San Marcos Quotes

“The trick is, don’t give in to the grief. Instead, I let myself feel it, embrace it, learn from it. In bed by 9:30, up at 7:00, breakfast, then off to school where I spend five mind-numbing hours living by the dictates of San Diego County’s Board of Education, the Western version of Mao’s Little Red Book.”
― Michael Benzehabe, Zonked Out: The Teen Psychologist of San Marcos Who Killed Her Santa Claus and Found the Blue-Black Edge of the Love Universe

“Advertising executives must be wringing their greedy hands over the prospect, anxious for their next holiday campaign. Mom is helpless before them all.
We’re not a family anymore. We’re a commodity in an Amazon database.
Are we humans, or consumers?”
― Michael Benzehabe, Zonked Out: The Teen Psychologist of San Marcos Who Killed Her Santa Claus and Found the Blue-Black Edge of the Love Universe

“All the neighborhood dogs can see right through me. They know. They aren’t even barking. Out of pity, I suppose.
The Carlucci’s dog is the worst barker in the neighborhood, but not today. I walk up to his gate and give it a shake. No reaction. He sits on the porch staring at me, like I ain’t nothin’. I look around and find a stick. I throw it at him.
Down deep, I really didn’t intend to hit him, but the stick bounces off his rump.
I cringe and cover my mouth. “Sorry,” I say.
The old dog just walks to his back yard, disgusted with the whole mess.
“You don’t understand,” I yell after him. “I’m having a life crisis!”
― Michael Benzehabe, Zonked Out: The Teen Psychologist of San Marcos Who Killed Her Santa Claus and Found the Blue-Black Edge of the Love Universe