:20:02
but I had no friends.
:20:06
The rules were complex,
multifarious.
:20:09
In his free time he had to shop,
:20:11
with draw cash from ATMs
:20:14
and pay the various authorities
which governed his life.
:20:20
Buying a bed
was fraught with problems.
:20:27
For one thing, delivery.
:20:30
It means taking
half a day off work.
:20:34
That's a lot of hassle.
:20:36
Then maybe it doesn't arrive,
:20:39
or the bed's too big for the stairs,
:20:43
and there goes another half-day.
:20:48
It's true for all big items.
:20:52
The accumulated worries
can seriously upset
:20:56
a sensitive being.
:21:00
But the bed,
:21:02
of all furnishings,
poses its own,
:21:06
very painful problem.
:21:09
To keep the salesman's respect,
:21:12
you have to buy a double,
:21:15
whether or not you need it
:21:18
or have room for it.
:21:21
To buy a single bed
:21:24
is to admit
you have no sex life,
:21:26
nor any plans for one
in the near or distant future.
:21:31
Beds last ages today.
Longer than the warranty.
:21:36
Much longer than marriages.
:21:38
It's a major investment.
:21:40
But buying a standard double bed
isn't enough.
:21:45
Even a queen-size
makes you look cheap and petty.
:21:52
To salesmen,
:21:54
only a king-size bed
is worth purchasing.
:21:59
That's how you get
their respect and esteem,