When I was thirteen I landed a summer job at a small mom and pop business, a combination lawn mower repair shop run by 'pop' and a picture framing business run by 'mom'. I often worked with mom in the morning (because my hands were clean) and with pop after lunch.
One morning late in the summer pop grabbed me before heading into mom's shop and told me he needed me all day. He directed me towards an old beat up riding lawnmower and simply said "Fix it". When I asked what was wrong he snapped as he turned away "Won't start".
I had been working there for several month, so while I knew the diagnostic routine this was my first solo affair. Sheepishly I walked over to where pop was working and asked "Where do I start?" He answered cryptically "At the beginning."
Flummoxed I walked back to my machine and stared at it, hoping it would further instruct me. It did not. Of course I knew what to do and the owner knew that as well. So after a little more dithering and stalling I got over my fear and started at the beginning.
Thankfully On The Beach isn't as cryptic as pop was and lays out in Essay Three the steps we need to follow to begin the Antidote.
