“Their hearts. They’d become like stone.” It was depressing to admit that, though it was true. “Can you understand why? Or at least partially why?”
My daughter shook her head, “No. I can’t. I can’t understand why anyone would do that. Turn their hearts to stone. It’s like they’re not alive anymore.”
“It’s their response to confusion. To complexity. To the feeling they have no control over anything.”
I could see the rage in her eyes, the fire that burned in her blood. The same fire I had. “Then explain their stupidity!”
“I can’t explain it all. It’s too broad, too deep. But I can hint at it. I can illustrate some of what I’ve learned of them, and the way they live in lies, believing they live in the truth, no longer knowing one from the other.”
She glared at me.
“Start with this news headline. ‘A Massive 8-year effort finds that much cancer research can’t be replicated.’”
She didn’t say anything.
“You know how people interpret that. The simple way. Without reading beyond the headline, simply declaring cancer research is useless.” I wondered if she understood, or if her anger had overwhelmed her ability to hear me, “They never get to the part that explains the complexities of the research, and how unique humans are. You can’t repeat specific, detailed tests with different starting points.” I was certain she was too angry to understand. “They’re two different tests.”
She did respond. “People are stupid.” I already knew that.
250 Words
@mysoulstears
It’s Week 491 of #ThursThreads, hosted by Siobhan Muir. Please go read all the stories in this week’s #ThursThreads. They are always fun to read. And there are some great writers who show up every week.
My Soul's Tears 