Destroying the Youth of America

An earnest young man sat in my office tonight tapping away at a computer. I assumed he was a fill-in editor, although I didn’t give it much thought, as earnest young types tend to circulate through the newsroom like slightly stale air that, at first, seems fresh. As the lad stood to leave, he turned to my editor in chief and said, “Thank you so much for today. It was really interesting to see all the craziness around here. I really enjoyed it and hope to come back.”

I looked at him for a slow-motion second and then blurted out: “Oh, wait!…That wasn’t sarcasm.”

My editor and I then broke into hysterical laughter that continued as his back faded off into the distance.

Interns. I was one once, too.