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"Why is it so hard to believe I steer by ideas?" asked Director. "Who doesn't? Don't you?"
"I steer by what's proper, of course," she said with a smirk.
"And that's an idea, or a bunch of ideas."
"No, not really. I have nothing of the sort in my head. I'm rather vacant, you see. I just mimic what people do so I can get by. They have the ideas, not me."
"You have no fixed idea of what's proper?" asked Student.
"I? I have nothing of the kind!"
"How do you know which people to mimic, since everyone seems to have their own idea of what's proper?"
"Oh, silly! I watch the popular shows, listen to the popular music, read the popular books. It's easy!" But then she narrowed her eyes playfully. "How do you know, Student?"
Student squirmed despite his best effort not to. He was at a loss. He looked to Director again.
"Not everyone follows the popular way, you know," said Director.
"Whatever do they follow?"
"Family ways, class ways for instance."
"You mean like aristocratic ways? Oh, goodie! I'll follow those if the democracy ever shifts itself into something along those lines. But for now, I'm little miss popularity! But you, Student, are you trying to buck the trend?"
"I want nothing to do with the trend."
"Well, I've decided that I, like Director, steer by ideas, as though they were stars, stars in the firmament - nothing in my head, mind you. And you, you just steer by unpopular ideas. Nothing in your head either, I'm afraid."
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Nick Pappas, pappasnick.typepad.com
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