So now I just sit and watch the windmill. Spin and spin.

And I figure if I watch long enough I will transported back through time to when I first learned what a windmill was and learned its ways. I learned that I had a windmill in my yard and not a giant prehistoric beast with long legs and triple necks that seemed always to work itself up into a fury.

I learned that most of our soldiers died so that our windmills could keep spinning. I also learned that to even mention soldiers dying is a deep a crime as any and that the state would have your hands broken for such a trespass.

I also learned to hold my mints in my mouth for as many rotations of that windmill as possible. And to count them each and not cheat in my counting. Eventually if you eat too many mints your back muscles curve and turn against you as humankind was never meant to go near the mint tree let alone grind its children up into candies.

I learn a lot just sitting and watching that windmill spin. Next week I expect it’ll teach me calculus.

Originally posted to
 Human Dog in 2003.
Written & Directed by: Michael Schwartz.