In Persuasion Nation Read Free Page B

a
hulking young man stick out his foot, and down that Helper went, and
soon I was handing our tickets to the same stern Mr. Ernesti, who was
now less stern, and in we went, and took our seats, as the stars
appeared overhead and the Eisner was transformed into a nighttime
jungle.
    And
suddenly there was Babar, looking with longing toward Paris, where
the Old Lady was saying that she had dreamed of someone named Babar,
and did any of us know who this Babar was, and where he might be
found? And Teddy knew the answer, from the Original Cast CD, which
was Babar is within us, in all of our hearts , and he shouted
it out with all the other children, as the Old Lady began singing
"The King Inside of You."
    And
let me tell you, from that moment everything changed for Teddy. I am
happy to report he has joined the play at school. He wears a scarf
everywhere he goes, throwing it over his shoulder with what can only
be described as bravado, and says, whenever asked, that he has
decided to become an actor. This from a boy too timid to
trick-or-treat! This from the boy we once found walking home from
school in tears, padlocked to his own bike! There are no more
late-night crying episodes, he no longer writes on his arms with
permanent marker, he leaps out of bed in the morning, anxious to get
to school, and dons his scarf, and is already sitting at the table
eating breakfast when we come down.
    The
other day as he got off the bus I heard him say, to his bus driver,
cool as a cucumber, "See you at the Oscars."

    When
an Everly Reader is reading, then suddenly stops, it is not hard to
trace, and within a week I received a certified letter setting my
fine at one thousand dollars, and stating that, in lieu of the fine,
I could elect to return to the originating location of my infraction
(they included a map) and, under the supervision of that Citizen
Helper, retrace my steps, shoes on, thus reclaiming a significant
opportunity to Celebrate My Preferences.
    This,
to me, is not America.
    What
America is, to me, is a guy doesn't want to buy, you let him not buy,
you respect his not buying. A guy has a crazy notion different from
your crazy notion, you pat him on the back and say hey, pal, nice
crazy notion, let's go have a beer. America to me should be shouting
all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of
them nuts, but, please, not just one droning glamorous reasonable
voice.
    But do
the math: a day's pay, plus train ticket, plus meals, plus taxis to
avoid the bleeding feet, still that is less than one thousand.
    So
down I went.
    That
Citizen Helper, whose name was Rob, said he was glad about my change
of heart. Every time a voice shot into my ear, telling me things
about myself I already knew, every time a celebrity hologram walked
up like an old friend, Rob checked a box on my Infraction Correction
Form and said, "Isn't that amazing, Mr. Petrillo, that we can do
that, that we can know you so well, that we can help you identify the
things you want and need?"
    And
I would say, "Yes, Rob, that is amazing," sick in the gut
but trying to keep my mind on the five hundred bucks I was saving and
on all the dance classes that would buy.
    As for
Teddy, as I write this it is nearly midnight and he is tapping in the
room above. He looks like a bird, our boy, he watches the same
musical fifteen times in a row. Walking through the mall he suddenly
emits a random line of dialogue and lunges off to the side, doing a
dance step that resembles a stumble, spilling his drink, plowing into
a group of incredulous, snickering Oneontans. He looks like no one
else, acts like no one else, his clothes are increasingly like
plumage, late at night he choreographs using plastic Army men, he
fits no mold and has no friends, but I believe in my heart that
someday something beautiful may come from him.

jon

    Back
in the time of which I am speaking, due to our Coordinators had
mandated us, we had all seen that educational video of It's Yours
to Do With