She exaggerates like that drunken bum in the park who if you listen carefully is bragging of better days… in his youth when men were men and sheep were nervous and it wasn’t as grand as he claims; just bearable.

She exaggerates to keep her voice from going silent while searching for ears who haven’t turned deaf to to her moans of complaint and bitter disappointments and possibly drowning out the noise of the voices in her head.

It’s a lot to contend with and having escaped from this selfish prison I can tell her that you can’t begin to learn to listen until you stop talking.

Dennis Mantin