“Raw Start-up Mode” by Lem

last night Lacey’s son woke up if there’s reincarnation crying for his dead father. He but not crying as himself crying is a little British boy who’s daddy had died in World War I and he was utterly devastated.

He was ready to die himself much like Lacey was, if there’s reincarnation. Turns out he has very peculiar habits of times in an attempt to try to die if there’s reincarnation to go be with his dad, Lem. He’s trying to infect himself, but he can’t figure out how to make the germs, jumping to his nose or mouth appropriately. I think he may be trying to give himself sepsis. But that is only if there’s reincarnation otherwise there could be some sort of evil afoot. He may want to be with them anyway and go fishing literally but if there’s three carnation, it’s far far worse.

Oh, so that’s sort of a concern.

And then after that Lacey slept and had a dream that she was in Shakopee or Minneapolis in the early 1900s or Plymouth, and it was in the realm of the dead or somewhere in purgatory or something and the people at that time are living in some sort of purgatory, where they have decided that shopping malls are very cool. Oh, and they have the caveat that they want to bring in their goods in the morning as they would have brought in their weed or something of that sort in a wagon. In some cases apparently they’re bringing in their goods to the store into the mall in the wagon. But they’re taking the wagon inside of the mall with them. This seems to be common practice to them to ride around in a wagon inside of the mall.

They seem to think that that’s a reasonable thing to do him so that’s their approach shopping malls a OK actually they might think it’s kind of clever, especially for winter, but they would prefer to bring the wagon in the mall so they drive the wagons around the inside of the mall like city streets And it’s perfectly normal to them. It almost becomes like a city streets possibly or merges into a city street and some sort of place. It’s probably rather sophisticated but that’s what they prefer.

Anyway, Lacey went there with a model T or something of that sort and they were all rather flabbergasted seemingly because she had a car and they couldn’t believe that she was so inappropriate as to have a car in a shopping mall.

They think a lot of you alive today are angry, for the same reasons that they were angry. A woman stopped her when she was driving and said you’re in Ross start up mode.

So let’s have a conversation with these people and find out what it is that you’re angry about because you won’t tell me and they are sensible enough to know that I don’t know and that I need to have it explain to me.

“ and why the hell were you driving your car in are mall?” says a woman.

I didn’t realize there was a problem, or my husband told me that it was acceptable.

“ so he gave you the impression that it was perfectly fine to drive a car around?” she says.

He’s very well may have yet so I may have told him that, and he trusted that person’s advice and thought that it made sense.

“ what would you have thought?” she says.

I wouldn’t have known what the problem was, but I would’ve sense that you’d be angry.

She smiles. Thinks.

People pull over and think.

They sigh.

They nod.

“ where were you supposed to live sweetie about 10 years ago? What was your house supposed to have looked like?” she says.

“ that might not be our house exactly, but it would be about like that in that price range.” says Lacey.

“ it might be nicer than that, and worth even more. How would you have bought it?” she says.

“ him we would have taken the savings that he had which was about 200,000 which today would be closer to 400,000 possibly but we would’ve taken what was that about 200,000 and he would’ve done better at work and not been fired, and he probably would have a job making 250,000 at least today at least so and if we invested things for my father correctly we would’ve got it we would’ve had another two or 300,000 so that’s about 500 to 600,000 right there we would’ve purchased the house in about 2010 or 2000 yet 2010 or so or 2011 and it would’ve drove dramatically increase in value so all things considered no we would we wouldn’t have any debt he would have a job making about 250,000 and we would have a house worth probably well over 1 million and have a net worth of around maybe two or $3 million. If he had just listen to my financial advice he thinks he knows everything he’s a math genius and he’s very good at calculating strategy so in the end we might actually end up better off, but right now strategy when it comes to finances, but right now we’re living through a problem because I am old money and that really should be where I’m living and if you listen to what I suggested we would be.” says Lacey.

“ if you were in St Paul and he was making 200,000 or close to like 190 when I first started interacting with you I would’ve been a little more cautious.” says Chris.

“ I would’ve too.” says Alisha.

Yeah, but I am not my own husband and he is a math genius and he’s very difficult. I have no fucking clue how you people can be so fucking slow and self-righteous at the same time.

“ I completely agree with her.” says the pioneer woman.

Awkward silence.

“ I don’t quite understand the Lacey how you don’t get it even if you’re right that there’s so slow that it’s like molasses talking to them and it seems like they’ll never get it. A part of them does.” she says.

“ see I just don’t believe that anymore. I just don’t believe that if it’s true and I’m wrong that I’m sorry but to me it seems like they’re totally in capable because of how evil they are and how bad off they are.” says Lacey.

“ you’re right unfortunately I might be wrong they might not fully grasp it.” she says.

“ I think a part of them has a remnant of your sanity left in them but it’s not quite there so it’s like they’re a little aware and angry for some reason that they think it’s justified but it’s not a complete thought and it’s just slightly slightly, you know, very slight awareness.” says Lacey.

“ so do you know why I would be angry?” she says.

Lacey thinks. “ well, that’s the other problem I have possibly been brainwashed into thinking that you’re not angry at all and then I’m imagining things by lots of different people.” says Lacey.

“ why would you think we would be angry if you had his things right and people were just brainwashing you?” says a male.

“ it seems so stupid to me now though it just seems so perverse and icky and dangerous and stupid to think this but I’m serious so it’s like awful it’s like I’m hideous for thinking this but it would probably because you don’t have a car and you can’t afford it and you’re exhausted and stuff like that.” says Lacey.

They grow silent.

“ we were very rude to you. We’ve done that in your sleep now but three or four times.” says a woman.

“ am I right or wrong?” says Lacey.

“ you’re right.” says a man.

Lacey thinks. Winces. “ you know I understand why you might not want people to know that, but I think it might’ve gotten a little too far.”

They think.

“ what are our descendants saying or people like us?” says a man.

“ they act the minute it maybe it was a trick maybe I was just tracked, but it seems like the minute I try to show them sympathy in the perfume community was like this to me as well the minute I try to be empathetic they throw it excuse me they throw it back at me like I’m some sort of idiot weird, alien, freak.” says Lacey.

“ and then they tell you that they have old money friends in Malaysia are crazy, rich Asian friends in Japan or that you’re weird or that they’re super rich and their mother buys them expensive bras at Nordstrom‘s?” says the man.

“yes and I don’t feel like it’s just that I feel like I’ve tried to be empathetic to other people and they just look at me with this nasty look like how dare you how dare you be empathetic towards me you know how dare you be empathetic what kind of a perverted, disgusting, con artist are you you weird freak.” says Lacey.

“ do they do that to your children too?” he says.

“ yes edit you know what doctors do it a lot and he will do that for some reason to me and my family not so much to my husband but to me and my children they’re violently upset that we would even possibly have empathy for them.” says Lacey.

“ see we’re not like that.” he says.

“ no and I think I thought I was talking to you when I was talking to them and that you know it would be no skin off my nose no big deal if they need a little help not charity just help.” says Lacey.

A woman nods.

They think.

“See we came from a time where people were more in the American spirit, and less affected by that sort of thing, maybe with thicker skin, and we’re a little more down to earth so to speak and just have a better sense of things unfortunately for them so we didn’t get handouts we didn’t get food stamps. We didn’t get stuff like that and so someone who is wealthy like Lacey Banks saying would you like some extra eggs this week, yeah that would be great. I’m not gonna turn down extra eggs that’s ridiculous. Yeah.” says a woman.

“ oh yeah and see you in about two generations. Your grant your great grandson, Tim Walz could end up being governor of the state and you know that and I know that and I can’t figure out why those extra eggs are such a death sentence for them I just don’t get it.” says Lacey Banks.

“ no I hear you it’s like it’s just extra eggs it’s not like I’m giving you everything and turning you into some sort of little nothing.” she says.

“ so you’d probably be more of a Republican?” says Lacey.

She smiles and stays quiet.

“ you possibly tried to marry her great grandson or great great grandson or something and it just didn’t feel comfortable to the family and they snubbed you but they also didn’t because they realize something was different and that’s why because you’re the owners of the general store and you come from some rich family, Audis and that’s awkward for them. It’s not awkward for us either.” says a man.

“ no because we’re building America yeah that’s still what’s in my head is that we’re building the United States and trying to make it work and you know we’re working together. How are they not thinking that way at all?” says Lacey.