sidewalk chalk, pt 2
Addendum to sidewalk chalk…
We knew in our hearts that it was silly to act so serious, just like we knew when we were pretending to speak German that it was all a lie. But it was a lie we embraced and decided to forget. We knew in our hearts that everyone else knew about the lie, too—but by consensus, we kept quiet, and enjoyed the charade.I think, now, that our unspoken agreement—and the understanding that there was an unspoken agreement—was a truly critical piece of the puzzle. We were aware that we were sharing in a mutual wish, if not a lie. We didn’t say, “Let’s go pretend that we know what we’re doing!” because saying “let’s pretend” would have resulted in an entirely different kind of dynamic. Knowledge of the charade is critical. Knowledge of others’ knowledge of the charade is even more critical. If you believe you’re the only one who understands that it’s a charade, it does not bode well. If you don’t even know it’s a charade, things are really bad. I’m convinced that this exact situation pops up in teenager-hood and adulthood, too. All the time, even. We just aren’t watching closely enough. We are sharing in a charade and want to pretend that we don’t know it, that we don’t all know it. But we do, on some level. We do.
