smart_ass raze the man who didn't make me but had a hand in making the two tiny people i called my sisters used to say, "don't be smart," when he thought i was giving him lip. there were phrases he kept coming back to. a sort of emotional shorthand. some were questions. "do you wanna die?" was one. most of them were threats. "i'll give you something to cry about." or he would say he'd give one of the kids whatever they were asking for, and then he'd punch his open palm to let them know they didn't want what they thought they did. once, when he told me not to be smart, i said, "what should i be then? stupid?" i waited for him to hit me or scream or ask if i wanted his blood. all he did was repeat himself. "don't be smart." 240829 ... epitome of incomprehensibility My mother was generally less of an asshole, but I hated how she used to say, "Don't talk back." I'd think, both literally and rebelliously, how does anyone have a conversation if no one "talks back"?? 240830 what's it to you? who go blather from