Things I Said Once

Each Cut is a Little Deeper

December 11th, 2008 at 9:32 pm (Fiction)

Each cut is a little deeper, Phillip. One by one, layer by layer. How’s that old joke go? The one about the onion? Can’t say I ever put much thought into axioms, never put much thought into anything, truth be told. Maybe that’s part of the problem, part of why we ended up the way we did. Another thought here and there might have changed everything, altered our entire perspective, man. There’s a lot to be said for how a guy learns to read the world around him, Phillip. It’s a stream, a river maybe - I heard that once - and it’s important to follow the currents. You know what that means, Phillip? It means a higher power, it means giving yourself up, drifting. You never were particularly good at giving up, Phillip, but I guess that’s why you wound up with a friend like me.

C’mon Phillip, that’s a piss poor attitude. There’s no blame here, no need to get misty. Hell, this is practically a learning experience. Hurts like hell, sure, but at least we’re opening an eye or two. That’s really the only way to know much of anything, Phillip, to get your hands dirty. Roll up your sleeves I always said, dig right in and see what happens. You don’t think I’m uncomfortable? Don’t think I maybe could be spending my time outside? It’s a beautiful day Phillip, a full of life kind of day and you’re not the only one that’s gotta miss it. You could thank me, I suppose, but that might be a step too far at the moment.

You should be proud, Phillip. Absolutely beaming. You’re a man of many talents, multifaceted even, and as we’re rapidly finding out, a man of more than a few layers. But I can’t possibly be the first to tell you this. There’s this aura, there always has been. This little effect floating around you - though we’re whittling it away a bit now aren’t we - that’s been apparent from day one. I think maybe that’s where you went wrong, where you began to go astray. You know what your problem is Phillip, beyond the obvious of course? It’s your pride, your ego. You bought your own press, took the whole thing in and decided you didn’t have anything else to prove.

C’mon man, don’t be that way. It’s good to hurt every now and then. Pain clears the mind, Phil, let’s you know you’re still in the game. I wish I’d have been given an opportunity like this, a chance to sit down and get to know myself. That’s another saying I’ve always been rather fond of, the one about needing to spend some time in another man’s skin. Honestly, I’m a little surprised you’re handling everything so poorly. It’s just a little object lesson my friend, a bit of a roast if you’ll pardon the expression. Ok, so maybe that last bit was in poor taste, but still, it’s just a few cuts.

They used to bleed people, you know. Kept ‘em healthy they said. Savages, Phil, that’s what they were. How healthy do you feel? Though I must admit that, as I find myself sharing this particular moment with you, that I can see what they were getting at. Barbaric, of that there is little doubt, but you know I’ve always seen a certain charm in rustic medicines. Let’s just pause a second, look at things objectively. You’re a man of possessions, Phillip; you’ve gathered so much that maybe you’re beginning to loose sight of where you started. You could stand to be reconfigured, profit from being adjusted, so to speak. Makes a little sense, doesn’t it Phil? Even you’ve got to admit I’m on to something. A little scrape is good for what ails ya.