Misspent Youth

Well, just remember, babies are God’s way of persuading parents to have teenagers.

Your generation, always want the capital letters, never the subtext. You don’t learn to read properly, that’s the trouble. And don’t start telling me you’ve accessed books. I’m talking about the real thing, good solid paper that you can hold in your hand, and bend the page corners the way you’re not supposed to.

It was the sort of review board that Jeff thoroughly disapproved of; hands-on bureaucratic interference in university and agency programs always lead to pure science being impoverished.

Jeff didn’t blame Dr. Sperber, but he’d been around long enough to know how the information would be used, twisted, sanitized, controlled, released in a way that left Brussels devoid of responsibility. That was the way of all government and politicians; it was never their fault.

“I look young, almost as young as you lot; but the real difference between us is cynicism. You don’t have any, while I’ve got a ton of it.”

“I’m cynical, Philip protested. “I don’t believe a word politicians say.”

“That’s not cynicism,” Sophie said. “That’s just common sense.”

“They lied!”

“Of course they lied. They’re politicians, it’s what they do.”

The thing is this, Tim; you’re eighteen, forever is about a month at your age.

Having a famous father is a difficult concept for any child to understand. After all, he is just your father, nothing else, nothing exceptional.

It must be a sign of true age to think parties were a pain to be avoided at all costs.

“Ladies,” Pamela raise her glass. “A toast.”

“A toast,” they agreed.

“Expensive shopping, older champagne, and younger men.”

I’ve got the worst time of my life ahead of me, and our wonderful medical establishment will stretch it out and out until I just scream for it to end.

Politicians, they’re all as bad as each other.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“I think you’re supposed to. All my friends who talk native psychobabble say you should rationalize events back to their origin point so you can acknowledge their structural integration within your life flow.”

“Alison, that’s…that…such a load of crap.”

“I know that.”