She moved forward. Bits of her were touching me. I simply couldn’t respond. There was a space between us. The distance was too great. I felt as if she was talking to a person who had vanished, a person who was no longer there, no longer alive. Her eyes seemed to look right through me. I couldn’t make a connection with her. I didn’t feel shame for that, only rather embarrassed, and helpless.

Your parents hated you. Right?” “Right.” “So now you’re a little crazy. No love. Everybody needs love. It’s warped you.” “People don’t need love. What they need is success in one form or another. It can be love but it needn’t be.” “The Bible says, ‘Love thy neighbor.’”

Clothes bore me. They are terrible things, cons, like vitamins, astrology, pizzas, skating rinks, pop music, heavyweight championship fights, etc.