Main Street Kettle & Brew. Every day? Cocoa with no whipped cream. Dash of cinnamon. I try to write for four and a half hours, before the lunch rush comes in. I'm taking up a table, and all I buy is one cocoa. I know better than to eat into Sherman's lunch rush time.
For five weeks, I have been sitting in the same metal chair every morning by 7 AM. As I gingerly slide across its smooth surface, the familiar screech of the seat screams at me that I should just buy the damn screw. Two days ago, I had noticed it had wiggled loose on the right side, and Sherman couldn't be bothered enough to fix it. If I fell and broke my other wrist, I'd really be out of commission.
To do list: buy the screw.
Thirty- five days. Each one feeling like the decision to stop posting temporarily is becoming more permanent. A broken wrist is bad news for a blogger. Not a death sentence, but certainly an extreme inconvenience. Writing is a delicate dance between the mind and the fingers - each one knowing its rhythm and sway. Mind leads, fingers follow. But with the bum wrist now, it is not at all like losing a sense where the other senses overcompensate for the loss. Rather, I've had to revert to hunt-and-pecking again. It's not just the posting that I miss, but the commenting, the relationship-building, the whole kit and caboodle. My kit has kicked the bucket and my caboodle has lost its noodle. I considered not writing that silly sentence because of the time it took to actually write that with my hunt-and-peckers. Every word has a cost now. Each keystroke costs approximately 2.1 seconds. I know because I have timed it. Going from 121wpm to 17wpm has caused me to weigh out every word as if it were my last words from Death Row. I surely hope this is not Death Row for my blog. Oh!
To do list: brainstorm a Death Row story.
Seven thousand, eight hundred and forty days. I could have typed that number using digits. But I'm feeling defiant. I'm sitting here on a squeaky, cold, steel folding chair and, wait -is this steel? I'm the writer, I can call it steel if I want. (FINE! pause for googling what metal is traditionally used to make folding chairs because if I am still going to be a blogger then damnit, I might be slow as molasses, but I'm going to be an accurate molasshole.) Alright, Google! I'm sitting here on a squeaky, cold, CLEARLY WEAKER AND LESS STURDY ALUMINUM folding chair, and I am defiantly wasting 2.1 seconds per letter to write down my thoughts with as many descriptive, unnecessary words as I possibly can because I am a blogger and I can waste as many seconds on letters as I want.
To do list: Find out who coined the phrase "Cut off your nose to spite your face." Send them a letter with only these words inside: "So what."
470,400 minutes. I'm back to choosing digits over words. My defiance has obviously been overruled by my tired left hand. I bet you all don't think about this but I'm going to let you in on a little secret. It's difficult to do everything with your non-dominant hand. I can't seem to get used to drinking with my left hand. Everything thing feels wrong about it. You know what really feels wrong? When I have to use t
This is so fresh and weird and fun, @stormcharmer. I love it.
That made me laugh out loud. And then this:
You have a delightful sense of humor. Sherman stepping in to finish the blog and hit Publish is truly inspired. Thank you for brightening my day!
I was laughing just as hard at the molasshole. Truly - out loud! Happiest to brighten your day! :-)
This story is so fun but I almost feel guilty for delighting in it (please heal up soon!) I loved the to-do list format. I also love, love this line:
"Seven thousand, eight hundred and forty days. I could have typed that number using digits. But I'm feeling defiant."
This piece is rich in personality & voice.
Your delight makes every bit of the story worth it!
Sherman and I love that we can make people smile 😅
Hi @stormcharmer!
I find your answer to the call of the week very original.
I loved this sentence
It's a very beautiful and true construction.
It was a pleasure to read you.
Thank you kindly @gracielaacevedo ! I am terribly frustrated when the fingers can't keep up with the mind - or the mind runs away from the fingers 😅
I am grateful for your visit!
Hello @stormcharmer,
Different readers value different qualities in an author's work. I personally value originality highly. To me, that is the essence of creativity. Your idea is original and you handle it skillfully. Of course the blogger had to fall off the stool (😁). A perfect ending. One has to wonder how much blogging the author will do now, if she has another broken wrist.
Good writing.
The blogger is still asking Sherman (Hello @agmoore - Sherman here) for help in answering all my comments.
Sorry I've been away for 5 weeks! 😅
😂
This is very clever and well written. The fact that it is a brief, spare story is totally appropriate, given the author's complaint.
Than you for posting this story in the Ink Well community. We appreciate that you have commented on one story already this week, and expect you will have time to comment on at least one other. We do ask that writers engage with two of their fellow authors.
I will absolutely love to comment on another as soon as more appear here! I will be waiting with great anticipation! :-)
Very happy to see that you enjoyed my tale. 😅 Now, I have a broken wrist on one, and a fractured elbow on the other, and a bruised ego.
Thanks to Sherman, we are getting all the comments answered. 😅
🍀
Is this a 4 leaf clover for me to have better luck with folding chairs? 😅
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STOPA very original story in its composition. You can notice the looseness and freedom at the moment of writing it. It is good to think of new ways of projecting a narrative to catch the reader.
As writers, it truly is hard to come up with new ideas! So many have already been done, and we are always on the search for better ways to lure minds to us. 😅
Well that's true, the stories have a certain similarity, but what makes each story different is how you approach it and that unique touch is made by your experiences.
The originality and simplicity of this post really get me.
I like how you were able to defy the odds of your injured wrist and elbow and painstakingly continued to blogging.
Thank you @daveyjones7
I will try to write something today because I have been gone far too long!
Congratulations! This story has been chosen to be highlighted in The Ink Well's weekly magazine for quality work and receiving an upvote from Curie, as well as for supporting the writers in the community with your feedback. Keep writing!
Thank you for this! I'm just replying to this now because Sherman has been quite attentive to me.
You might say, I see a new side of Sherman that I never saw before. Who knew that a loose screw could bring such a twist in our tales? I'm on the mend now, and hope to write just a bit more. Since he's been working himself mad in the coffeehouse, I feel compelled to help out more, now that my wrist is healing. When my wrist heals completely, I suppose I'll have to try my hand in juggling. 😅
I used to feel this way before I taught myself how to type fast. 😅