Education

“I feel thoroughly cold,” said the old guy through chattering teeth.

“A mere sweater won’t do it for you. What’s that bulging beneath?”

“Oh, that’s yesterday’s paper. The Sentinel helps--and one comic
strip guy I especially like makes it plain how ironic
these crazy times are when we layer ourselves in the news,
good or bad, and then sit on the best editorial views.”

“Say, just where do you live?” I inquired. “Is it quite far from here?”

“Down the street, on the right,” he replied. “It’s not warm though, I fear.
Two or three of us huddle together outside and swap stories
of times when we ate pretty well and our young families
had nice holiday gifts, get-togethers--and even a tree.”

“Things have taken a turn for the worse, I can easily see,”
I told him. “Take my coat, if it fits you, and then in return
you can give me those funnies. There’s always some new thing to learn.”