May 20th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –
 

Happy Monday Morning! Is this like the millionth Monday in a row where it’s been raining? Sure feels like it. Yesterday we celebrated my son’s girlfriend’s college graduation at her favorite restaurant, a hibachi place not too far away. We had a wonderful time, but for the second time in a row now, I have gotten really sick after eating there. I don’t know if it is a type of oil they use or some kind of spice I may be allergic to, but I really don’t think I will be eating there again. It’s a shame because the food is delicious, the chef “George” is hysterical and we always leave there with our cheeks hurting because we were laughing so much throughout the dinner. I think I need to add a new stomach to my new back request form.

So, have you noticed a trend in my latest challenges? They are far less specific, leaving the possibilities of your imagination free reign. Are you finding them easier or harder? Have they taken you to surprising places or times? Even if you have not gotten up enough courage yet to actually post a challenge response, please at least reply to the questions so I know if I am headed in a direction which is inspiring you, the writer. My whole purpose behind this blog was not to see what I can write – I have tons of my own things – it was to show YOU that you can write, that your imagination is a beautiful and wonderful thing which should be encouraged and given a chances to grow to its full potential.

This weekend someone told me they had read one of the challenges, didn’t have the 10 minutes at that moment and wanted to get back to it when they got home, but then forgot and missed the challenge. The only limit on the challenges is 10 minutes of writing; there is not deadline to take up a challenge. If you look back today and decide you like the challenge from day one, then by all means post it! Not all the challenges will inspire you. Heck, some didn’t really inspire me (I’m sure you can tell which ones did and which ones didn’t). You are different, unique, special, therefore what floats your boat won’t necessarily float someone else’s. Pick and choose which challenges you want to answer, and after you have answered one, please give me a suggestion for a future challenge.

Yesterday’s challenge was:

 

There’s a knock at the door…

 

Things just haven’t been the same around the house since my oldest brother, Tommy, left for the war. Tommy is big and strong and so very handsome. He never treats me like a little kid and he never, ever seems to mind having a little sister, unlike Joey, my other brother. Joey is two years younger than Tommy, but he never takes me fishing, or bike riding, or helps me down from a tree if I get stuck. I sure miss having Tommy around. I write him letters and I even have gotten some back, but it’s not as good as having him here.
 

I don’t think I am the only one missing Tommy either. Mommy now has the radio on all the time while she is cooking or cleaning or hanging the laundry on the line. Every time the news comes on she stops what she is doing and listens really hard. When the news is bad, I have even seen her cry. If she catches me watching, she smiles and starts working again, but I can tell she’s sad and maybe even a little scared. Joey is even more grumpy than usual, but I think he’s just mad that he wasn’t old enough to sign up with Tommy. He keeps telling us that in five more months, he’ll be leaving too so he can fight alongside his brother. With Daddy it is a little harder to tell he’s sad, but I can. He tries to smile all the time and he is hugging all of us, even more than usual, but I see how serious he looks when he reads the newspaper every night.

 

Dinner time is where you can really tell things are just not the same. There is no more silliness and laughing, and no one ever, ever mentions the war. Tonight’s dinner was just like the past hundred or so. Mommy would ask Daddy how his day went; he would say fine but not tell us any funny stories of what happened at the store. Daddy would ask Mommy how her day went, and she would say fine and maybe tell him the washer was making a funny noise. Joey would just keep his head down the whole time, finish his plate and then ask to be excused as soon as he was finished. Yup, tonight’s dinner was the same as all the others, but then there came a knock at the door.

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

If I had only known…

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.