The Morning After

“We had a grand time last night! Although I was so disappointed I didn’t get to go to the hairdresser’s before we went out.”

“We did indeed have a great time, Honey Bunny. New friends, a marvelous house concert by Adam—“

“Lots of attention for me! But I wanted more! More!”

“You always want more. The more you get the more you want. You’re never satisfied.”

“Of course. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”

“Not really.”

“Oh, come on, Brown Bear—when you have a pot of honey, is that enough for you? Don’t you want more?”

“Well…. Sometimes, but then I reach a point when I’ve had enough and more would just make me sick.”

“That’s ‘cause you don’t have enough drive and determination! What a wimp! More is never enough. It’s just not. Trust me.”

“So you’re always unsatisfied, aren’t you?”

“It’s the American Way, Brown Bear. More is better. And excess is even better!”

“I think we’ve seen that attitude causing a lot of economic problems these days, what with greed and graft and bad loans…. Don’t you know the US is in a recession?”

“You just don’t get it, BB. The real problem is that people aren’t buying enough. They should go out and stimulate the economy! It’s their patriotic duty.”

“But they don’t have enough money to do so.”

“Charge it! That’s what I say: charge it!”

“Enough already. Last night was delightful. We went to Rebekah and Paddy’s house in Moratinos and had dinner. Well, ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ had dinner while we watched. They had two visitors, Adam and Marta. Americans studying in Madrid. He’s on a Fulbright scholarship and is studying contemporary Spanish guitar playing and guitar composers, and she’s teaching English in an elementary school and studying voice. She’s an opera singer! Adam gave a great concert to the six of us.”

“Six?”

“’Mom’ and ‘Dad’ and Rebekah and Paddy and us.”

“Gee, Brown Bear, how’d you learn so much about them?”

“I just listened. Bears are good at that.”

“Not bunnies. We have more important things to do--like to talk a lot.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Well I noticed that Marta’s very pretty and she rubbed my ears and admired my hand-knit sweater. What more matters?”

“Honey Bunny, you are incorrigible.”

“What’s that mean?”

“You never change. It’s always about ‘you you you.’”

“Well, duh! What else would it be about?”

(Brown Bear turns away in disgust and takes a nap.)