Incidents Around the House

by Josh Malerman

The older I get, the more I think the barometer for intelligence is how kind you are. Because it’s not an easy thing to do, staying mindful, after all you go through in life.

Mommy won’t allow the TV on at parties and Daddo says it ruins everything unless it’s a “nature doc” because “animals are good to see all the time no matter what.”

Real recognize real

You know who you move like? Daddo asked Mommy. Ginger Rogers? Mommy said. Tonight you move like Other Mommy.

Grandma said they were going to “pay for it” tomorrow, but Evelyn said it’s the kind of money we’re supposed to spend while we’re still alive.

He’s going to steal something, Mommy says. Maybe, Daddo says. We’re literally letting a stranger go through our home alone. Yeah, he might steal something, Daddo says.

I don’t want to talk about it, I say. No, neither do I, she says. But that’s the thing, we probably should. You’ll notice, the older you get, that it’s the topics people say you shouldn’t talk about that get all messed up beyond repair.

It’s all about heart. How long can you maintain an open heart and an open mind in this world, how long can you sustain being kind to other people, no matter what they say or do.