Essay: The Sky is Not Blue by Nick Shannon The aroma of coffee roast and freshly baked goods overpowers your olfactory senses as you enter The Blue Cat, your favorite coffee shop in town. You order the usual, a blueberry scone along with a steaming hot cup of coffee. Decaf, of course. You find your usual seat in the far corner on a camel brown leather recliner, and wait for your friend to arrive. You are supposed to meet up to work on a graphic design project due at the end of the week. While you are waiting for your friend’s arrival, an elderly woman sits down across from you in the seat you were saving for your friend. This agitates you, and you are about to reprimand her when something catches your eye. You notice her necklace, which is adorned with a matrix of brilliant red rubies. The jewels shimmer with wanton brilliance as they solicit the morning light coming from the window behind you. You comment on the adornment aloud without thinking, and the old lady smiles, thanking you. “This necklace is an old family heirloom, passed down from my grandmother to my mother, and now to me. I only wish I could appreciate its beauty for myself.” “What do you mean?” you inquire, wondering if perhaps the luster of the ornament has long since worn off on her. “You see, I have a rare congenital disease which has made me blind Page 23
24 Publizr Home