preadolescence

I flourished out of that strange, dreamy childhood of mine and went into the world of reality. I met with experiences that bruised my spirit – but they never harmed my ideal world. That was always mine to retreat into at will. I learned that world and the natural world clashed hopelessly and irreconcilably, and I learned to keep them apart so that the former might remain unspoiled for me.

I learned to meet other people on their ground since there seemed to be no meeting place on mine. I learned to hide the thoughts and dreams, and fancies that had no place in the strife, and I learned to meet other people on their ground since there seemed to be no meeting place on mine. I learned to hide the thoughts and dreams, and fancies that had no place in the strife and clash of the marketplace. I found that it was useless to look for kindred souls in the multitude; one might stumble on such here and there, but as a rule, it seemed to me that the majority of people lived for the things of time and sense alone and could not understand my other life. So I piped and danced to other people’s piping – and held fast to my own – soul as best I could of the marketplace. I found that it was useless to look for kindred souls in the multitude; one might stumble on such here and there, but as a rule, it seemed to me that the majority of people lived for the things of time and sense alone and could not understand my other life. So I sang and danced to other people’s piping – and held fast to my soul as best I could. Shalom 🫠