Sinister: I've got them stoopid spring break bluuuuues....

[Askins, Joseph D. (UMC-Student)]

It's Thursday night, and to paraphrase Douglas Adams, I've reached the long,
dark tea-time of my spring break.  I can't gripe too much, because there's
really no reason why schools should let us run mindlessly free for a whole
week, but coming back to Arkansas for even a few days is enough to send me
packing to the lecture hall.  So what do I do?  I mope around, bugging my
parents and moaning about how dull and redneck Rogers is, what with its
Confederate flags and racist rhetoric.  I wish I were back in my cultured,
civilized world where people know what I mean when I talk about...about...I
dunno.  See, I gripe for nothing, because I can't really think of anything
in particular that's so much different.  

My one escape has been sitting around at Iron Horse, the lone coffee shop
here in town.  Lord, the hours and money I spent at that place the first
year it was open.  It wasn't wonderful--flashy colorful banners and truly
hideous still-lifes from local artists hanging on every wall, watered-down
coffee in the pots, and an early closing time (at least they're open till
10:00 now).  But despite it all, Iron Horse had its patrons, the disaffected
and gloomy youths of Rogers, Arkansas, who congregated inside, talking
comics and reading spoilers for the upcoming Star Wars movie on the computer
in the corner, asking the owner to put on one of his Smiths CDs, etc.  Iron
Horse looks pretty vacant these days, though.  I don't know the girls behind
the bar, and the few kids from the old gang who still bother to show up are
off working nine-to-fives at Dairy Queen and mumbling half-heartedly of the
day when they might decided to enroll (part-time, of course) at the
community college in town.  Seeing these sad cases only makes me long even
more for Columbia, where I can hold out for three more years under my
security blanket of loans and scholarships and parents' money until I join
them in the ever-expanding world of minimum-wage fast-food service.  

Still, things aren't all bad.  I'm convinced that the IRS gets a bad rap,
because I had a beautiful brown check for a whopping $400 waiting for me
when I got home.  God bless tax returns (and my parents, who still claim me
as a dependent).  Seeing as how I'm not having to make any major payments
these days--a couple outstanding parking tickets, perhaps, but nothing too
life-threatening--I've been able to spend the week blowing dough at music
stores.  Got a couple obligatory Bowie CDs to fill out my collection, along
with some Roxy Music, Eno, Rachel's, One Last Wish, Philip Glass, Tortoise
(found both their self-titled AND "Millions Living.." in a used bin today!)
Philip Glass, and a used boot of B&S's BBC performances, which is probably
the closest I'll ever get to seeing B&S live, seeing as how I don't really
see them coming through Columbia, Lawrence, KC or St. Louis on their next
tour.  The girl who sold me the boot said that she had heard OF the band,
but hadn't actually HEARD them.  I recommended their albums and went on my
way.  Maybe she'll give it a shot.  Either way, I suppose it was my good
turn for the day.

Other than all that, break has been all about movies and books.  Finally saw
"The Sixth Sense" right before the Oscars and was pleasantly impressed--much
more than some pop thriller crap.  Hope that kid goes far.  Had the
so-called "shocking" ending predicted months ago (same with the big
hullaballoo with "Fight Club"--can't people figure this stuff out from the
plot summary alone???), but thankfully it wasn't some gimmick flick riding
on its last minute.  Rented "Eyes Wide Shut," another one I looked forward
to all spring/summer and never saw.  Brilliant stuff, yet I can see why some
people were turned off.  Give it a few years--people will remember it.  What
else...oh yeah..."The Manchurian Candidate."  Holy Cow!  I mean, I knew
Sinatra was supposed to be a decent actor, but what a film!  And to think
that it was almost forgotten for over two decades.  Giving Saul Bellow's "To
Jerusalem and Back" another shot.  I tried reading it once before and it
just seemed...naively preachy...if you get my meaning.  Still, Bellow is a
master of words, and it's a great read.  His fiction is better, but
"Jerusalem" is miles beyond a lot of the stuff that's out there.

Sunday comes quickly, and with it, the last four weeks of school.  Sigh.
Don't even get me started on that... 

Joseph Askins 

  
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