Clarendon Thrills

I live in a town where everyone know everybody's everything.

A walk down the street becomes a stroll down memory lane. Every white picket fenced house is home to somebody who is anybodies aunt, who is probably, also, everybody's dentist. We are a town of "givers"- we are there the second the diagnosis is printed and the moment the casket is buried, although we are probably too busy to be there in between. We consume ourselves in everybody's gossip- who wore what where and which couples are having what problems. We are a town where everyone is optimistic until it is trendy to be pessimistic.

I live in a town where nobody knows anybodies anything.

Where my next door neighbors, bless their hearts, send me a birthday card for an age they have to subtract from their own to figure out. Every conversation is shallow, short talk followed by shorter listenings. We are a town of "she's so nice!" and nothing more. We know nothing of personalities, no knowledge of what makes who who other than the clothes they wear, the people they talk to, the money they spend. We are a town of whatever will get us on to the next thing to get on to.

I guess you could call this town a conglomeration of selective listeners.