The legendary, yet tragic little pseudo-love-story of Echo and Narcissus, ends with the self-involved bastard of a daffodil meeting his demise due to his unrequited love affair with his own reflection. Now, I think N was being a bit of an asshole, but this self-indulgent little fucker may have been onto something: who’s to say that he wasn’t well-justified to turn down all of his potential suitors, before becoming completely enthralled with the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen? Perhaps Echo, and these other said suitors just didn’t have what he needed, wanted, or deserved; in which case, shame on us for expecting him to settle with an inarticulate little nymph.
So, Narcissus finds himself in what appears to be a lose/lose situation: he is lusted after by mediocre specimens, yet the one thing he loves is unattainable. However, he was also spared the potentially tortured existence within the constraints of what is now the last legal form of slavery (yes, kids, I mean marriage); not to mention, his devoted relationship to his reflection was also free from the drama-filled croakings twittering around the rest of pond; free to spend each day appreciating his own aesthetics, he was completely oblivious of who was stroking which pussy willow or who was catching algae from someone else’s lily pad.
I look in the mirror, because it’s more real than what exists in the vapid façade of small-town social bullshit. Bottom line: at the end of the day, I’m all I’ve got. Narcissus may have died, but I’m still alive and I’m just looking to vent, laugh, whine, banter and smirk about the cursed and the vile, the worthless and the worthwhile, the shallow and the vain, the tears and the pain, the stupidity, the idiocy, the unbelievable traits of the human race…and how I remain sane while being one of them in the middle of this “bullshit, three-ring, circus sideshow of freaks.*” Feel free to come along; no height requirement, no safety restraints, but you may be forced to pass an IQ test before occupying a seat. Please keep your hands, arms, and anything else of value, inside the vehicle and please remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.
And don’t you fret, this carnival isn’t leaving town anytime soon.
*Aenema - Tool
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