26 January 2007

(cough)

I walk out of the Student Center, light a cigarette, and start to walk across campus. It’s bitter cold and I’m wearing my heavy winter coat, made heavier now by full pockets; I have just bought myself a bottle of fruit juice and one of those containers of sliced fruit that you pick up for a couple of bucks in the cafeteria.
As I walk, I consider the various fruit products in my pocket. “This stuff is very good for us,” I say to myself. “We’re being very health-conscious today.” I think happy thoughts about nutrition all the way back to my own building. I could have gotten pizza and a soda, but I went with pineapple and strawberries and canteloupe.
“Very healthy indeed,” I tell myself as I put out my cigarette. I lean my face back to the sun, which has broken out of the clouds just for this moment in the midst of an ugly grey winter’s day.
“Yes,” my self answers back, “if we keep this up, we just might live forever.” I cough and go back to work.