The idea was brilliant. It was. Really. But was it possible? They thought so. And so, without hesitation, they stopped the flow of money. No banks would accept checks. The government, with all the money that it owed, was so hooked on the idea that “money” was wrong, and that it created social classes, ranking people as well as items based on importance.

That, was 60 years ago. I was just 14. Perhaps at 74, I should’ve already come to terms with it. But unlike my family, and, well, all of society, I believed that all this “idea” has resulted in is Sameness. Every house was torn down and new ones, each exactly alike, were put up. It was meant to make everyone, well, equal. In fact, for almost four years of my life, I lived right next to a serial killer. Needless to say that it wasn’t exactly how I’d imagined my life.

Even up to this day, I still believe that I am the only sane one. However, my neighbors come up to me every day, each biting into their daily apple, and tell me how incredible Sameness is. They, and the rest of society, are glad that they no longer are compared to others. We are all equal. Perhaps I just perceive things differently, but I’ve always thought that anyone with common sense wouldn’t want to live in or eat the same foods as every other human being every day.

As I was taking my daily walk this morning, I noticed something small and green in the bushes. It had faded to a dark brown. It was a one-dollar bill. I slowly picked it up. One-dollar was worth a fortune now. I quietly slid it into my pocket. Perhaps I would need it later.