From the day
Perspective: The Anxious Local · Tactile
I grip my stiff denim jacket tight against the November chill, worrying if I’ve got enough in my pocket for the $1.51 gas and a loaf of bread. The plastic skin of these new Bratz dolls feels so unnervingly smooth compared to the rough grit of the sidewalk, a flashy distraction from the headlines about global profits and mounting tension. "Family Affair" blares from a passing car, the heavy bass thumping through the pavement and rattling my nerves. I just want to escape this whole scene, but the world feels like it's shifting under my feet faster than I can keep up.