back to reality
Sad
day
for
me
today.
Sad
because
my
vacation
is
over. Mount
Rushmore
and
Custer
Park
were
wonderful. Wall
Drug
was
kitchy
cool. Reptile
Gardens
was
fun
–
I
can’t
wait
to
go
back
there
with
my
son
in
a
year
or
so!
But
now
I’m
back
at
work. And
the
mundane
insanities
of
this
place
have
brought
me
down
quicker
than
I
could
prepare
for.
I
am
sad
because
a
friend
of
mine
is
sad
and
I
can
do
nothing
to
help
him.
I
am
sad
because
I
wish
with
all
my
heart
that
I
could
now
tell
my
friend
to
chase
his
dreams
and
follow
his
heart
–
go
after
the
girl
he
cares
for,
without
fear
and
with
joy
-
without
feeling
a
nagging
twinge
of
bitterness
that,
when
I
did
still
believe
whole-heartedly
in
such
fantasies
as
love
conquering
all
and
spiritual
connections,
my
flighty
head
was
snatched
back
down
to
earth.
The
reality
check
was
meant
to
protect
me
from
getting
hurt
by
chasing
after
someone
who
didn’t
feel
anything
nearly
as
deep
or
true
for
me
as
what
I
was
letting
myself
feel
for
him.
It
hurt
and
confused
me
at
the
time,
but
I
will
always
be
thankful
to
my
friend
for
keeping
me
from
irreparably
ruining
my
life.
Gratitude
aside,
I
am
sad
because
my
friend
was
right.
Dreams
are
not
real.
In
dreams,
the
Prince
is
brave
and
true
and
would
chase
away
any
amount
of
dragons
and
danger
to
be
with
his
Princess.
He
would
damn
the
naysayers,
beat
the
odds,
and
find
a
way
to
be
with
her.
He
would
not
care
what
anyone
thinks
of
him
or
what
the
long-term
consequences
may
be
of
living
happily
ever
after.
In
reality,
the
Prince
is
too
worried
about
protecting
himself
and
his
precious
reputation
to
chase
away
anything
besides
love.
In
dreams,
marriage
is
the
crescendo
of
a
long
and
beautiful
song
of
love
and
connection
and
future
bliss.
In
reality,
marriage
is,
at
best,
a
mutual
agreement
to
reduce
an
established
partnership
to
writing
for
the
purpose
of
establishing
legal
obligations
and
sanctions
for
the
failure
to
meet
such.
There
is
something
to
be
said
for
living
blissfully
ignorant
of
reality.
I
hope
to
someday
delude
myself
into
once
again
believing
in
happily-ever-afters
and
true
love
and
spiritual
connections.
In
the
meantime,
I’ll
live
in
reality.
I'll
learn
to be
happy
in
the
life
I've built.
I'll
learn
to
smile
as
if
I
mean
it.
To
laugh
as
if
I
feel joy.
And
I'll
keep
taking
my
“happy”
pills
so
I
can
be
a
functioning
and
productive
member
of
this
screwed-up
society.
| 
