Not All There

“You change over time! ” she said. “Yeah? ” I said. “You weren’t even present at your own birth! ” she said. “Are you listening? ” she said. “Uh? ” I said. “All the atoms that had been you at the time have long ago been replaced by a bunch of new ones and that’s still going on! ” “Uh uh! ” I said. “So that “you now” Is not the “you then”! ” I said nothing. (I didn’t know what to say) . “Now, if you at least had a memory of it (which I doubt you do) then at least your mind would have been present at your birth. but the story of your birth is just...that. Your mother’s memory of it and what she told you of it! ” “You don’t really remember listening to Doris Day singing: “Ce sera...cera! ” on the ward radio? now...do you? ” I had to admit...I...I...didn’t. But my mother had told me so many times it seemed so real! I was beginning to feel lost beginning to fade rapidly away. It was a bit too early in the morning for this conversation. “So...no molecules...no memory even! ” She smirked. “So...no you! ” I bit my bottom lip. “So...you see although you’re here ...you’re not all there! ” Her white teeth framed in flame red lipstick were so real. I could see her words Begin to form before she said them. “Well, what have you got to say for your...self? ! ” she smiled. “Huh! ” (I said not knowing what to say in my defence) and went on to top my Egg dipping the buttered soldiers in it’s hot yellow yoke. I felt like I had just popped out of existence so I went back to bed and read.