25 October 1996

The House of Paranoia

There's a town near here where all the houses have names, not numbers. Most of the names are rather formal if not pretentious, e.g., Albion, Windermere, Olde Orchards, Troutbrook, et cetera. No one who lives there uses the proper names, they've given each house the name it's earned.

My favorite is the House of Anarchy. Parts of it always seem to be falling off, and the yard is littered with children's toys, milk bottles--both full and empty--and plants that are either coming or going. The House of Anarchy is just down the street from the House of Paranoia, which is hidden behind a large hedge and a tall fence with "Beware of Dogs" signs.

I hear the House of Paranoia gets burgled a lot. I'm not sure if that's because the owners are paranoid or if that's why they're paranoid. It's one of those things.