deaf-mute bastard and they'd leave me alone..