When she had first began staying with him, she had put plastic-doll-googly-eyes on a few of his framed photos. He had laughed at first, the way she hoped. In the same way he had joked about those days to her in the first place.
But now he had lost his sense of humor.
Initially, he was comedic and cynical about those days and she'd ask leading questions, allowing him to make fun of himself and the monster called FAME. But now, lately, he seemed to give it more respect, a place of honor in his conversations. As if it were a certain master he began to serve.
She realized now that he saw his life as historic, and all his time was to be "invested". She began to realize that being alone with him, taking up his time, was a right that could now only be "earned". The illusion of FAME didn't interest her, nor did his sudden irrelevant vanity. Some things he could still joke about, but somehow, his legacy became serious.
She finally began to understand what the curse was. Not some big romantic Dorian Grey thing. But the fact that he was so old, that he had seen so much. How painful it was to get close to someone, and have them die, or disappear on you. Normal people want to settle down with someone else who can mirror their lives, a 75 year love affair and marriage. But he only found a partner suitable for a few months at a time. Not so bad, in terms of curses.
Every so often, he'd remember he was famous, and that she was not. And that she was just another girl.
But she always remembered that he was just a man.
The Curse by Josh Ritter
But now he had lost his sense of humor.
Initially, he was comedic and cynical about those days and she'd ask leading questions, allowing him to make fun of himself and the monster called FAME. But now, lately, he seemed to give it more respect, a place of honor in his conversations. As if it were a certain master he began to serve.
She realized now that he saw his life as historic, and all his time was to be "invested". She began to realize that being alone with him, taking up his time, was a right that could now only be "earned". The illusion of FAME didn't interest her, nor did his sudden irrelevant vanity. Some things he could still joke about, but somehow, his legacy became serious.
She finally began to understand what the curse was. Not some big romantic Dorian Grey thing. But the fact that he was so old, that he had seen so much. How painful it was to get close to someone, and have them die, or disappear on you. Normal people want to settle down with someone else who can mirror their lives, a 75 year love affair and marriage. But he only found a partner suitable for a few months at a time. Not so bad, in terms of curses.
Every so often, he'd remember he was famous, and that she was not. And that she was just another girl.
But she always remembered that he was just a man.
The Curse by Josh Ritter
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