we need to get ice cream

There was some local singer playing guitar when we got there. Nobody was paying much attention; he was playing at the wrong bar if he wanted attention. My date excused herself to go to the bathroom, but I know she was probably just doing another line of coke, or something like that. She had that nervous, jittery, emaciated look about her. I ordered us drinks and and sat back and listened. The singer was starting to talk.

He said, "I know you're probably not paying attention. I'm not very good. I don't think I'd be paying attention either--hell, I'm not. These songs aren't real. Sometimes I feel like they make me come up here at gunpoint, you know? 'Entertain us or die.' Or just starve, I guess."

I smiled. Nobody seemed to notice he wasn't singing.

"Sometimes I wish I was at gunpoint. Maybe I'd care then. You know? Maybe we'd all care if we knew we might die." He took a drink of water. "I was driving with a friend of mine the other day, and she looked at me and she said, 'You know what we need? We need to get some ice cream.' I said, 'You're damn right we need to get ice cream.' So we pulled into the nearest Dairy Queen and ordered blizzards. Big ones. I wish--I wish more people got convicted and just bought ice cream or something, you know? I know I never do. That's why I want to be doing this at gunpoint. So maybe I'd do it right."

My date came back and told me she wanted to go do something impulsive. I smiled and told her that was the best idea I'd heard all day.