Three Truths

1. My apartment window is open. In the narrow street below, there is laughter. A teenage boy is tormenting a teenage girl with what looks like a peashooter. He puffs his cheeks, and on the opposite sidewalk she ducks, and her hair flies winningly. He reloads and laughs. But she doesn't run away. I hear her protest, then laugh, then protest, then laugh and look his way as though he might stop.

2. When you can't read the newspapers or understand the radio or TV, you lose interest in the far-away world.

3. The combination of Q-tip usage and steep stairs taken in a run for the phone leads to paralyzingly painful eardrums. I recommend you trust me on this.