Day 108: Pride Goes Before a Fall

It would be much too long for me to write the whole story, so here is the summarized version, separated into segments, of what I am planning to write.

The Radio Shack that Manager Zhou runs offers lower prices than other Radio Shacks, but that could be because he gets his products from the black market and can sell them cheaper.  They could be more prone to break though.  This is just a rumor though, perhaps created from the Best Buy a few streets down.

Manager Zhou had all sorts of tactics to convince James to come in.  There was a loud bugle noise as the door opened.  Manager Zhou passed out coupons and offered free items (such as batteries) if you bought something. James wasn't interested in the sale but did see Manager Zhou was hiring.  He asked how much he paid and then took the job.  Xin Dezhi, the cell phone guy, used to work at the store but had gotten demoted. 

James worked hard for a while, pulling extra shifts, talked politely to all the customers who came in, and pulled in large sales of laptops, televisions, cameras, and gaming systems and other kids' toys, which propels himself above the other employees there.  He even becomes friends with his regular customers, including a young pre-teen named Lily.  She is going with her class to a field trip to Columbia in a couple of months, and she plans on making videos and taking pictures.  James helps her select the right camera and she comes in periodically to purchase accessories and programs that would help her.  She wants to practice with it, so she is an expert for her trip.

A few months later, a lovely young woman wearing a cheerful pale yellow dress came into the store.  James was nice to her and seemed to connect with her.  He called her Pila, which is Hindi for yellow, since she wouldn't reveal her name and he was Hindi.  Pila was lost in life and wanted to find something that would satisfy her.  Manager Zhou thought a woman working at the store would increase sales, so he hired her.

James felt a little threatened.  Pila was getting all the attention, but James continued to work hard, hoping it would all work out.  Then Pila started to become friends with his customers, the ones he had worked so hard to build a relationship with, including Lily.

Manager Zhou decides to hold a contest to pick his new vice manager.  Manager Zhou hadn't needed one, but now his business was growing so much that he needed someone to help him while he spent time opening another store at the other side of town.  Whoever brought in the most sales by the end of next month would get the position.

Pila, somewhat quiet, honest, and enjoyed meditations, drew customers to her with her sincerity and beauty.  James starts to take matters into his own hands to make sure he gets the position.  He pays Xin Dezhi to tell people to look for him in the store.  He approaches a different family member and tries to convince them to buy something so they share the sales.  When that still doesn't work, he resorts to telling people to shop somewhere else.  If he can't get the sales, at least she wouldn't be able to.  His plan starts working.  He checks the log and sees that he is winning.

The day before the contest ends, when Lily is in the store, James tells another customer to shop somewhere else for a better camera, the one that Lily bought.  She hears this and approaches James, asking him why he lied, wondering if the camera she bought had been faulty too.  James denies it and says he wouldn't lie to her.  She believes him and says he shouldn't lie.  Her mother taught her lying is wrong.  She should do the best in everything she does.  The satisfaction she gets from doing right is its own reward.  James tells the customer the truth, and he checks out with Pila.  James is good for the rest of the day, gets a few customers on his own, but Pila ends up selling a TV on the last minute while he is busy with other customers.  This makes Pila win.

James decides to quit, not because he is a sore loser, but he is tired of having to work in that kind of climate.  He does have some money saved, and he has a clear conscience. 

Day 107: Desparate Sales Tactics

I need to do some drafting for a short story. The man has lost everything due to pride and revenge, and my plot is questioning whether he learned from his mistakes.

James pulled on the lever and backed his truck out of the way.  He lowered the lever and made the front scoop up a large mound of dirt which he drove to a pile of dirt that he had been collecting all morning.  His job was so tedious, and James hated it.  What else could he do though?  He had no family.  His previous job as a laborer on a farm had ended after the harvest.  This was the only job that had come up, and he needed to take it. 

His shift ended, and James wiped the sweat off his brow.  He decided he needed to go home and take a shower.  He couldn't afford hot water, but at least he would get a shower.  He walked down the sidewalk, keeping an eye out for any loose change on the sidewalk, when something caught his attention.

A man dressed in a giant grey cell phone costume was dancing outside of Radio Shack holding a white sign that read "GIANT Sale!!"  The cell phone buttons that were on the costume were made up of fluorescent light bulbs and kept flashing red, green, blue, and white.  The man waved his sign right in front of James' face and cried, "Come on in!  Don't be shy!  You won't regret it!"

"I think I would," James replied and tried to walk around the dancing buffoon, but Cell Phone Man wouldn't let him.

"Come in just for a minute.  Radio Shack is bound to have something you'd like."

James bit his lip as he glanced inside and back onto the sidewalk.  It was impossible to walk around the cell phone that was taller than him.  He would be forced to walk in the road, and traffic was too busy.  The cell phone was wide enough to fill almost the whole sidewalk.  James tried one more time to dart around him when the front door opened and a large overweight man with a long, black curling mustache

"Welcome to Radio Shack!  We have everything you can imagine.  The latest iPads, the newest cases for your phones and laptops, the best selection of video games in the city."  And with that, he pulled James inside and started giving him a tour of the entire store, making him try out their headphones, use the gaming console, and interact with whatever other gadget he could.

Day 106: Similes and Metaphors

 This is an exercise my teacher gave me a few months back.  It's various sentences that you fill in the blanks for, and they're supposed to help you write similes and metaphors.

As/Like/Finish the Sentence

1. A spider on an old man's beard is like a speck of sin on a pure snowy heart.
2. The oars on the boat rowed as if they were knives gliding through soft salty butter.
3. Nothing was the same, now that it was winter, and the snow had draped over all the tree boughs, confusing the girls from which why was the correct way home.
4. The wino took to coma like donkeys take to carrying heavy loads.
5. The dice rolled out of the cup toward Len like Jack and Jill tumbling down the hill.
6. A child in costume is like a witch doctor in a mask.
7. Puffy clouds in your glass of wine are gross.
8. The drum cover is like muscles stretched taut over bone.
9. The fog plumed through the gunshot holes in the train windows like the billowing pillars that can be found in Rome.
10. The gray honor walked up the satin plank as if he were walking through the woods with his lover's arm linked through his arm.
11. Canceled checks in the abandoned boat seem forlorn.
12. If I should wake before I die, I would soak up every minute I still had left.
13. Alannah poured coffee down her throat as if she hadn't drunk any in years.
14. Up is like down when your head is not around.
15. You mine rocks from a quarry. What you get from a quandary is like scattered puzzle pieces that came from the rock chips of the quarry.
16. Marlene dangled the parson from her questions as if he were treacherous.
17. She held her life in her own hands as if it were a baby bird fallen from a nest.
18. "No, no, a thousand times no," he said, his hand vibrating up and down from rage.
19. The solution was hydrochloric acid; the problem was, therefore, a skin disease.
20. Love is to open sky as loathing is to a grave.

Day 105: My Dream

I had a horrible dream last night.  It was scary because I felt like it all was happening to me, and it was based on historical events.  It was the Holocaust.

My family and I had a guest staying with us, a woman named Margo.  I believe she is supposed to be based on the woman who eventually gave out where Anne and her family were hiding.  During my dream, she seemed to have the potential to be unstable.  She started acting really irritated and nervous about the whole situation.  I think I felt I had to placate her and make her feel part of the family by spending special time with her or else she'd give away that we were hiding from the government.

We had gathered some of our precious belongings in bags, and we decided the safest place to hide for now was in our house.  We locked everything, pulled the blinds, rearranged things in the house so you couldn't see inside, and blocked every way space of free window.  Then we bundled together in the living room and waited.  More than once German soldiers surrounded our house or were marching around.  I remember seeing two of their silhouettes through the front door window.  One time they came storming in the house, but we were able to hide enough while (I think) my dad killed them.

The worse part about all this was the fear that I felt.  A terror seized my heart like none I had ever experienced.  I had to stay indoors all day, forget about college and the assignments I had to do.  I had to be deathly quiet, no TV or loud conversations, because we didn't want the soldiers knowing anyone was home.  Everything safe and familiar I had known was stripped away from me.  Fear that we would be caught, fear that we would be separated from each other, fear that we would die.  These fears were so strong that I could not relax.  I was always on alert.  My heart ached from the prickles of fear.  The only time I felt it soften slightly was when we prayed over dinner.  Knowing we were talking to a higher power took me away from the terror of that world.

The dream ended with all of us gathering what money we had and our possessions as we prepared to leave the house and make a run for it.  The alarm abruptly ended it all.  In the dream, I had thought, "It would help me feel calmer if I live every day like it was my last day to live," and I thoroughly believed it.  Believing in it seemed to prepare me for a death that seemed sure to come.  When I woke up from my dream, I thought, "God's grace gave me a second chance." 

I can't tell you how relieved I was to find our it was all a dream, but I was still in shock.  I tried to imagine how horrible life must have been for them, but I never felt it until now.  The saddest part is there are people out there right now who are living with that fear.  They fear persecution from their government, that they will be imprisoned or killed.  Christian missionaries live in secret because governments may kill them and break up families.  The people from the Boston marathon and Texas plant have already had the fear of losing lived ones become a reality.  Be thankful we live in the country we do with all the glorious freedoms it has and pray for those who are still living my nightmare.

Day 104: Holy of Holies

The Prompt: Write a short story about, "The glory lifted from the temple."

The Levite High Priest walked solemnly through the doors of the temple, with an entourage of priests walking sanctimoniously behind him.  No one could tell that the High Priest was terrified.  After all, this was only his third time walking into the temple as High Priest, and now he had to trek into the Holy of Holies, alone.  Plenty of priests had done it before, but that didn't stop him from being scared about coming face to face with the glory of God.  It was practically seeing the face of God and being allowed to walk away alive.  The very thought of it made him shiver.

The High Priest did all the initial tasks he was supposed to do at the temple.  Then, it was time for him to enter the Holy of Holies.  The priests, with their palms pressed together in front of them, gave a respectful nod of their heads before they turned around.  The High Priest took a deep breath and shakily lifted the veil that separated the parts of the temple with his eyes squeezed shut.  He expected the Holy of Holies to feel different, like the air being lighter or a particular sweet smell, but the room felt exactly the same.  He slowly opened his eyes, expecting to find an apparition of God floating about.  All that existed was the intricately designed Ark of the Covenant with the golden mercy seat.  The High Priest smiled at its beauty.  It was tempting to touch one of the cherubim's wings, but he refrained.

The High Priest thought it was proper to kneel down now and ask for the forgiveness of Israel.  He thought back to all of the friends and family he had come to know and love over the decades he had been alive and thought about the struggles they were going through now.  It broke his heart, and as he thought about their sins, he felt even more distressed.  He whispered prayers about each person to God.  As he prayed, he started to feel a rush of wind surround him.  He paused his prayers for a moment and opened one eye, only to squeeze it shut again and fall face first on the ground.  A white light shone, brighter than the sun.  It did not feel hot, but it shone constantly.  The High Priest felt a calmness descend on his heart, an experience unlike anything he had ever known.  The peace gave him strength and joy.  He didn't want to move but bask in this bliss forever.  After a  minute, he started praying again about Israel, but his words reflected a new confidence. 

When he believed that he had finished praying, he felt the rushing wind again as the glory of God lifted from the temple.  Then there was strong silence.  The High Priest lifted his head and looked around.  Everything was as it was when he had entered.  With a final bow, The High Priest reluctantly left the room and walked through the veil.  His spirit still felt light from experiencing God's glory.  He felt certain he could lead the Israelites in the way God wanted him too.  He was already looking forward to the next time he could enter into the inner sanctuary.  

Author's Picks for March

I made the post closer to the beginning of the month this time.  Eventually it will be within the first week.

1. Day 87: Mount of Olives

2. Day 88: Good Friday

3. Day 75: The Leprechaun

The holiday ones were really fun to write.  It made the holidays more enjoyable for me and I hope for you as well! 

Day 103: Noises Part 3

The Prompt: Describe thunder.  You can't use the words loud, booming, or cracking.

There is a distant rumble that you hear, a rolling noise that tempts to come closer but falls back.  You forget about it and go back with your business.  You hear the noise again.  It creeps even closer.  The volume has increased.  As this cycle continues, you are caught off guard each time it goes off, getting closer in succession.  Suddenly, the noise explodes, so great it makes objects rattle in your house.  Its tone is a deep baritone that lingers in the sticky air.

Day 102: Noises Part 2

The Prompt: Describe the sounds of the clicking keyboard as you type.

The keys of the keyboard sound differently from each other, and the noises vary in how fast you type and how often you press the keys.  The space bar gets drawn out a little longer and has a more loud noise, like it is trying to get someone's attention, and lasts with a louder thump.  The rest of the keys land softer.  You can also detect some of my nails as they scrape along the keys.

The perception of the keys vary to different people.  Certain writers find the sound of the keys to be quite relaxing or comforting.  It means that they are witnessing ideas that are being created within their hearing.  Some students studying in a library might find the noises on a keyboard distracting, while others might hate the sound completely because the fast pace makes them anxious or reminds them of the reverberation of glass bottles clunking together. 

Day 101: Noises Part 1

The Prompt: Describe a heater turning on.  What does it sound like?

I am describing a standing fan because we do not have a heater in the house.

The first thing you hear is a tiny click sound as the button scrapes as the switch inside to turn the fan on.  Then, the motor starts to whirl up, just like an airplane's propeller starts rotating rapidly as it warms up to fly down the runway for takeoff.  The fan's motor is somewhat loud.  It's only obnoxious when you hear it while you are trying to concentrate.  It doesn't hit against something but constantly whirs, like a hummingbird's wings.  The motor modulates in volume, creeping up in volume and then falling back down, all in a space of a few seconds per cycle.

Day 100: The Mystery

Yay for writing for 100 days, which should have been on Thursday.

The Prompt:  Freewrite for three minutes starting with this phrase:  The door slowly opened and ____ appeared.

The door slowly opened and the man appeared, the man of her dreams, the one she was going to marry.  She was certain of it.

"Hi," she said shyly, as she rose from her table.

"You must be Maggie," he said in a smooth voice that make her mouth go dry.

She wetted her lips, "Yes, and you must be Blake."

"You look much more beautiful in person than your picture online.  It doesn't do you justice."

She resisted the urge from blushing.  "Thank you.  You're taller than I expected, but I like that."

He laughed, a deep, rich laugh that sent goosebumps down her arms.  He pushed her back into her chair and sat down himself.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering us an appetizer.  Do you like cheese sticks?"

"Are you kidding? I love them!"

She beamed.  He was a keeper.  Or so she thought.  It took her about twenty minutes to realize that the man of her dreams was that.  A dream.

Blake was devastatingly handsome and seemed polite, but that was it.  The first thing that made her feel off-guard about him was the fact that he had been in and out of employment for the past few years.  Who knows what could have been the reason for that, but stability is important.  Then it was the fact that he owned five dogs: a Boston terrier, a beagle, a pit bull, and two mastiffs.  Quite a combination.  Then he mentioned something about his favorite TV show being about hunting and living in the wild.  He said he wished he could live off of the land, where a real man belonged, accompanied by man's best friends.  Then she found out his apartment was in a shady part of town.  She was quite irritated that when he pulled out his wallet to pay for the bill, his little black book fell out.  Then he realized he didn't have enough money for the bill and made her pay for it, along with the tip.  The last straw was when he let out a large belch before he left the table.  Maggie quickly offered that she could walk herself to the car.  She said she'd try emailing him when she got time.  She was busy with a big project at work though, so he shouldn't be worried if he doesn't hear from her for a few weeks...or more.

Day 99: Dark Contemplations

The Prompt: Describe Jonah's experience in the whale.  Be descriptive.

A Whale Shark, the possible fish that ate Jonah.

Jonah opened his eyes and tried to stop his body from shaking.  He couldn't see a thing, but the smell of rotting fish was so pungent it made Jonah want to puke.  He struggled to take some deep breaths to calm down without getting sick.  The area that contained him was rather small.  He was sitting on something firm yet pliable (kind of like a water bed in modern day terms), but he couldn't sit up all the way without hitting his head.  He could barely turn around.  He was sitting in water, and he could feel objects, probably half-eaten seafood, floating around.

"How I am I not dead?"  He thought back about his voyage on the ship.  God had been angry with him, and with good reason.  He had disobeyed God, disregarding a direct order.  He deserved death, and he had fully anticipated it.  Being in this fish though, he wasn't sure how he would die.  If he didn't, he had no idea how he could get out.  Jonah didn't care to try escaping.  He felt depressed and deeply ashamed.

"Forgive me, Lord.  I know I could never be worthy enough to ask it from you.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I...I guess I hoped you would find someone else for the job.  I didn't want to go to Nineveh.  I thought they were going to attack me right on the spot.  They hate ones who worship You.  But I'm ready, Lord.  If you release me from this belly, I will go straight to Nineveh to deliver Your message."

Jonah stared in front of him, expecting the mouth of the whale to open up.  Nothing.  Jonah didn't feel any better.  He shivered from the cold water but didn't try to move.  He had a lot more feelings to sort through before God would consider releasing him.

Day 98: Looking Back on Life

It's funny how life changes, isn't it?  When I was seven years old, I didn't think I'd ever get the dog I'd always wanted.  However, a few years later, my mom was driving home when she noticed a dog lying on the side of the road.  It had gotten hit by a car, his back leg twisted and bloody.  I didn't think he was going to make it.  My mom took him to the humane society, where they operated on him.  By a miracle, they were able to save his life, minus a leg.  We adopted him, and within two years, Tripod was beating me in any race I had with him.  I never would have thought that.

One of my greatest goals in life was to get married.  I daydreamed often about the kind of woman I'd someday married, but she never seemed to come around.  I started to doubt I would ever find Mrs. Franklin.  I was too blind to see that I interacted with her five days a week at school.  We were in three classes together.  I thought she was nice, but she was so different from the women I had been interested in at the time.  She had raven black hair and was rather quiet most of the time.  She never really shared much about herself to me.  I didn't realize she had admired me from a distance until she offered to study with me one night at the library.  Her quiet loyalty through the following months made me stop to get to know her.  We've now been married for 37 years, have four children, and three grandchildren.

I laugh when I think back on how I used to think.  I was afraid of things that never mattered, worried over problems that all ended up working out, and had plans for my life that turned out much differently (yet better) than I ever imagined possible

Day 97: Lost and Found

"Sometimes in life you have to lose something in order to find it."  My mother said this in her yoga class the other day, and the more I hear it, the more I love it.  It can be relatable to so many situations.  For example...

• My sister says it's her sanity, probably due to the stress that comes from too many responsibilities or tough math problems.  I've experienced the pressure that makes you want to throw in the towel.  It's through these times that push you to the edge that you get some clarity.  Think of Thomas Edison.  You struggle and keep coming up with the wrong answer.  Nothing seems to work.  Your "sanity" could be your patience or ideas.  Then, when you think you've exhausted all your strength, you get success and "find" the answer.
• Sometimes when you lose something, you have an epiphany on the journey that it takes for you to find it.
• The most important example is found in Luke 15 with Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son.  He lost all he had before he found the truth.  This tends to be true for most people before they become Christians.  It also reminds me of Britt Nicole's song, "Lost Get Found."   

Day 96: Commitment

Over a week.  This is crazy.  I have a lot of writing to catch up on!  :(  I had a lot of work this week, but there were some days where I could have come on for a little.  I just wasn't motivated enough.  You know what, though?  That is how problems are.  You put something off for a day or too, and the more time that goes by, the less motivated you become.  Your tiny problem that can be fixed easily soon snowballs into something overwhelming.

This leads back to commitment.  The definition of the word is "the state of being bound emotionally or intellectually to a course of action" or a pledge, which means "a solemn binding promise to do something."  When you promise to do something small or large, you need to be aware of the compromises you might need to make in order to fulfill that promise.  Stay emotionally involved and remember why you're doing it.

As Christians, we have a commitment to God.  We might not want to take the time to pray or read our Bibles, but if we really love God, we need to.  I struggle with this too.  What would happen if Jesus didn't follow through with His commitment on earth?  We'd be doomed!  He didn't want to die, but He loved us.  We owe Him, even if it's only five minutes.  I know it can be hard, but you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Phil. 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Day 95: Lot's Wife

The Prompt: What was Lot's wife thinking as she looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah?

All that screaming and shouting sound terrible.  Those are the cries of my neighbors, my friend Moriah.  What horrible things are happening to them?  Why don't the angels want us to look back?  Is it bloody?  Are there wild beasts?  The sulfur stings my nose.  How is it even on the city?  And I smell...wood burning.  There must be a fire.  What part of the city could be burning? Has it reached my house yet?  I worked so hard to make that house a home, and now everything we owned is going to be engulfed in brutal flames.  I can feel the heat of the fire.  The smell is so strong it's choking me.  It must be nearing us.  I'm so afraid.  What if it catches up to us?  Maybe we should run.  Oh I just have to turn around for a quick moment, just to see if we're far enough away from danger.

Day 94: Appreciating God's Beauty

 The Prompt: You and the congregation are in a forest and you want to have a church service.  What happens?  Describe the service.

If you have ever watched The Waltons, this is inspired by Grandpa's feelings about Walton's Mountain.

It was a gorgeous day.  The sun was beating heavily down on the heads of the congregation below.  The sky was as blue as could be.  Every bird from the forest must have been out that afternoon singing the sweetest tunes you've ever heard, and the smell!  The sweet scent of evergreens and a light shower from an hour ago filled the nostrils of them as they hiked on over the path.  Of course not every member of the congregation was there, but about three quarters were, ranging from as young as 9 to as old as 73.  They had intended this to be a community project to clean up the litter that had accumulated across the highway.  With so many hands, they were able to finish much sooner than necessary.  Since the weather was so nice, Pastor Reynolds had suggested that they go for a small hike on the trail that was nearby, and the congregation agreed.

They had journeyed through that forest for about an hour, and the sun's rays were making them tired.  Thankfully, Olivia Reynolds had the foresight to suggest to her husband that they should pack a lunch.  Resting for lunch seemed like a perfect idea after hiking.  As they ate, Pastor Reynolds' spirit filled with adoration for the beauty that surrounded them.  Once he saw that about everyone had finished, he assumed his familiar position standing in front of the crowd. 

"Friends!  I wanted to say that I am completely and utterly in awe by the Lord's great creation.  Can I hear an 'Amen'?"

"Amen!" they responded in unison.

"If it's okay with you, I wanted to take a few minutes just to sing a couple songs to worship God.  I feel like singing!"

He began singing the opening lines to "My Father's World," and Becky quickly joined in to lead everyone in her sweet soprano voice.  After that song, Becky started singing "How Great is Our God" followed by a contemporary song "Testify to Love."  The group was having much more fun singing than they had imagined.  The children clapped their hands.  A few couples held hands as they stared to the skies.  At one time or another, everyone raised a hand in surrender and praise.  After the song ended, Pastor Reynolds felt led to say a few words in prayer.

"Dear God, we all are so inspired by your great world you have entrusted into your care.  Thank you for blessing us with this splendid day and being with us as we were able to clean up the litter on the road and make the environment a little cleaner.  Thank you for bringing us together today, not only so we could use this opportunity to bring glory to You, but to have some time to fellowship with our friends.  Please bless and protect us on our walk back to our cars.  Help us to find a little beauty in our surroundings every day.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

They echoed an "Amen."  Then one person uttered, "Say a few extra words, Pastor!"  Pastor Reynolds was not expecting to preach but could not deny the request.  He wasn't sure what to say, but he ended up preaching a bit on how Jesus would preach in the wilderness.  He knew when the time was right to take the time to praise God and when to appreciate nature.  After sharing with them a few verses from the Psalms that came to his mind, Pastor Reynolds suggested that they walk back to the road, and with their hearts full of joy, the congregation traveled back the way they came.

I wanted to end this with a little update on what I have planned for the summer.  I have decided to name my series with Pastor Reynolds and his congregation Maple Heights.  In the future, I intend on expanding more upon the worship team, the Reynolds household, and members of his congregation.  Look out for them!

Day 93: Anger Management Course

Tony raised his right fist back and swung it forward with a force that made his muscles quiver. The punching bag jerked back and forth into the air as Tony swiftly threw punch after punch.  His teeth were gritted, and he grunted with each time his fist made impact with the black bag.

“Good!” Larry Reynolds cheered.  “Now, focus.  Think about every situation you’ve had this week that has made you mad.  Channel all of that pent-up anger and frustration into your punches.  Imagine that you’re punching every person that has upset you.”

Tony smirked and punched harder as he imagined the punching bag to have a balding head with a bad comb-over and wearing silver-rimmed circular glasses, just like what his anger management instructor was wearing.  Whoosh!  A punch for all the ludicrous rules that were supposed to bring across healing but only made him feel more like he was participating in a three-ring circus.  Another one for all the hours he had poured into attending this irritating course and having no results to show for it.  And again for being forced to put up with all the adversities in his life right now.  He was sick of life and sick of everything.  Then the punching bag morphed into that man with the annoyingly high-pitched voice that sat next to him who claimed to know more about how to survive in the class, even though this was his fourth enrollment.  Then the obnoxious voice transformed into his former boss, whose fault it was in the first place for him having to attend this stupid course. 

He gave the bag one last swing and steadied it from shaking.  He was breathing heavily. 

“Excellent job, Tony!” the instructor clapped.  “Don’t you feel better?  By taking the time to channel your anger like this, you less likely to lash out at people when you’re angry.”

Tony rolled his eyes as he walked past “Professor” and slumped back down in his seat, a few drops of sweat dripping from his forehead.

Ever since he was a boy, Tony had possessed a habit of calling people by nicknames, which were usually insulting.  This preference usually got him into trouble, usually with his mother or teachers.  Tony eventually came to the conclusion that his nicknames weren’t worth the trouble they caused.  He decided to keep the names in his head.

Jerry, the resident anger management expert, laughed.  “You beat that thing to death!”

Tony didn’t answer, hoping “Squeaky” would take the hint and shut up.  Sadly, Jerry wasn’t the brightest car on the lot.

“You know, I remember when I did the punching bag thing for the first time.  It was so exhilarating!  I even knocked the bag off the hook.  And the teacher yelled at me for being so reckless, saying I needed to control my anger.  I thought that’s what the punching was for, so I gave him a swing to show how I felt about his advice.”

“You know, Jerry, that’s not a bad idea.  In fact I’m tempted to try that on you if you don’t shut up in another minute!”

Indignation blazed in Jerry’s eyes.  “Are you threatening me?  I swear if you even move a finger I’ll-“

“Hey,” a deep voice warned from behind them.  It was Andrew, a guy who volunteered to be a teacher’s aide during the course.  “Knock it off now, guys.  Aren’t you learning anything in this course?  Anger does not solve any problems.  Both of you walk away for a minute and take some deep breaths to cool off.”

The beginning to my short story I blogged about yesterday.

Day 92: The Smiler

I have another story due for my fiction writing class in a couple of days, so I am using today's post, and possibly tomorrow's, to write about it.  It is about a man who is unwillingly going to anger management classes.  Tony has just run out of gas because he was too stubborn to fill up when he should have.  "Abe" is Tony's nickname for the man.  I think he's going to have an inner habit of nicknaming everyone.  I was going to have this towards the end of the story, but I think I'm going to move it towards the beginning instead.  Tony will be on his way home from a meeting, and the story will mainly be about this car ride with "Abe."

"This is just great!" Tony shouted and pounded on the dashboard.  His fist stung from the impact of the hard surface, but he didn't care.  The next gas station was miles away, and he didn't even make a gas container.  He decided the best thing to do would be to call a tow truck or, even better, his wife to bring some gas or pick him up.  Before he could make the call though, a red SUV pulled off to the side of the road and parked in front of him.

"Just what I need, some do-gooder to nose into my business."

He was just about to that he was fine and didn't need any help when his tongue got caught on the roof of his mouth.  It was Abe, from his anger management classes, the annoying guy who wouldn't stop smiling.  Tony rolled down his window.

"Well, hi, Tony!  Fancy meeting you out here!  What's the problem?" His voice boomed jolly like Santa Claus' and there was a smile streaked across his face.

"I ran out of gas," Tony answered sullenly, not wanting to spread his pride to the world.

"Oh that's a shame!  But you're in luck.  I'll take you to the gas station."

Tony knew that's exactly what Abe would offer to do.  Rather than go through the same old conversation of "I hope it's not an inconvenience" and "Oh not at all," Tony answered, "Thanks.  That's nice of you."

"Think nothing of it.  Hop in."  He walked back to his car and Tony followed him, getting into the front passenger side.

Abe buckled his seatbelt.  "I know of a gas station about fifteen minutes away from here.  I'll have you there and back within the hour."

Tony gave a quick, fake smile and leaned back in his seat.

"Where were you headed?"

"Home."

"Oh bummer you have to be delayed."

Tony rolled his eyes.  "Yeah."

"I remember when I was about seventeen.  It was my first car, an old cluncker of my dad's, and I had forgotten to fill up the tank because my dad hadn't reminded me.  It was a long walk to the gas station," he laughed.

"Why would you laugh?  I'd be furious."

"I can look back on it now and laugh, but before, I tended to hold onto grudges.  I found out long ago it's much less stressful to let go of our strong emotions like that.  They only weigh you down.  Don't you find they do that?"

"Yeah, I suppose," he said in an unconvincing voice.

"Are you liking the therapy?"

Tony stared at him.  What kind of a question was that?  "It's going okay," he said warily.

"It takes a while to get used to them, once you do, you don't have to worry.  They become a huge help.  I know they have for me."

The man's positive attitude was making him sick  "How long ago was it since you were at the classes?"

"Umm," he looked up at his ceiling for a minute, making Tony nervous and reaching out for the wheel to make sure the car wouldn't swerve,  "I joined that program five years ago, and it's been the best thing that's helped my anger control."

"I can't picture you as an angry guy."

Abe laughed,"Oh I was, believe me!  I used to yell all the time and threaten to hit people.  I took my frustrations out through playing tennis.  The course just taught me I can't get my way the whole time, and I can't let other people bring me down.  Being angry just isn't worth it."

Tony smirked.  "I don't know about that."

"And what about you?  Why do you need the courses?"

"No one seems to appreciate my unique forms of expression."

That's about all I got right now.  I'll see of I can do something better tomorrow.

Day 91: My Most Embarrassing Moment

My Most Embarrassing Moment by Rapunzel

My most embarrassing moment happened when I got on a bus to go to Africa.  The bus was very rotund, so I stood up and held on to a chocolate bunny.  It felt cool and slipped in my hands as I held it.  I couldn't help but lick my fingers.  The chocolate was red-tinted but oh so salty sweet!  At the next stop, I saw a sneeze get up.  It just skipped right out of this elderly man's mouth.  I had never seen a sneeze so alluring!  Anyways,  as the man got up, I ran over to grab his cell phone that he dropped, but I accidentally jabbed my knuckle into his elbow and broke his earlobe.  I have no idea how that even happened, but I was mortified!  And then as I was apologizing, the bus came to a sleazy stop, which caused me to drop my wart and fall on top of a giddy lady who was carrying a hiccup on her lap.  Believe me, my hanger was red that day!


Based on a Mad Lib that I embellished.  Happy April Fools!