Platitudes revolt

 

Karen growled and muttered an assortment of foul words in her car, driving over speed limit.  Her visit to Mom and Grandma had not provided the affirmation and comfort she had hoped it would.

Bill had packed up his stuff in the night and was gone before she woke up.  Note:  I’m outta here, bitch…and the last word was written in bold letters. Now, Karen needed to share her pain.

She had been in Mom’s kitchen, sipping on peach herbal tea.  Mom was kneading bread, taking loaf after loaf from the oven.  These would go to the homeless shelter.  Grandma was sitting quietly while knitting baby blankets for preemies at the local hospital.

Karen had been trying tell of her woes and ask for advice when the litany began.

“You know, honey, the darkest hour is just before the dawn. You’ll do fine.” This one came from Mom.

“Such is life,” Grandma added. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!” She dropped a stitch, but caught it time.

Mouth open, Karen had looked from one face to the other, listening with disbelief.

“Yes, sweetie. God has a plan for you…you just don’t know it yet!...and then…It is what it is…Time heals all wounds…Life doesn’t give you things you can’t handle…It could be worse…It wasn’t meant to be…There are plenty more fish in the sea…Everything happens for a reason..

When Karen’s grandma said “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”…

Karen had leaped to her feet and raced to her car.  She skidded out the driveway, narrowly missed the mailbox.  This found her flying along the freeway with profanity tailing after her.  Her thoughts were not kind.  If she ever heard one more mindless platitude, she would vomit.

Source

The italicized and underlined phrase is from Wednesday Words, where bloggers can play and experiment with the words or prompt. This group is from April 2015. I would normally highlight other Wednesday Words and their contributors, but I screwed it all up. Sorry.

F is for Far, Far away

You are in the right place.

My sister Mary and brother Bill, about summer 1959 on our farm.

“Mama!  Me an’ Mary are runnin’ away!”  Billy exclaimed, holding up Daddy’s lunch pail.  “See, and we gots everything we’re gonna need!”

Mama peered into the pail.  Some little panties, two pair of Billy’s socks, a jar of pickles, and little Dolly.

“Well, Billy, where are you and Mary going?”

“We’re goin’ far, far away!” Billy closed the lunch pail.

“Far ‘way, Mama!” Mary echoed.  “I gots Dolly with me, so’s I sleep good.”  She nodded seriously.

“Where abouts is far far away, Billy?”  

“Way over there, Mama!”  He pointed to the barn.

“Over there!”  Mary repeated.

She gave them each a kiss, and they set on their way. 

As she walked back to the house, Mama heard Billy call over his shoulder. “Be sure to call us for dinner, ‘kay?”

Those memories are so precious to me.  Hang onto your own!

The Day the Lights Went Out

Source

Visiting Museums can go two directions: horribly dull or wonderful and stimulating.  I have been to both, so this is an area in which I feel qualified.

In Bern, Switzerland, there are many fine museums, including one based on Albert Einstein and his time in Bern.  The one we chose that day, since a two-year old was with us, was the Communication Museum.

This photo of Museum fur Kommunikation is courtesy of TripAdvisor

What made it wonderful was that Benjamin walked along with me, sometimes holding my hand, but always staying with me.  The wheels on the stagecoach were a big hit. And there were so many displays for little guys like him to touch and manipulate.

This photo of Museum fur Kommunikation is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Then we came to a room which posted that the film presentation was out of order.

Oh, well.  This will give the little guy some room to walk around…so I released his hand in the room designed to hold about 50 people.  He was so happy in the dim light.

The light got dimmer, and dimmer until it was total black.  Oh, God!  Help me!

This was taken a few months ago, but the laughter is still the same.

That is when I heard the giggles, squeals, and happy shrieks.  Something brushed by me, giggling.  Then the dim light came on, and I saw the little guy way in front, and he froze. Once the light went out, he took off again, gleefully running in the pitch dark.

It felt like I was in shallow ocean water with a very big fish/shark brushing by me.

Mommy came looking for us just when the light came on, and Benjamin was close at hand.  “Let’s go, buddy.”  He took her hand, leaving me in the dim light as it turned black.  

Source: One reason no child should run around...the child eater

PhotoPrompt: Billy and Mary Run Away

“Mama!  Me an’ Mary are runnin’ away!”  Billy exclaimed, holding up Daddy’s lunch pail.  “See, and we gots everything we’re gonna need!”

Mama peered into the pail.  Some little panties, two pair of Billy’s socks, a jar of pickles, and little Dolly.

“Well, Billy, where are you and Mary going?”

“We’re goin’ far, far away!” Billy closed the lunch pail.

“Far ‘way, Mama!” Mary echoed.  “I gots Dolly with me, so’s I sleep good.”  She nodded seriously.

“Where abouts is far far away, Billy?”  

“Way over there, Mama!”  He pointed to the barn.

“Over there!”  Mary repeated.

She gave them each a kiss, and they set on their way. 

As she walked back to the house, Mama heard Billy call over his shoulder. “Be sure to call us for dinner, ‘kay?”