Tom: I'm tired of my current world view.

Satan: That's a pretty broad complaint, do you think you can narrow it down a bit?

Tom: Well, I don't feel like I have a whole lot of long-term hope in my life. I think that the world view (reality-tunnel, whatever you want to call it) that I use as the basis for all of my actions is as accurate as it can possibly be, but it's kind of depressing.

Satan: Why?

Tom: I don't know if I believe in anything other than what I perceive. We're here, wherever here is, and this is all we've got. As I recently explained to a Christian friend, rather than making life meaningless, this "one-shot deal" approach imbues every action with importance. Since this is all we've got we have to make the most of it. I take it for granted that, as the existentialists say, this brings about tremendous responsibility, but I accept that and I am determined to make the most of it with the tools I have.

Satan: Do you feel like you're doing a satisfactory job of that?

Tom: Well, um, yes. Unless I let simple animal fears get to me too much or I forget the transient nature of everything I see and experience.

Satan: Then what's the problem?

Tom: Well, I AM going to die some day. Everything I ever knew and cared for will be gone. Won't that kind of suck?

Satan: Well, maybe, I suppose that depends on your point of view. At this point I would ask you to remember two things- you won't be around to experience the moment when everything you ever knew or cared for ceases to exist, and it's inevitable that that's going to happen, so there's no use getting too worked up about it anyways, right?

Tom: I guess not, but lately I've been considering constructing an alternate reality-tunnel to dip into from time to time where things work out happily ever after as my brain would like them to work out at any given moment. I call it my happily-ever-as-defined-by-me-at-any-given-moment world view.

Satan: That's a lot of hyphens.

Tom: Is that your only criticism?

Satan: Well, it's certainly no more egocentric than any of the world views espoused by any of the major religions. Are you sure you don't just miss believing in God?

Tom: No, not at all. That didn't even give me any real peace when I was five years old. It didn't stop pets from dying or forests from disappearing or people from going hungry. What I'm suggesting is simply being open to the possibility that there is data out there that I haven't encountered yet that might mutate my current everything-changes (goes "extinct") reality tunnel into something that doesn't seem quite so gloomy at times.

Satan: Knock yourself out, kid.

Tom: Thanks.

Satan: Well, look who it is. Had some sort of depressive fit of late?

Tom: Maybe. I don't know. I tell you this though- the thought of going to work tomorrow to pay my elecricity bill and a part of a credit card bill seems like the biggest fucking con in the world, and I'm the mark.

Satan: Can't take this shit much longer, eh?

Tom: Nope. But as the man said, "I would do anything for love..."

Satan: I hate that song.

Tom: Me too. But that's the only reason I'm here.

Satan: Sounds like you're making the most of the situation.

Tom: Oh fuck you. I joined a really cool band and it fuckin broke up. Nothing to do with me. I look around a little bit and nothing interests me. I'm going to finish recording my Squid single and play in the subway. That's about all I want to do musically at this point.

Satan: Great. You fascinate me.

Tom: Dude, I just cleaned the whole fuckin apartment, I'm sorry I'm too tired to entertain you...

Satan: Go to sleep.

Tom: I am asleep.