Saltine crackers. A jar of peanut butter. Some Cheezits left in a box. The old man rummages through his bookshelf and behind The Brothers Karamazov is a can of tuna hiding from him. The date expires a month from now.

He opens the can with a rusty opener. Pours the tuna water into a plastic bag hanging on his door knob and picks at it with his dirty fingers, placing the fish on a Saltine. He devours the whole thing in one bite, wishing there was more.

Phil Schaap is on WKCR talking about Bird. Speaking on the subject of Parker with strings. Telling stories about old movie theaters where Bird  played before shows and intermission.

The radio is transistor. Schaap reminds us that a lot of people don’t even know what a radio is these days. That time has passed, the old man whispers. It’s all leaving us behind, he says to his cat. And what do we have? Better technology? He laughs. People are looking at a phone constantly instead of talking to a woman at the same table or a barstool next to them. Better indeed.

Time moves on, he says to El Gato. Time moves on. And a few of us get left behind. We few. We lucky few.