Slice of Life Story Day 19 Reading The Morning News Is A Challenge

Early this morning I heard a faint thud in the driveway and a car drive by. As I lay in bed, suspended between sleep and awareness, It dawned on me that what I was listening to was the delivery of my Saturday morning newspaper and not a body being dumped from a moving vehicle.

I rarely hear it being delivered. It just seems to materialize when I venture out into the dawning of the day to fetch it. The news comes tightly wrapped in a thin veneer of plastic. Every morning unwrapping the newspaper becomes the first major struggle of the day. I search with unfocused eyes in the half light for a loose flap of plastic that will allow me to release words within. Much to my annoyance, the plastic wrap clings defiantly to the paper, and time ebbs by as I fumble like a sub human life form for the elusive key that will allow me to unfold the secrets within.

 I mumble and bemoan the need to tease me so unmercifully. I suffer a short bout of 'why me?' and begin to think about how much I dislike excessive packaging.  I might as well be wearing mittens or worse still, boxing gloves. I cannot for the life of me locate a starting point in this plastic hellwrap. There is not the slightest possibility of anything unravelling apart from me! I am not an animal!  In the end I concede defeat and reach for a sharp implement…
The knife slices effortlessly through the plastic and the morning news reveals itself. Let the reading begin!

Comments

  1. LibraryDragon/Storykeeper19 March 2011 at 23:33

    Alan,
    What a great analogy for the whole writing process. I love how you choreograph words. Creating a new dance with your thoughts and readers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wanda Brown19 March 2011 at 23:40

    Alan you certainly captured the frustrations of extra packaging for me. While I read about your newspaper I was thinking of my ink cartridges and moisturizer. Of course...if your newspaper was wet with melting ink making the words fuzzy, you wouldn't be happy either.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda B20 March 2011 at 04:23

    Argh! I rail at all the packaging & used to have to help my mother who had such trouble opening things that seemed trying to protect themselves from actual use. Your description made me both sympathize at your inability to start the day with the paper easily & laugh at the thought of boxing gloves & mittens.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nora20 March 2011 at 07:53

    Your slice made me laugh. I wonder why we resist the simple way--using a knife -- and end up in frustration.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Donna Smith20 March 2011 at 08:59

    I wanted to laugh out loud...but I'm at Borders. It just isn't fair to wrap things so tightly...it makes me feel wrapped a bit too tightly. And I wonder if someday "Candid Camera" folk will come by and reveal the camera on my life

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tara20 March 2011 at 09:30

    Wonderful...this was great "small moment" writing! That morning paper thud on the driveway (5 a.m. for me) is my wake up to the day moment!

    ReplyDelete

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