Exercises in Futility
Being brought up in a small town, there are a bunch of skills that you will unwittingly acquire. One of them is how to memorize the family tree of any individual you come across. A special subset of that skill is the ability to update the family tree with new information every time you meet said individual. The most important skill that you will pick up, however, is the ability to kill summers in the most futile way possible.
For the first few weeks, you will find the most convenient destination for you and your buddies. This will most likely be a parking lot in front of a 7/11. There may be ‘No Loitering’ signs posted all over the place, but you’ve already forgotten how to read. Sit and slurp on the 7/11 slushies till you can feel the real-time decay in your teeth.
Through trial-and-error combined with celestial forces, you will manage to find the coolest people in the area. There may be a shop owner with superior music taste who is not averse to providing an education or maybe a sweet old lady who will bake cupcakes for you and your posse. Either way, seek out the good in this small world and maximize its utility.
