The Short Story

Is there anything better than a good novel? You know it is good when you hate that it must end. I was miserable when I got to the last few pages of Dr. Zhivago - was it really Lara? And Centennial beginning with the earth pouring out molten lava, the book ending centuries later - but just not enough centuries for me. I want the stories I read to go on and on. I want to languish in them. But... there is a time for brevity in story telling. More often than we sometimes realize.

How many times have you listened to someone give an account of a happening in their life and you wish they would just get on with it? Yikes. I realize that I am one of those people who goes all the way around the world before I can get to the point. Sometimes I know I'm doing it and try to cut my own self off at the pass. But other times I realize that it is too late, I've gotten myself in way too far and I must continue on or none of the story will make sense. It begins as an effort to make the account more interesting by adding little details. However, at some point the details start to become drivel and you can see in the listener's eyes that in personal story telling, the majority of the time, less is more.

Anyway, I am going to work on this. No more riveting stories such as: I was driving home from work, this guy cuts me off, kind of like when I was a child riding my tricycle and the neighbor boy pulled his wagon out in front of me, my mom was so mad when I bloodied my knee, mothers are like that you know, and finally I pull up beside the guy's car and shoot him a dirty look, wish I had used the finger, kind of like the dirty fingers I had when I was trying to dig a flower garden in 1983, or was it 1985?, not sure, anyway, the finger, oh yes I wanted to, but didn't. He might know someone I know and I can't chance people finding out that I would behave that way. Aren't those kinds of driver's annoying?

The listener is smiling at me thinking "not as annoying as you." So, I promise, today, I am swearing off the long story. It is the short story for me. This guy cuts me off and and I flip him one. The end.

Lovey