Gen X and the Gone World
What If We Are Losing Our Senses (and Ability to Discover Life Through Touch and Smell)
As a child, I had a tight-knit group of friends.
We always had the best adventures when we were together. Whenever one of us got into a fight, we all had each other’s backs. We were fighting together.
Our teachers had decided to split up our group, scattering us across the classroom.
“We are doing what’s best for you,” they said.
I was seated next to Pascale — a girl I hadn’t given much thought to before. Of course, for the sake of my friends, I had to pretend to dislike the new arrangement and act like sitting next to a girl was some medieval punishment.
But the truth was far from that.
Pascale and I quickly found a rhythm at our “two-student” desk, passing handwritten notes and sharing secret smiles when something happened in the classroom. And when she was upset, she grabbed my arm and squeezed.
I kept up appearances for my friends, played it cool, but I actually enjoyed sitting beside her. Class became less of a chore and more of an escape, a way to spend time that felt… different.
