Contra Mundum

It was written in defiance of all general opinion, which should render it quite popular. A possible sequel to The Smell of Old Books.

How dull it is to sit and stroke the head of a stuffed animal when there are real animals lumbering across your hardwood floors. Dull creatures. Dull, dull, dull. Absolutely dull to be mindful of the bottles and glasses on the table as you get up from the couch, the only place you seem to be sleeping nowadays. A bottle of rum, a bottle of diet Dr. Pepper, and a cup of brown liquid that you're assuming to be rum and diet Dr. Pepper. You're tempted to try, but opposed to intoxicants. Anything that clouds the mind, because you are already ruled by enough forces you can't control. The more control, the better. So control your alcohol intake, but do not control your subconscious. Give in to the temptation, after all, that's the only way to be rid of it. Think the thoughts you don't want to think. Cry about Oscar Wilde for half an hour if you must while everyone else is asleep, but don't touch the rum. Drink the soda instead, the soda you poured into a cheap plastic cup from CVS shaped like a skull because in it's desire to be unusual it is incredibly dull. Contrary to popular belief, it's quite popular to be contrary to popular belief. Yet, this belief that it's popular to be contrary to popular belief is quite contrary to popular belief. So instead of trying to wrap your head around this popular unpopularity, sit and stroke a stuffed animal, let your thoughts wander, and don't drink the rum.