You ruined / my childhood
A Pennywise the Clown post.
"Hey! Got a minute?" says the message from your manager, at 4:58 on a Friday. No context. No emoji. You have never felt so welcome, or so afraid. The office birthday card comes back with your name on it. Inside, Karen from accounts has written "Another year closer!!" with a smiley face. Closer to what, Karen. You're on the treadmill when a man in a branded polo shirt walks over, beaming, to ask if you've considered a personal trainer. You can't leave. You're on a treadmill. He knows. Your neighbour leans over the fence. "Lots of deliveries lately!" she says, with the warmth of someone who has been counting. She has been counting. It's 14. **Why it caught on:** Tim Curry's Pennywise, from the 1990 miniseries of Stephen King's It, works by friendly offers with something underneath, which is how the internet ended up using him to wish friends a happy birthday and a little dread.