From the day
Perspective: The Anxious Local · Tactile
The store shelves feel cold and brittle today, and I can’t stop rubbing the slick, synthetic polyester of my windbreaker while staring at the $1.51 gas prices on the marquee across the street. My palms are sweaty against the hard plastic of this new Xbox controller, but I’m too stressed about my shrinking investment portfolio to actually play; I just keep refreshing a sketchy-looking page on Windows XP, hoping the market stabilizes. I checked a Wikipedia entry just to distract myself, but seeing the price tag on those vinyl-clad Bratz dolls makes me want to squee in pure frustration. My thumb clicks the scroll wheel of my iPod, drowning out the world with Shaggy’s voice as I wonder if I can even afford a loaf of bread if this hedging bet doesn't pay off soon.