September 13, 2012
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funeral
#whimsy 12. Write a FLASH FICTION set at a funeral using the following words: balloon, politics, pesticide, erection, octopus.
The preacher was practicing politics. No, that’s not right. Not what Billy Joel sang at all. And he (the preacher) isn’t practicing- he has full bodied erection for the topic. The presidential election seems to be airlifted by hot air balloon into every situation. Am I even here?
There’s the casket (why was the word casket in a book to read to 6 year olds?) up front and center. Closed. Cannot see what used to be my favorite uncle. Does it matter to say goodbye to him? No, probably not. Both in that he was very ill and I haven’t seen him since my cousin’s wedding when my baby was just a baby. That teenager sits next to me, somewhat prim as she processes what this situation calls for. Is the preacher even talking about the election?
Pesticides. What happens when we spray dangerous chemicals on food crops? What was I reading that was so outdated anyhow. We stopped spraying DDT long ago. Everything has an unintended consequence. How do you see every possibility?
Eggshells. Life is so fragile and it goes quickly. If you don’t keep your eyes open and your mind engaged, everything slips out of control. You’re allowing someone to choose how you live. Who you see. The ink from the octopus blocks the reality of the situation. The situation being that you didn’t see an uncle you loved once upon a time for the last 11 years of his life. Because you were “busy”.
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My mother’s brother died the other day. I know he was very sick, but I can’t remember what he was sick with- probably cancer. Seems to run kicking and screaming through my mother’s family. I don’t think it was lung cancer, which would make sense as he was a coal miner. I don’t remember if his wife is still alive- I think so. I don’t remember where his 6 kids live- my cousins (my favorite cousins as I was growing up). I loved going to their house. With 6 kids who loved each other it was a far cry from my house where my brother was the center of the universe. I loved sleeping on the floor of the room my 3 girl cousins shared. I loved that my cousin Carol and I looked alike even though I’m adopted, so I can’t possibly have any shared familial genes. I loved their home where the yard was for fun rather than for Home and Garden magazine. It’s a damn shame that I never told him this. It’s also a damn shame that today I feel like getting their addresses and Saturday we’ll be hugging and crying but by Sunday I’ll probably have forgotten why it was important.
Comments (15)
I just learned this very minute that you are adopted. How interesting. My mother’s brother died some years ago. Our families were close when I was growing up but had mostly lost touch as I got older. I’m sorry for your loss.
i love what you did with this! yes, yes.
(my mate is adopted, too. it brings it’s own kind of history and…gestalt.) i doubt you’ll forget what’s important. ((hugs))
I can’t figure out whats fact and fiction – either way I loved the yard for fun part and sleeping on the floor with the cousins, it reminded me of good times
I think I only have one uncle left, and one great-aunt. I used to see tons of relatives at the annual July 4th picnic in KC, but I don’t think they’ve held one of those in many years. But I keep up with second cousins and such by Facebook now, so I know far more than I did in the years when the only communication was letters.
It’s neat how your uncle’s family had such a positive impact on you in your childhood.
@mlbncsga - the funeral is saturday. and i haven’t seen them in a long time. probably the whole last paragraph about eggshells is truth.
@Bels_Kaylar - thanks. i often wonder what differences the stork delivery makes in a life.
@ordinarybutloud - it’s interesting that i keep bringing it up. in real life, it rarely comes up.
@Roadkill_Spatula - we used to have lots of family things. my mom came from a big family. my dad’s mother came from a big family. it’s strange that extended family was so important then and now it’s not.
Loved the ‘egg shells’ part. Interesting how you brought all the pieces together like a puzzle.
@MzSilver - i’m the queen of random connections. it all makes sense up there in my head.
Well written and my mind followed right along and you kept my interest through the whole thing.
@Grannys_Place - thanks.
Well done!! I have felt the flow of thoughts like this when sitting through funeral ceremonies… you captured it well. The bit about cousins makes me think of my own and wonder where they are. Maybe I will have to email them and just say hello!
This was touching. Every time I read about someone being adopted I remember an article in a magazine where adopted children wrote about their feelings. One boy wrote, (I am paraphrasing the words here), “My parents gave me up, because they were college students and couldn’t afford to have me. I hope they got good grades”. I don’t know why, I cannot forget that one child’s paragraph. It has been at least ten or fifteen years since I read that.
Love and hugs Carrie. Sorry for your loss. Hope you can connect with cousins again.
@ZSA_MD - that is awful. i can’t quite agree with such an attitude. i think giving up a child for adoption is a generous act- gives the child an opportunity for a better life and gives a couple (or not a couple) with lots of love the opportunity to be parents.
the saddest thing i ever saw. true story. i was working in a preschool and a sweet little boy was in my class. i think his name was sean (it was awfully long ago. oh. 21 years ago). he was adopted. his mother was the nicest lady. they adopted a little girl baby. they were so happy. and then the birth mother changed her mind. it was heartbreaking to see how devastated they were.
my family is going along. which is a nice surprise.
Please accept my sympathy. Death of a dear relative is never easy and grief hits one at rare time in rare ways.
@vexations - thanks. it was good.
I loved the flow of your writing at the beginning. Very nice.
I’m sorry for your loss, though.