his is a true anecdote: my friend lived with a man named 'The Loaf'. The Loaf would lie about all day, doing little aside from breathing and staring. If possible, he chose not to do. He would not turn the television on, and if it were already on, he would not change the channel. If the phone rang, he would sit unflinching. Once, to my surprise, I heard him quietly exclaim, 'the phone is ringing'. I thought his murmur signaled the beginning of a new trend in activity; not the case. He seemed to like coffee. He seemed quite content.
- S.T.