There’s Just a Meanness in This World

Short background: after a death in my family, I was experiencing guilt for being alive. Then one day as I was listening to Springsteen album, Darkness on The Edge of Town, a line from “Badlands” stood out: “It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.” Long story short, that resonated with me but I felt the need to write about dying and I dig Bruce Springsteen and this is the strange way those two things coupled in my mind during this season of life.

If you want a little deeper dig, read the intro of pt 1. This is part three.

There’s Just a Meanness in This World - “Nebraska”

The building was tall, and the wind was calm. Not much on the breeze. Except a voice in her head telling her that life was a losing game. She entered the building and walked casually to the elevator. Like a night cop at a mall.

The walk to the elevator was familiar. She smiled a little as she hit the 26 button, turned around to see if anyone else was coming. It was only her. It was a little after midnight. She turned back towards the elevator and as the doors opened, she walked in and said, “This is it. Thank God. There is no God. Just life and then death.” To Susan Shaw it felt like the final episode of a bullshit season of some stupid show you decide to watch on Netflix. But there would be more gravity and wind in the hair of this finale.

The floors passed by over the top of the elevator door like they had many times before. Since it was late, there wouldn’t be anyone to…