More Cowboy Talk

“56 Jesus said, "Whoever has come to know the world has discovered a carcass, and whoever has discovered a carcass, of that person the world is not worthy."” - The Gospel of Thomas

9 – bathroom

Eddie: So, I was thinking I might quit my job. (silence) I mean, well. It's, I mean, it's just that there's this guy there, you know, this asshole, and I just keep staring at the back of his head. He's got a bald spot and the hair grows out of it really weird, like it is really curly at the base and just sticks real close to the scalp like a snake, like a little sneaky snake, and then all of a sudden it sticks straight out of his head, but somehow, by the time you get to the end of the strand, somehow he found out how to control it and it just kind of sticks to the tips of all of the other strands of hair, except this one hair that is really short and thin and just sticks out. Well, anyway, it reminds me of when my dad had hair before he and his girlfriend shaved his head in the woods. We used to go camping all the time, and, well, one day while my sister and I were out at the swimming hole or something, we came back and there he was: Stone Cold Steve Austin. My dad. Shaved head. Goatee. I'm used to it now, but there's something about the way my dad used to search for things, how unsettled he was, how much he longed for a resolution. You know, back when he had hair. He's engaged now. Not to the one that shaved his head. Who cares about her? He's going to marry Jan. She didn't shave his head, but she likes it shaved anyway. So, yeah.

Stranger: Let me tell you somethin', (improvised speech, maybe about searching.)

Eddie: I just feel bad, you know, like everybody worked so hard, and here I am at this stupid job. I should have more to show for myself, you know? You know how many envelopes I stuffed today? 1,006.

Stranger: Yep. I reckon' it's about that simple. Like findin' what you was lookin' for. That inside of that bottle, that's the same as the inside of them envelopes. You get shit stuck to your fingers.