Tag Archives: New York Times

Daily Prompt; Ripped Into the Headline

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Newspaper colour

http://dailypost.wordpress.com, DP, Daily Prompt

Write about something that happened over the weekend as thought it’s the top story on your local paper.

Photographers, artists, poets show us something from your WEEKEND.

Someone leaked my news I spoke of during the weekend. Normally I would be upset that a confidence was broken, but this was good news for me. I walked out to the edge of the drive way in my pink house coat and fluffy bunny slippers and picked up Saturday’s newspaper.

Well if the biggest smile ever didn’t get slapped across my face. For an instant I thought I was going to faint, but thought seconds about it and declined the inner offer. The old fart that lives across the street from me may try to come over and give me mouth to mouth and I was in my house coat for heaven sakes. Can you just imagine where that might have led to?

So I tucked the paper close to my heart and almost skipped back into the house. I did stop long enough on my way back to say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Squirrel. I promised I would step inside and get them an ear of corn. I said hello to Mr. Green bird, my cute little hummingbird.

Then I went on inside. I had to  have the setting perfect. So I grabbed a fresh cup of steaming hot coffee and sat down at the kitchen table. I carefully laid the newspaper down like it was a nice piece of fine linen.

I grabbed my magnifying light and flipped it on. An old lady has to squint to see  that fine print and this woman didn’t want to miss one word. Plus it would give me more wrinkles around my eyes, and I don’t need that.

Taking a deep breath I started by looking at the photo. It was a magnificent photo if I do say so myself. I have to stop and grin here for just a second. I know very well what ornery cuss had borrowed this photo.

I had just been bragging on this person and had been showing off my artistic works of photography. And right here was one of the photos.

alvin at facilityIsn’t is a beauty? Oh I am so proud. I couldn’t help myself. I touched my two fingers to my lips and then pressed them to the front page photo. Thinking to myself, I love you baby brother.

I then read the headlines over the photo: Warsaw Man Has Not Cried In Three Days.

Aww, what a headliner this is. I am going to cut this section out and press it in my Bible. When Al comes home I will show it to him. I just know he is going to smile so big reading about himself.

You know, it always makes a soul feel good when someone is saying good things about us. We all get tired of the negatives in this world. Al is no different. He wants to know he is loved too.

I read the article. It was short and sweet.

Warsaw area man who suffers from chronic pain on a daily basis has had relief for three days. He has learned he is going home next week. It is like looking at a different person, his sister says. Al lives with his sister here in town. She has been taking care of him for almost six years. For a short time he has been temporarily placed in a nursing home facility. The sister after close observations has decided he would be happier back home, and this picture shows. Just look at that smile. Way to go Al!!! Keep up the good work.

I had to read it and reread it three times. Then I touched the article gently with my hand, knowing it was the best news I had read for some time.

It won’t be long now baby brother, it won’t be long, and you will be home safe and sound with me.

 

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The Ugly Duckling

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Embarrassing parents - swan duckling

Embarrassing parents – swan duckling

Everyone made fun of David. He was born premature but ended up being an obese child. From the time he started Kindergarten he was teased. Fatty fatty two by door can’t get through the kitchen door. Hey watermelon boy.

Even when he was home there was no place to run. His parents picked on him and made rude comments about his weight. The more he was ridiculed the more he remained in his bedroom. He did his homework and ate in his room.

As he got older he would play his music  loud enough to drown out all noises in the house. His nice bike that his grandparents had bought him for his birthday was used primarily for going back and forth to school.

When Grandpa and Grandma would invite him over to their house for an over night visit; this is the only solace he received. They didn’t judge him. In fact they offered him many snacks all being healthy. They made David feel very special; like he was the only kid in the world.

On his 13th birthday he made up his mind he was going to lose the extra weight. Instead of racing home on his bike he remained behind and ran the track behind the school. At home he measured out his own food making sure he didn’t go over the limits of calories.

He went to sleep earlier so the urges to snack were removed. On the weekends he walked around his neighborhood until he was walking two miles each day. Kids at school started noticing and little by little girls were turning  his way.

This gave him even more gumption to keep on pushing himself. He was no longer running the track for a half an hour. He was now running for over an hour after school. The weight dropped quickly. Everyone around him was now paying him big compliments.

His parents took him to the store for clothes shopping. He was able to pick out more modern and up to date clothing. Sometimes when he looked in the mirror he had to take a double look to recognize himself.

One day he was running the track and he collapsed. It was a good thing that the coach had his team out practicing for baseball. One of the team members noticed David on the ground and yelled,” David’s down Coach. Come on everybody, let’s go check him out.”

When the coach checked for a pulse he could barely feel it as it was so soft. He told one of the kids,” Run as fast as you can and have the office call 911.” Soon the ambulance had arrived and found David barely breathing.

They rushed him to the hospital where they discovered he had suffered from a heart attack. Wow, at 13, a heart attack. Several tests were taken and when the results all came back the doctor sat down with the parents of David.

” David has definitely had a heart attack. He has over worked  his heart at his young age. What would make him want to over exert himself to this point? Do either of you know?”

The parents looked at each other and hung their heads down saying, ” No we don’t have any idea why he did this. He wanted to wear clothes that mainly skinny kids wore is all we know.”

The doctor looked at them and he knew by their guilty looks that they had placed the idea in David’s head that he was ugly and fat. He told them, ” Well I am not sure what is going on in the home but a change is needed. He is dehydrated and his blood levels are low. To have a heart problem at this age is unreal.”

He stood up and went back to watch over David. The parents sat out in the waiting room saying nothing. Their guilt eating them up for helping this to happen to their son.

When the doctor went home that night he was telling his family at supper about the young David. One of his daughters asked,” Dad, who is it? What grade is he in? Do we know him?”

” I can’t reveal his name. It is against policy but I can tell you he is around your age.”

The daughter said, ” We have this one kid. Everyone picks on him all the time. The kid’s name is David. He just loves to eat and got himself so fat we all sort of teased him. I know it was wrong Dad, but you just couldn’t help it when you saw him waddling down the school halls. But he has changed. He decided to lose some weight and now he is looking really good. He fits in with the rest of us.”

The doctor hung his head in shame. My own daughter played a part in this. I thought I taught her better than this.

” Everyone has a reason for being different. Whether it is our skin color or our weight, we all have the same hearts. We all feel pain and hurt the same. We all want to feel wanted and needed. No one wants to be made to feel different” Dad said.

” I am ashamed of you. I thought I taught you better than that. How would you feel if you were David? asked the Doctor.

Tears started to fall from her cheeks as she realized what she had done to this student. She had known better but didn’t want to look out-of-place by standing up for David when her friends were making fun of him.

Without the Doctor saying his patient’s name everyone at that dining table knew it was David. The table got very quiet as they finished eating.

About a month went by and David was able to return to school. He had suffered no permanent damages. His age had protected him. When he rode his bike to school and entered the front doors he saw banners hanging from the ceiling.

Each one of them said “Welcome Back David”. There were colorful balloons with streamers hanging from them placed all over the commons. There were arrows pointing towards the auditorium. Strangers to David walked up to him and told him to follow them.

David did as he was told but wondered what in the world was going on. When they entered the double doors they were welcomed by the entire school. All the kids and teachers stood up and started clapping.

Two students guided him to the front and lead him up on the stage. The Principal went to the microphone and welcomed David back to school. David’s classroom went up to the microphone and publicly apologized to David for the way they had treated them. After each student had spoken he was shocked beyond belief.

The two biggest kids that picked on him walked towards him and handed him a trophy. It was a big gold statue of a boy standing with his head held high. He was holding books in one hand and waving with his other hand. The words on the trophy said, To the Most Honorable Student.

David looked at the trophy with tears in his eyes. All of the disappointments and bullying had vanished. He looked up and out over the audience and said, ” Thank-you everybody. I don’t know what to say but thank-you.”

The student body stood up and clapped and cheered him. There was never a lesson they had been taught that school year as important as the one they had learned from David.

 

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Agitated

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Cereal, Bananas and Strawberry

This is one strange day. I am agitated and not really sure why. I have decided to dissect my attitude here on the white board. Then I can go through the day.

I woke up bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Fixed my coffee and played a quick game on Facebook. I am so addicted to Candy Crush Saga. It is a free game that you move through levels. You beat a variety of schemes and I just love the challenge. It was not a downloaded game. It is free to play. If anyone of you play, we can become friends and play it together.

I drank my coffee and was starving so I ate breakfast early. I don’t usually eat breakfast for a couple of hours after I wake up. Last night I had fried sausage and sauerkraut so I don’t know if that did something to push my hunger buttons or what, but my tummy was growling.

I ate and then for some unknown reason I laid back down and went to sleep. I knew I was planning on going to see Al so I don’t know why I did that. I think part of me feels left out.

Although I am no longer married to the mother-in-law’s family, I still carry the pain and hurt of losing someone I loved so much. Because of frictions within the walls of family members I am not at the viewing of this beautiful lady. Of course I would not with good conscience attend the funeral. I am no longer a part of the family because of divorce.

I think it just makes me so sad but maybe I should not feel this way. The divorce was many moons ago but she forever remained in my heart.

I went to see Al after I woke up from my cat nap. He was in a mood. The program that takes him out twice a week cancelled  due to winds and cold weather. He was all over me about he didn’t understand why they weren’t taking him. He was so confused about the temperatures. He was just plain disappointed. So he and I both were having a sad day.

I stayed with him while he ate lunch and had a cup of coffee. He is on his new pain medication which started at 4am this morning. He told me he wasn’t feeling quite as much pain. I thought this was good, but I wish once I would hear NO PAIN SIS. Maybe this is too much to ever hope for with this Parkinson’s Disease.

He kept drifting in and out of sleep. I think his body has to get used to this stronger medication. He told me his pain was so bad through the  night that it ended up making his stomach hurt real bad. He said he was a wake a lot and kept asking the nurse if it was 4am so he could have his new patch for pain. I felt bad for him.

I personally don’t ever remember me having so much pain I vomited, but then again the doctor’s say PD pain is stronger than any medication on the market.

After leaving him from my visit I stopped at the grocery store. I swear I went into shock. I could literally see the jump in prices of regular things I buy higher this week than last time I went to the store.

What are we people supposed to do about food? If you buy organic and good foods they are double in prices. A package of hamburger was almost $4.00. A roast was over $10.00. Forget eating high on the hog and eating a steak. It is no longer in my food budget. A can of salmon was $3.50. I had started giving up red meat around Thanksgiving and I guess this is a good thing.

A jar of my peanut butter was $3.79. Obviously, I wasn’t sure what to buy. I scanned for sale items only. I felt like I came home with nothing for $50.00

After I returned home and unpacked my empty bags. I went through the mail. I then decided to call my old Part D insurance company to see if I was going to receive my refund.

They owe me a whopping $34.00 for a payment I made in Dec. 2012. I have yet to receive it. I have called once per month. Today they told me it is being processed and will take 60-90 days to receive it.

I blew my stack and I am sure she could see my smoke. I asked her,” Um, the next time I have a bill due from a business can I tell them I will send it out in the next 60-90 days? Do you think they would accept that?”

She said, “They would get very upset.”

I said, “Well now you know how I feel. You are keeping my money for a service you did not perform. I will call my lawyer and I will make a complaint in the New York Times paper. I want my money”.

She told me to hang on. tick-tick tick-tick. She came back with, ” We are going to try to send it out in one week. Write this reference number down per the conversation. If you do not get your refund call back and give the number”.

I thanked her for her help and hung up. Now it is 4pm and I am exhausted. I don’t even want to write any short stories or poetry or my Daily Prompts. Maybe I will feel better later on and change my mind.

I just finished off a bowl of Special-K Strawberries and Chocolate cereal and a small cup of egg drop soup. Now I have messed up my eating schedule. I  have to take more diabetic medication at 6pm and I won’t be hungry.  Oh well, I think I will hold off until 7pm and maybe have some eggs and toast for supper with a couple of Turkey links, oh and of course my cup of coffee.

Well I am done dissecting. I guess I feel a sense of loss and frustration today. I think this feeling allows me to go to the couch put my feet up and cover my with my blanket and watch TV. Talk later.

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I Can Do This Without Looking

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Texting on a qwerty keypad phone

Ok, I am not going to throw myself on the floor and cry and say naughty words and kick my feet and stomp my fists. I am not going to call the President because he doesn’t care, and this would not seem an out right emergency to him, just to me. I won’t even look up the phone number of the city council here or the aging and disability center, because I have tried to get help from these long time locals in the past.

I will act like a lady, even though at this moment I feel like the town drunk, just going into Andy Taylor’s city jail, getting ready to open the oh so familiar jail cell, to sleep my drunken stupor off, only to find a stranger lying in my bed.

I woke up from  a very restless night. Tossing and turning, hearing Al’s tremors most of the night. My eyes told me they were tired and they were begging to close, but my mind would keep telling them to forget it. My mind was on an artificial caffeine high, and would not rest.

When I put my feet down on the chilly floors, I knew it was time to turn the heat on. The chill over night was to be 34, and although, I knew I could just put layers of clothes on, I convinced myself that it was not really that cold in here. Then I walked into the living room, where several souls must have died during the night, because that room was cold.

I could not see my breath, so it wasn’t too bad, so I flicked on the electric fireplace, and went to the kitchen and turned on the oven for a spell leaving the door open. You see, it is a fight of the mind each fall. When do I turn the heat on? I know that once I turned that switch from cool to heat, I have lost the war. The heat will remain on until spring, even if we do have a few warm up days ahead. The switch glues itself to the heat side, and no matter what I try, it will not go off until it sees the buds on the trees, and then it loosens it grip, and I am able to once again turn everything off until mother nature’s heat kicks in.

So, I know that my warming our home up and getting the chill out of here, can be done in about fifteen minutes time, and if the sun doesn’t warm up the air, I can leave the fireplace on, but I think that I am going to have to turn the heat on here this week.

So, after this battle of the mind game is over, I wonder in to see if Al is awake and he is. I am hoping for a better day, as yesterday he was in bed all day except for meals. He was awake and up and he felt so good, I think, that he left me a welcome gift of a total bed change. Wow! Talk about excitement! I had not even had my first cup of coffee yet, and I got to change the bed! By the way, don’t ever pray for excitement, you may get more than you bargained for!

I changed the bed and started the one load of laundry for today. I emptied his commode pot, with the one dead fly in it. Gross! Yuck! It’s alright stomach! You won’t throw up because you haven’t eaten yet. Just don’t look and get it dumped and cleaned out. There you did it, and it wasn’t so bad now was it?

I then came out here and poured my first cup of coffee and set down at the computer and something told me to check my cell for missed phone calls or text messages. Who ever or what ever told me to do this, knew that I needed to look. Thank you to who ever planted that thought, because, there was a text message waiting for me.

It said and I quote, I thought that this coming Friday was the last day for me coming to give Al his showers, but it was last Friday. I am so sorry, but I won’t be there, have a nice life.

WTF? No shower girl? I have to give my own brother a shower and see his nakedness? Where was the courtesy in all this? Why didn’t you tell me last Friday, that you knew that this coming Friday was going to be your last day? Let alone, you say you found out this morning and are not even coming today, Monday! Where was the phone call to tell me ear to ear? A text message? How rude!

I called the office while my hot coffee started to become lukewarm, and they told me they were going to check on this whole thing, that as far as she knew, everything was going to be final this week. I tell her with my nicest fakiest smile, that this is such wonderful news and I am so thankful that they have let me in on their secret, so that I can place an ad in the newspaper and try to find a replacement for a shower girl.

I get off the phone and Al looks at me and the tears begin, and he says, they think that I am getting better? I don’t feel better? You are going to give me my showers? I tried to rattle off the basic explanation of what hopefully is some error for today, but it didn’t work. Al went to his room to sulk at the thought of his sister giving him his shower and the lack of social interaction with the therapists.

I am done writing for now, as I have had my little bitch session, and hearing no phone ring, or text alert go off, and no doorbell, I guess I will go give him a shower.

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