Disappointment in My Generation.

At work today I overheard a mother chastising her son,
"Holden," she said curtly, "you have enough water, get over here now!"

Its always a little awkward to observe parenting so I try to make conversation with her. "So you're a big fan of literature?" I ask. She gives me a blank look. Just stares. "His name" I say, "Holden, like Holden Caulfield?" Her mother comes up and seems surprised. "That name is in a book??"

At this point I just feel dumbfounded. I read The Catcher in the Rye when I was 15 and between a husband, wife and her mother none of them even know that the name of their offspring comes from a great literary character?

I just kind of went about cutting their fabric and said, "well, if he grows up to be a crazy rebel of a teenager I guess now you know where he got it from." And I silently wept inside. Because they looked at me like I was crazy.