There are two ways in which you can participate: Leave your answers in the comments box below or create your own post. To make it easy for others to check out your post, title your blog post “Share Your World” and link it to this one.
Ping-backs are activated, but don’t always work properly. I think it is best to leave a link in a comment, just to be sure. It’s okay to just leave the link if you like and don’t have anything else to chat about. If you’d still like to try leaving a ping-back, instructions on how ping-backs work are found by clicking here. Thanks!
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Here are this week’s questions: 1. If you are feeling below par and a bit down, how do you lift your spirits? Depending on how far down I am feeling, I try to distract myself with writing or reading. If I am really down I just go to sleep and try to forget how much my life sucks at the moment. It doesn’t really lift my spirits though. 2. Do you believe that laughter is the best medicine? I believe that laughter can help depending on the situation. Sometimes laughter doesn’t help at all. 3. What makes you smile? I do Trent McDonald’s Weekly Smile and I always have trouble finding something to smile about. Lately my smiles have to do with my writing and my enjoyment of it coming back. I had writer’s block for over a year and a half and I simply couldn’t write or do anything, but sleep all day and all night. I would smile at a snuggling cat, but my last cat didn’t snuggle which annoyed me greatly. I was used to snuggling with my cats, but this one wanted nothing to do with me. 4. Do you have a ‘comfort’ food. Well junk food is at the top of my list with ice cream or cheese cake or vanilla cake with whipped cream icing tied for number one. If I was in a healthier mind space, I would love boiled shrimp, macaroni salad, or potato salad with shrimp in them.
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Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
Hello! Welcome to Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week I will post an image I grab off the internet and challenge bloggers to write a flash fiction piece or a poem inspired by the image. There are no style or word limits.
The image depicts a low-angle capture of Fogo Island Inn. We see a rectangular part of a structure, held up by stilts. We see blue sky all around. For more images like this one, click here. For information about this (outrageously overpriced inn) click here.
If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post and use the tag #FFFC. Please create a pingback to this post and/or manually add your link in the comments. I hope it will generate some great posts. Don’t forget to stop back and read/comment on the posts of others. Thank you for participating!
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My piece:
Anniversary
By Tessa Dean June 2024
Tammy and Randy reminisced about their honeymoon on an island in the North Atlantic Ocean. The blue skies and the water surrounding the island made their stay delightful. They were planning to go back again for their first anniversary.
As they made their plans, things started to go wrong, and it began to look like they would have to postpone the trip for this year. First, Randy got laid off from his job of 10 years. He was devastated when the company head told him they had to let him go as they were about to close the company down due to a loss of financial backing. He was filled with anxiety about how he would tell Tammy that he had lost his job. She was just returning to work after having their first child. Finances were already tight enough with her out of work for almost a year and having a new baby to support.
Adding to their financial woes was the necessity of paying for childcare for their newborn. With no family to rely on, they had to consider professional help, which was a significant expense. The thought of Tammy’s income being almost entirely consumed by this cost was disheartening. Yet, they couldn’t solely rely on Randy’s unemployment benefits, which were meager at best. Their savings were also depleted due to the recent birth and the high cost of living in their area.
Reflecting on their honeymoon, Randy couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. The thought of canceling their second stay was a bitter pill to swallow. The cost of that island vacation was already a stretch, and now, even a week at the seashore seemed like a luxury they couldn’t afford. The timing of his job loss couldn’t have been worse, and it was hard not to feel a sense of injustice. Yet, amidst the disappointment, a glimmer of hope remained, a shared belief that they would overcome this hurdle together.
When he arrived home, he found Tammy had just arrived with bags of new clothes for their trip. He hated to have to tell her that she had to return them and that they weren’t going anywhere for their anniversary. As he took a breath and was about to speak, Tammy shouted, “I got a promotion and a raise. I also got a bonus for the year, which will pay for our trip to the island.” Her excitement was contagious, and Randy couldn’t help but feel a surge of love and admiration for his wife.
Randy was speechless. He really had no idea what to say. He was still thinking about breaking the news to her, but she was so happy he hated to say a word. Maybe her news will be enough to cover his bad news, and they could still go on the trip. The sudden turn of events left him feeling a mix of relief and guilt, unsure of how to process the conflicting emotions.
When Tammy finally stopped chattering on about her good news, Randy said, “Hey Tam, I hate to break it to you, but I got laid off today. They lost their financial backing and can’t continue. I don’t have a job, and finding a new one in my field will take some time. I think we have to postpone our trip.” His voice was filled with a mix of resignation and hope, as he braced himself for Tammy’s reaction.
“Oh, Randy, I am sorry to hear that, but we can still go on the trip. My bonus is $5000.00, and that should cover the trip. My raise with your unemployment should keep us at approximately our current pay rate. I want to go still, please.” Her words were filled with determination and a hint of optimism, which gave Randy a glimmer of hope in their challenging situation.
Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
I have to say that I am making quite a bit of progress with my memoir. I wasn’t sure if I would feel like writing it, but if nothing else it is cathartic. I am slowly getting my memories of that time back. Of course that makes for a lot of rewriting as I have to keep adding stuff to the parts that are already done, but I no longer think of it as a chore, but as something I want to do and can’t wait to get some time to work on it. I always do my writing prompts first though so until I get to the point that I have to work on it first, I guess it is not the most important thing to me. There is a lot of unhappy times in there that are hard to think about still. There is some good times sprinkled through it though so that is a smile for me.
Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
Megan, filled with anticipation, settled into her first-class seat on the jumbo jet departing from Germany. She meticulously ensured she had her visa and other necessary documents for her journey back to the United States of America. As the plane ascended, she gazed out the window, eagerly awaiting the visual feast that awaited her. Once they were airborne, she turned her attention to a book she had brought along, its vivid imagery a stark contrast to the serene vista outside.
Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
Our community, filled with deep-seated frustration, has finally reached its limit with the faceless bureaucratswho have been dictating our lives. These bureaucrats, who we consider to be lawbreakers, have been acting with impunity, seemingly untouchable by the citizens they are supposed to serve. This is why we have convened a town meeting to address the mistreatment of our local mayor, Marcus Johnson.
Marcus regained consciousness just last week after a car accident that was clearly the fault of one of the local bureaucrats. The bureaucrat was not held accountable for the accident, which was clearly their fault, and no one felt strong enough to confront him for his part in the accident. Instead, the bureaucrats blamed Marcus.Fueled by a collective determination, the town had had enough of being run by what we considered a group of thugs. It was time to reclaim our power, take control of the situation, and run those useless bureaucrats out of town. The escapade with the mayor was the final straw for the town, igniting a fire of action and change.
Tessa–
Advocate for mental health and invisible illnesses
Tessa Dean - Author 