The Man in the Box
It’s weird, y’know? Some people, they look at me and their faces scrunch up and they say, “Man. Do you seriously live in that cage?” And it makes me sick feeling, and I tell them that no, it’s not a cage. This is my box. It’s my box.
And now I’m going on what, 35 years? In two months and three days, I’ll have lived in my box for 35 years. That’s a long time.
Look pretty good for my age though, don’t I? Exercise is overrated. I’ve never even stood up, and look at THIS! ZERO FAT! Let me tell you – I am good and healthy.
I don’t overeat, either. Well, I guess Pop’s got me on a fairly strict diet, but I don’t cheat, y’know? After he slides my meal through the slot, I could get another scientist’s attention and convince them to give me more food. I could clutch my stomach and moan and moan for all those foods I’ve never tasted – chocolate. Raspberry. Coca-cola.
Sometimes after mealtime, Pop’ll slide in some books for me. I read about Philosophy, Literature, Science… he gives me lectures on things, too.
A lot of people ask me how I feel about science, y’know? ‘Cause I’m living in a box? And I just say that I think it’s pretty neat. They ask me well don’t you get mad about it? And I say yes, sometimes. But most of the time I just think it’s pretty neat.
Because Pop made me, he can do what he wants to me. And he does. He’s learning a lot about people by doing things to me. That’s part of what science is about. If you took science outta it, I wouldn’t be here. So, I guess I’m kind of grateful for science.
But I still wanna know what it feels like to stand up, y’know?
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