Beach Sloth

1985-2012 by Laura Marie Marciano

                Laura creates a book of a free-form memoir. 1985-2012 is surreal. Imagined and real events are morphed into one story. The way Laura writes feels more realistic than a simple memoir. Rather than sugar-coat anything or simply describe what happens we feel everything. Whatever emotion Laura wishes to convey is done through the imagined, the future, the past, and the present. All of this blends itself into an organic, fully-realized whole. 

                The intro explains the importance of possessions. Possessions need a person. Otherwise they are flat, uniformly produced objects. I agree. Most of what I have now I treat well. A few objects give me happiness. I do not call myself an artist for I am a sloth. Sloths do sloth-type things. Sloths call living ‘art’. It is an art to balance one’s life between desires and needs. Humans forget the need for balance. Balance is important. 

                A childhood memory is revisited. Biking badly and getting hurt. Laura tells us about a special field where everyone waits for each other. Her Grandmother has a piece of the Punic War on her bookshelf. Parts of what her Grandmother does appear to be somewhat unorthodox. Shower when you need to shower. I say rest in peace Laura’s original collarbone. I have all my original bones in place. Nothing breaks on me. Free entrance to amusement parks is amazing. Parents sacrifice so much for children. It may be time for children to lie in order to be further pampered. Children who hide in clothing piles are good. They want to blend into their surroundings. Such talents will serve them well once they become adults. 

                School underestimated young Laura. Teachers were afraid of her creativity. I understand. People did not understand my creativity until much later, around now. Gifts are gifts whether good or bad. I consider many things gifts: twitter followers, Facebook photos, friends, change on the ground, etc. All these are gifts. Proms are rough. I ate ice cream instead. I had more fun not meeting expectations. Countries are relics. We are still limited by geography for now. Laura is as she lived in Brooklyn, a place that grows smaller and smaller every year. That’s why we have boats: to enjoy all that space we do not occupy. 

                Elastic clothing is part of growing up. Laura returns back to those unhappy people returning home, thinking they are fat. She is proud of herself. She thinks of rappers as children. Did anybody even understand them? Feel out of all rappers Kid Cudi probably cried the most as a child. His music seems sad. Park Slope is where hipsters move when they start a family. Also a bunch of writers live in Park Slope. Think at some point I will be in Park Slope. I will have meaningful conversations with my coworkers for eight hours and then go home. 

                Laura is a freezing wish mixed with orange sherbet. Orange sherbet is the best. No wonder she has a job interview. Employers love to hire delicious frozen treats. Zero is a very ‘open’ number sexually sexuality. You die as you tag your name. That is rather heavy. A service change lead to their death. Maybe it is important to leave a lasting impression upon the world no matter whether it is literal or not. The world is such a big, giant thing. Who remembers us when we’re gone? Feel it is different people than who we’d actually think. Cultural resolution is important now that everything becomes a big global mush. As you get outside the cities, the differences become more noticeable. I do not have any grandmothers left. For my grandmother I have no regrets about the last thing I said to her. She, for a brief moment, came out of her dementia and interacted with me exactly the way I remember her as a child. 

                We are the most alive at eight. My time as an eight year old was extremely difficult. It was before awkward and nerd was revered in our culture. I felt hurt. Sometimes I wonder what happened to my classmates from the second grade. No other grade, just that one interests me. Good Friday is a perfect day for love. Wish I knew more about Italy. Laura appears to know so much about it, about the locks attached to bridges. Gothic boys are good boys. 

                Every phone number has a sound. That’s the way we can figure out the numbers without looking. Speed-dial is for those without talent. I have no idea how to become popular. Popularity only exists on the internet. Do online presences translate into IRL popularity? I have no clue. Wish people talked to me more online. Rich people throw great parties. Right now I’m trying to get invited to their parties. We cannot become imprisoned on a beautiful summer afternoon in Rhode Island. An unsuccessful date once told me about the time she’d spend in Rhode Island during the summer, staring at the sea. 

                Born into money happens a lot in New York. New York is one of the hot spots for inherited wealth. I have no idea how that feels. Swimming in gold coins is overrated. Ask Scrooge McDuck. He’s lonely. His money cannot comfort his fictitious personality. All dads cannot be sad. They can cry but sadness does not suit them well. Some dads are sadcore but that’s a whole other story.

                This is real life and fiction. It is moving and sweet. Laura lets us inside her mind. Her mind is filled with beautiful wants and dreams. Now see here!