The Voice of Generation Dead

I was at the Haunted House the other day with Karen. We were looking at the "Wall of the Dead", where we post up all of the photos of zombies that we've taken or that people have sent us, and I commented that there were about twice as many as there were just a couple months ago.

Takayuki was playing cards on the floor with Tayshawn and this new kid everyone calls Popeye. Popeye is kind of weird--he never takes his sunglasses off, for starters, and he thinks he's an artist or something. Anyhow, he hears me make this comment and says "And we owe it all to you, Tommy Williams--the voice of Generation Dead." Imagine your most sarcastic friend using his/her most sarcastic tone, with a few speech pauses, and you'll be pretty close to how Popeye sounded.

Tak told him to shut up and play. Tak and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but there's a grudging respect between us, I guess.Popeye did like he was told but his words got me thinking. I was standing there, looking at all these zombie kids, most of them lost or forgotten or abandoned, and his words rang in my ear. I almost felt dizzy.

"Don't be mad, Tommy," Karen said, like she could sense what I was feeling. She's got a habit of knowing my thoughts. "Even though he was being a jerk, he's right. And it's a good thing."

I hope she's right. There's more kids on that wall every day.