100 Word Challenge: If I Ruled the World!

A dapper gentleman was caning down the sidewalk carefully scrutinizing the city cement. I’d noticed the elegant stature and silver cornrows first as she closed the sidewalk space between us. When their shoulders met, he spoke. 

“You have beautiful hair.” 

She tipped her head.

“You just made her day,” I said.

“I meant to.”

In my pretend world, I’d outlaw earbuds so people could hear birds, and buses, and actual voices. I’d ticket for web-surfing while walking instead of parking. Maybe even “Googling” while I had the pad out. Because simple displays of sweetness are easily missed when texting.

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Come play along at Thin Spiral Notebook where we were given the word "Pretend" to inspire our 100-word piece!

Such simple displays of sweetness may come along only once.

SOCS: Dealing, My Way (With Anybody and Anything)

Wow! It’s been a long time. My fingers haven’t typed at this keyboard, sitting in my study, in weeks. I have no concrete reason or excuse except to admit I haven’t “felt” like it.

But it is Sunday and Sundays are my second favorite day of the week and in celebration of this fact and to put something down on paper before I bask in the very first day it has felt like Springtime in Chicago, Jana offered up a stream of consciousness (five minutes to type then immediately press “publish”) prompt of:

Dealing (with anything and anybody)

Oh BOY, has this changed over the years.

I remember being a young, gainfully employed adult, then young mother, and trying to control absolutely everything I came in contact with and I mean EVERYTHING. I thought if I did, I could determine (okay, force) a suitable outcome, which definitely translated into the one I wanted. It worked about 50% of the time (most likely with the same probability as accompanied by my extraordinary measures). The interesting thing about this approach is that I was almost always 100% stressed out. With worry. With pending disappointment.  With exhaustion.

A quick decision maker by nature, and very impulsive, I make mistakes continually throughout any given day. I am the first person to admit I’m incredibly and undeniably imperfect. I feel a certain amount weight lifted being able to acknowledge this.

But thinking about my approach to dealing this morning and being a gazillion years older than that young, naïve mother, I realize that control is almost one of the very last things I desire or need. In fact, I almost hate the feeling I get from forcing something. And who wants something you have to "force" anyway (and there is a difference between making something happen by working for it and using force to produce it especially against another's will, in my opinion).

I find much more peace from sleeping on things (decisions and issues!!!), reducing my expectations of others AND going easier on myself. I am the only person I can control. Maybe not my scattered thoughts so much but how I react or act on them.

I can’t control, nor would I want to, anyone else. Because I never want to make anyone do anything that they don’t want in their own heart.

Be YOU! Let me be ME! If we like each other, YEA!!!

It sounds so hands off but it makes it easier for me to close my eyes at night (who am I kidding; I never sleep anyway).

Trifecta: Intentions

This could actually be a true story if I actually did this. I am going to this event. If you're in Chicago, you could go too. And for all you fiction writers out there, there’s still time to submit your story for the Nelson Algren Literary Award for short stories. Somebody has to win, right?

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It was like standing in the center of a souvenir snow globe of Michigan Avenue, as if someone turned the entire city of Chicago upside down and gently shook. The snow fell like tiny, soft, feathery flakes lightly blanketing everything it touched including her. It was a beautiful evening. 

She pulled up her hood.

As one of the remaining patrons still outside, she had the “good” kind of nerves. Maybe it was called “nervous with anticipation”. She wasn’t sure, didn't really care, but anyone watching closely would recognize her fidgeting.

She had just two tickets.

It was her intention to invite both to the event she so passionately wished to attend thinking each would love it as much as her. Plus, she didn’t want to go alone or with someone who’d simply “put up” with it on her account.

So she emailed an off-handed invitation, providing them plenty of notice. She worded it so casually. So nonchalant. No pressure. They both said they planned to try.

Hedging bets came naturally to her.

Why these two?

Because she was forever drawn to people with whom she “strongly suspected” she’d have a deep connection. These two melded with her on many levels. Reading, writing, intelligent and passionate conversation were alluring to all three. She knew that about them.

She told herself she’d be equally excited whoever walked down the street. Mentally preparing for one, more likely, due to proximity because the other, she thought, required much more effort and finesse.

And they couldn’t be more different.

One was a woman. One was a man.

She didn’t know either well. Okay. Not at all really. In fact, she had never met either in person. She just desired to.

Grasping at diminishing confidence, she thought, “What if they both came?”

Then, "Or neither?"

“Breathe.”

Gazing in the opposite direction, she heard a tentative, “Hello?”

Breaking into her widest smile,

“I’m so happy it’s you!”

“What do you mean “you”?

“I’m so happy to finally see you.”

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33-333 words for:

INTENTION (noun)

1: a determination to act in a certain way : resolve

2: import, significance

3a : what one intends to do or bring about

  b : the object for which a prayer, mass, or pious act is offered