(At
a playground swing set)
Schoolkid
1: (Swaying gently on the swing) Siiiiiigggghhhhh….
Schoolkid
2: (Brakes from swinging wildly) What’s up?
Schoolkid
1: Oh, nothing.
Schoolkid
2: OK. (Backpedals a bit to build up
momentum again)
Schoolkid
1: It’s just – (Schoolkid 2 skids to a stop before take-off) I’ve been
thinking.
Schoolkid
2: `Bout what?
Schoolkid
1: Well, it’s my 10th birthday tomorrow, and as I approach
double-digits I’ve started wondering, “What’s the point?”
Schoolkid
2: Of what, life?
Schoolkid
1: No! Birthdays.
Schoolkid
2: Oh. Well, I can answer that: presents!
Schoolkid
1: Obviously, can’t turn those down, but they’re just a symptom of the whole conundrum.
Schoolkid
2: What?
Schoolkid
1: I mean, why do we even take the time to celebrate the day we showed up on
this Earth? Whose idea was it
first? Who even noticed it first? “Hey, I survived another year to the day from
when I was first thrown into the gladiator pit that is Life, hooray for me, let’s
party!” Why?
Schoolkid
2: (Spins on the swing to think) …Presents!
Schoolkid
1: Yes-yes, we’ve established the presents corollary; what I want to know
is why did we, collectively as a species, start down this path of commemorating
our own personal orbits around the Sun?
Was it something to literally pass the time? Was it a sigh of relief that your offspring
had endured to carry on your genes? Was it
another reason to make everyone feel guilty if they forgot it? And if age is just a number, then why are we
all physically getting older anyway? I
don’t think I’ll ever get an answer.
Schoolkid
2: (Twirls and thinks some more) I think it’s a special day all your own,
and everybody has to be nice to you, and you get cake, and people give you
presents!
Schoolkid
1: I guess. Well, when you get to be my
age, maybe you’ll start wondering about all this, too. If you come upon the answer, let me know.
Schoolkid
2: (Starts swinging again) OK, but I turned 10 last month so I’m already
double-digits! And when I’m 16 I can get
a job, and when I’m 18 I can vote, and when I’m…. (Continues)
Schoolkid
1: Never mind.
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