I washed the filthy language from the overpass. I swear, the internet is ruining today’s youth and ruining hearts and minds.
A the driver crossing the overpass rolled down his window. A man pointed at my pressure washer then asked, “Ain’t leaning over the side there dangerous?”
“State don’t like swastikas on the overpass. Obvious reasons.”
“Looks mighty dangerous to me. Wouldn’t want to fall, would you?”
I caught the threat in his voice, and turned down the pressure washer. As he drove off, I took down his tag number.
Adults these days… rotting the minds of the youth.
***
This was written for the Carrot Ranch Prompt, Graffiti! I love North Carolina more than you could realize, but the Old North State has sometimes found difficulties with racist propaganda, including graffiti. That inspired this tale about removing emblems of evil and how, sometimes, the blame for corrupt actions is placed on the wrong person.
I like the idea of fighting hate by erasing the symbols of hate, like the swastikas and other similar forms of graffiti. And your last line is exceptionally powerful: adults rotting the minds of youth…in a way that’s accurate.
The passing of information and cultural lore between generations interests me. Like, how did something as terrible as Nazism start making any sort of comeback? Where did older people fail when they were suffusing information to the young? Ah, I wax too long!
Oh — he’d have lost some paint from his car if he’d been threatening to me. LOL.
Lol – should have thought of that, but then this may not have ended up fitting in the 99 word constraint! I like it, though!
This one really sticks with me, H.R.R. You capture the topsy-turvy times where adults are not acting very adult-like.
Thanks! I love lopking at what aging means from a cultural perspective, and the current distress about changing demographics is perfect fodder!
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