It's not always the C, the A, the N, the C, the E, the R that gets you in the end. It's not always the stray or the intended bullet. It's not the bad heart, the bad liver, the Mad Cow disease, Anthrax, the knock out punch of a heavyweight fighter. And it's not the bus that comes out of nowhere to plow you over. Nope, sometimes what gets you in the end is the Boogeyman. Yep, the Boogeyman – the guy your parents warned you about. You know him. He's the guy who slept under your bed…rented a room in your house…spent endless hours in your closet. Why do you think mom warned you about going in the closet? He was there when life was young and so full of promise. And when your guardian angel took restroom breaks, he slipped right in there. But he was never some wild-eyed, maniacal force of evil. It was never
like he was the child molester down the block or the town axe-murderer. It was never as simple as that. He was much more subtle in his desire to wear you down. Nope, the Boogeyman was a metaphor for all of those unrealized dreams, shattered dreams, squandered opportunities, unrequited love, bad love, crazy love, and devastating loneliness. Call it what you will. I call it the Boogeyman. He still sleeps under your bed. Sometimes he scares the hell out of you. Sometimes he wins. Sometimes you gotta listen to your parents. Did you really think the Boogeyman would get you if you didn't eat your breakfast cereal? It was always more complicated than that.
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