E – Elections

Posted on April 5, 2024 by hdh

E – Elections

 

Edward was tired, not physically tired, but emotionally drained. It was the year 2028, and another major election was coming up. He had spent the last three years listening to all the promises and plans of the upcoming candidates in all government areas: local, state, and federal. And Edward was tired.

From experience, he knew that most of the promises were empty ones. Whatever the candidate promised was based on their political party. The candidates refused to accept that some opinions from an opposing party were viable choices, even if, as individuals, they knew the other party was correct. 

Each candidate claimed they were telling the truth. To listen and believe an opposing candidate would have dire consequences. They all had facts to back their positions, some real, some fake. 

In reality, some of what was shared had merit. Some of what had been shared and promised in previous elections had been attempted and even accomplished. But, far more was tripe, memorized rhetoric, with unattainable results. 

We needed a different system of government. Oh, how Edward wished that would happen in his lifetime.

Edward lay back in his comfy recliner, turned off the TV, put on noise-canceling headphones to block out the sounds of cars racing through the neighborhood, and even put on his sleep mask to block out all the light in the room. He just wanted to get some uninterrupted rest and let his mind go blank (which was hard to do). 

He was startled by a tap on his shoulder. He removed his mask and headphones and looked around to see who had tapped him. There shouldn’t have been anyone in his house. The problem he discovered was that he wasn’t in his house. The house was similar to his own, but the furniture was very different. One could say it was futuristic, which it was. 

“Sorry to have startled you,” a familiar voice behind him said, “but I thought it was time to give you some of the answers you seek.” 

Edward quickly got up, turned around, and stared at the person facing him. 

There in front of him, stood a man, about the same height as Edward, with the same color eyes, much grayer hair, dressed in a one-piece jumpsuit style of clothing. This person was at least 90 years old but looked very healthy. 

“Who are you? And where am I?” Edward questioned. 

“I am from the future,” was the man’s first response, “As to who I am, I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough.”

A crazy thought entered Edward’s mind, but it was so ridiculous he let it pass. 

“You want to know whether the political structure in your time will change in your lifetime? And the answer is yes.”

“How will that happen?  I see no way the political climate is going to get better.”

“You think as many did, and without the disaster that took place in the twenty-first century, you would have been correct. But major disasters that threaten the globe can bring people together.”

Edward wasn’t sure what the man standing before him was talking about. “We have a major disaster looming. There’s climate change, misinformation about pandemics, pollution, poverty, and wars for possession of land, to name a few. These have been happening for years, and there has been no change. Things only got worse. How can one disaster change all that when nothing else seemed to work?”

The reply was simple. “That’s because this disaster was not even anticipated until it happened.”

“And political parties and their opposing views and information. How does one correct that?” Edward asked.

 Another simple response: “This was easily remedied because there are no more political parties. The only party that exists now is the Human Party. All views are listened to, and all facts are verified and accepted, both in the United States and all the countries of the world.”

This had to be a dream. There was no way anything like what was being described could actually exist. 

“I know you doubt this is the truth. I would share with you the world I live in now, but alas, I’m not permitted to do that. You need to trust me, or should I say you need to trust yourself, for you will be a big part of that change. And it starts now.”

This was a bit much for Edward to take. He sat down again, closed his eyes, and tried to focus on what was said. He had more questions to ask, but when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his recliner, house, and time. 

He never saw that person again. He had a suspicion about who that person might be, and if he’s right, he has about fifty more years before he find out if he’s correct. 

As for now, he had things to do. How does one get their name on a ballot?

 

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2024, Original Stories, Writing | Tagged , | 3 Comments

D – Darkness

Posted on April 4, 2024 by hdh

D – Darkness

This continues the story Back to Selat. You may want to read that first if you haven’t already. 

——-

It was easy to find my way back to Selat, for I had used the portal numerous times while trying to help all the captured and freed characters remember their stories. I landed in the center of the main street in front of a storefront. I noticed that there was no light inside or outside the store. The sky was dark—no sun or moon, no stars, just darkness. 

I used my flashlight to look at the sign over the door that read, “ASK YOUR QUESTIONS HERE. LIMITED SUPPLY” This was where I first met the Caretaker of Selat. It was the right place, but what was going on? 

I entered the store and went to the front counter. I rang the bell on the countertop. Its sound rang pure and echoed through the room. 

A familiar voice called out, “Ask your question.”

I shined my flashlight on my face and asked, “Do you remember me?”

Usually, when one went to the caretaker, they were only allowed to ask three questions and had to pay for the answers. I had to make sure that the caretaker knew who I was since he had waived all limits and costs for me as a reward for all the help I had given saving Selat the last time. If he didn’t remember me, I only had two questions left to find out anything and would have to find a way to pay for the answers. Hopefully, I hadn’t just wasted a question.

After a moment, he responded, “You are the teller of tales, the savior of stories, the loved of Selat. Your visit was not foretold this time; however, your presence is needed. What brought you to our kingdom?”

I explained to the caretaker the events that preceded my arrival: the meeting with the mystic, the cryptic message that help was needed, that I was supposed to seek out the caretaker, and that something had happened to Red Riding Hood. 

The caretaker verified everything that I said. Red Riding Hood was indeed missing. Since then, darkness had covered the kingdom with what was assumed to be an evil spell. 

“Has Necroma returned?” I asked. 

“Not to our knowledge,” the caretaker said, “However, it would appear her dark magic has.”

“What do you expect me to do? Are there any clues?”

“Your task is whatever you feel is right. You might want to discover what happened to Red, why we live in darkness, and restore what was. Without light, all living things eventually die.”

According to the laws of Selat, the caretaker is not allowed to give direct help to anyone. He does have to oversee its inhabitants and ensure that the life of story continues, so he couldn’t summon me to be there himself. So even if he knew where Red was or how the darkness came, he could only give me hints, similar to what transpired between the Mystic and me. 

He continued, “There are creatures in Selat that are directly involved in all the events that have transpired. One might want to look into stories containing a missing character or causes of a darkened world. Time is short.”

Before I could respond, the caretaker was gone. I could no longer feel his presence.

Again, I was given truthful information—at least, I assumed it was since I trusted the caretaker—but not enough information to solve what I was called here to do.  At least it was a start.

I decided that the first thing I would do was go to Red’s grandmother’s house. Maybe there was a clue there that would help. 

To be continued in F – Fox

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2024, Original Stories, Writing | Tagged , | 7 Comments

C – Creative Thoughts

Posted on April 3, 2024 by hdh

 

C – Creative Thoughts

When I started teaching in 1973, I was part of a unique group of teachers in a newly formed school district. I taught 6th grade. 

What made us unique was everything was new in the school I worked in. I was one of six new 6th-grade teachers. The middle school we were hired to teach in had just been built, though as 6th-grade teachers, we did not start working in the physical middle school until two years after the new high school building had been completed.

This teaching position was exciting because we had yet to set a curriculum. The New York State Education Department had published its recommended curriculum, but most had not been mandated yet. Even though we adopted most of the recommendations, we were free to teach it the way we thought best.

There was a lot of planning in those early years. Our union was just getting its feet wet, so there were no contractual restrictions on how much time we were asked to spend planning during and outside school hours. And plan we did. As a group, we met about ten hours every week between faculty meetings and grade-level meetings, in addition to our own time outside of school hours, developing our curriculum and discovering our teaching styles. 

As the years of teaching in the district passed, I maintained that focus. I always tried something new that I hadn’t done the previous year. I discarded and initiated programs and projects that kept me excited about my work. I applied for grants and got them to fund innovative projects. I was the first to bring the Internet into a classroom and helped to wire up my elementary school so that other classes could engage in online learning and sharing. 

My students benefited from my excitement as I created several project-oriented learning experiences. One such experience was the $60,000 inheritance project, in which each student would inherit that amount of money, provided they spent it according to some conditions I set up. After three weeks of working on this project, where each student had to search through catalogs for things to buy, find out car prices, research stock prices, keep an accounting record of money spent, and learn how to use a spreadsheet, one student came up to me and asked, “When are we going to start doing math again?” not even aware that they had been doing more math than ever before.

Another experience was teaching the geography of the United States, Canada, and Mexico by taking the class on a virtual year-long field trip to those countries. Students had to find out gas and airplane costs, sights to visit on their travels, and report about things they learned. My favorite event happened by chance when we were visiting Canada. It was a snowy school day, and enough snow was on the athletic field for me to utilize the Physical Education Department’s cross-country skis, so we skied through Canada that day in the school’s backyard. 

Not only was my creative mind at work throughout all of this, but the planning that went on in the student’s minds as we worked grew and flourished. 

Truth be told, I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

 

Jump ahead to where education had come to when I retired in 2006. I left teaching just as more mandates from the state and institutionalized programs were being brought into the district. So many of those teachers still in the field have no time to tap into their creative talents. Until COVID hit in 2020, more district-wide writing programs that have been adopted focused more on form and rules than creative thought. I was subbing in a class where a consultant to the district was demonstrating a lesson to other teachers and told the 3rd graders, “Today, we are going to do some free writing. Here’s what you have to do.”

The math curriculum is now a district continuum. Students follow a strict sequence of how to do math. There is no way, I could determine, that a teacher could encourage a student who figured out a unique way of solving a math problem to do it that way. The tests require that you show your work and that it conforms to the prescribed method. 

Planning is easy. Just follow the guides set by the district or company supplying the program. 

As a writer and a storyteller, I have suggested to teachers that I could help by conducting storytelling or writing workshops or performances, which research shows have improved learning and creativity. In response, I usually get, “That sounds like a great idea, but we don’t have enough time to put it into our plans. We don’t even have enough time to accomplish what we’re supposed to.” 

 The consequences of education choices are dire. We need to acknowledge this truth and move forward, not stagnate. 

As famed educator and advisor Sir Ken Robinson has said, “Imagination is the source of every form of human achievement. And it’s the one thing that I believe we are systematically jeopardizing in the way we educate our children and ourselves.” 

It’s time to reawaken our and our children’s minds and allow our creativity to enhance what we do.

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2024, Education, Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

B – Back to Selat

Posted on April 2, 2024 by hdh

 

B – Back to Selat

 

It had been almost a year since I had my adventure in the kingdom of Selat, a place you won’t find on any map and where all the stories and story characters you know reside. My task had been to find and rescue all the stories and characters that a powerful sorceress, Necroma, had stolen and bewitched. With the help of other story characters, Necroma was defeated, and stories were again brought back and shared in multiple universes, including ours. (https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=3431)

So here it is, almost a year later. I have not thought of Selat in months. I enjoy my brand of storytelling, both live and virtual, doing some writing, interacting with real people daily, and doing everything I thought I was meant to do. That was about to change.

It was the evening of April 2nd. I was setting up for a virtual storytelling session with a group I belonged to when my computer misfired. By misfired, I mean I opened the Zoom window as usual when the screen suddenly went blank. I quickly rebooted, and the screen brightened to show me the face of a woman with short blond hair and vivid green eyes staring at me.

It took me a while to recognize her face. She was the mystic of other kingdoms I had met when I first got involved with Selat. Her face looked a little older, and something didn’t look right. 

“Ah, the teller of tales, so we meet again.,” she said.

“Why are you here?” was my reaction. “Has something gone amiss in Selat?”

“Everything is fine and well,” she answered quickly as if in a rush.

This just added to my confusion. “Then, why are you here?”

She looked to her left and right, then back at me, and replied, “Can’t someone just stop by and say hello?” After saying this, she looked both ways again and then blinked nine times—three short, three long, and three short.

I would have to be stupid not to recognize the Morse code signal for SOS.

I said cautiously, “How is my friend Ronald doing?” Though Ronald was part of my adventure, he was no longer connected with Selat and had no memories of it. I was hoping that by talking about Ronald, she could give me more information without anyone watching her realizing she was. And it worked.

“Oh, you know Ronald, always looking to get in trouble,” she started, “I recommended to him to seek some help from you know who, but he didn’t care to take my advice.”

“Well, next time I see Ronald, I’ll take care to tell him he should listen. I assume he got there the usual way.”

“He did, indeed,” she responded. It’s good he brought his flashlight and the red-covered book, you know, the one that went missing; otherwise, he would never have returned home.”

“That’s good advice,” I said, “Maybe someday I’ll visit again,  too.”

“There’s no rush,” she said quietly, blinking nine times again. 

I thought briefly about how to respond and then said, “Good to hear from you. Please remind the Little Red Hen for me that when her bread is kneaded, it always rises to the occasion.” I slowly nodded my head up and down while subtly signing OK. “I’m glad we had this chat.”

The gatekeeper nodded once, and the screen returned to my normal desktop.

I hope I got the message right. Selat was in trouble, I needed to see the Caretaker as soon as possible, and Little Red Riding Hood was missing. I also needed to bring a flashlight. 

I had no idea what I was in for or why they needed me. Sometimes, you have to think about how to couch the truth. You never know who might use it against you or misconstrue what was being said. 

I was about to find out.

 

To be continued in D – Darkness

 

Posted in Writing | 14 Comments

A – Ambition

Posted on April 1, 2024 by hdh

A – Ambition

Arthur was a writer. From childhood to adulthood, all he wanted to do was write and be published. 

As a child, he mostly wrote fiction and let his imagination bring up all kinds of creatures and adventures his characters would go on. Most of the ideas, though, were spurred on by the television shows he watched and the comics he read. Was that truly his imagination at work? That’s hard to say. However, he did get great praise from his teachers and others who weren’t as familiar with the scenarios from which he got his sparks.

As he reached high school and college, he noticed many published books centered on the world around him. The politics of the time, the history of past struggles for freedom, and famous people who impacted the world, folk and fairytales. 

The more he read, the more convinced he became that if he were going to be published, he would need a background that people knew about and respected. 

So, he began to take from other cultures and histories and make them his own. 

Yes, he had Native American blood and could write about events that had happened to family members. His mother was of Sioux descent.

In 1934, his Jewish father immigrated to the United States from Germany and fought for the Americans on D-Day in World War II. He wrote about specific events that his father had shared with him as a child. And publishers ate it up. They wanted Arthur to write a book for them. Arthur was to realize his dream come true. 

At age 25, Arthur got his first book published by PellemVerse Publishing. It was entitled On the Front. It was a first-hand account of D-Day, stories about his father, and the battles fought in WW II. The fact that Arthur’s father died ten years before the book was published made it somewhat difficult for anyone to verify anything written in the book. Besides, the book sold, so the publishing company wasn’t rushing to check.

His next book, Wounded at Wounded Knee, told first-hand stories from his mother’s side of the family. 

People bought his books in droves. There was talk that he would soon be on the New York Times Best Seller list when his collection of Native American folktales came out. 

Through all of his writing, though written well, no one ever questioned his background. Everything he wrote seemed so authentic. 

That’s the trouble with trusting what you read. 

It was a husband-and-wife team (Henry, a genealogist, and Winona, an actual Native American descendant) who discovered the truth about Arthur’s real identity with the help of one of Arthur’s Elementary School teachers. 

Arthur was a fraud. Neither of his parents came from where he said they did. Although separated, they were still living. Arthur paid them a significant sum from the sales of his first book to go into hiding and not reveal who or where they were. 

Winona, who herself was an expert in Native American Folklore and the Sioux nation, noticed the discrepancies in Arthur’s accounts and his claims that certain folktales were of Sioux origin. Henry’s work proved that Arthur’s family did not come from where he claimed. Leonard Feinman, Arthur’s 5th grade teacher, corroborated this. He had kept all of Arthur’s writing and records, somewhat of a packrat, kept all of his student’s stuff, hoping that someday they would be worth something. Leonard was honest, not like some who might have blackmailed Arthur; Leonard was more than willing to share what he had when he was interviewed by Henry after being found through one of Henry’s background searches. The truth needed to be shared. 

And shared it was. Following the revelations, countless articles in newspapers and magazines denounced Arthur. His publishing company’s reputation was ruined. Courts were tied up with the number of suits against Arthur and PellemVerse Publishing. Arthur’s writing career was finished. 

The only ones who would benefit from his work were his parents. You can read more about that in their new book, Born to Lie. Its release day is today, April 1st. An appropriate date for its release – April Fool’s Day.

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2024, Original Stories, Writing | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

A to Z Challenge 2024 Theme Reveal

Posted on March 10, 2024 by hdh

A to Z Blog Challenge 2024

Theme Reveal

 

This is my ninth year doing the Challenge. Last year, I tried something totally new. I created a single story that spanned all of the letters of the alphabet: “Save me a Story.” I am returning to somewhat isolated stories using a single theme this year. I say “somewhat isolated” because some letters may be connected to other letters as part of shorter stories.

The theme that I chose this year is Truth or Consequences. Prepare for a collection of stories, essays, poems, and maybe even some memoir pieces that involve truthtellers, liars, fairies, witches, and me, who certainly deal with the truth or variations of it and suffer or don’t suffer the consequences of their actions. 

For those who read last year’s story, there might be a return to the Kingdom of Selat, where all the fairytales and folktales originate and the characters who go along with them live. You might also be re-introduced to my dear friend Ronald, who was also part of that story. Adventures and activities with Ronald always try to avoid answering the question, “What could possibly go wrong?”

It’s time to get writing and prepare for the April Challenge. See you all on April 1st. Let the stories begin.

 

 

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2024, Original Stories, Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , | 16 Comments

A Place…Not Unknown

Posted on March 6, 2024 by hdh

A Place…Not Unknown

It did not take long; my eyes were closed

The world around me vanished

I know this place; I was younger then.

I need to be there before it’s too late

 

The path was simple; except it wasn’t

There were strange animals in my path

Leopards with two heads and bared sharp teeth

Don’t exist, yet there they were

 

They let me pass, following me with knowing eyes

I continued on, as more strange beasts appeared

My direction was clear, as time meandered on

The desire to be home increased

 

All was familiar before and around me

The park on the left where I played and watched concerts

The stores and White Castle on my right

The elevated subway station in front of me

 

But something was wrong. I should not be here

It is neither the time nor place of my existence

And the creatures, though friendly, scared me

I was not who I should be 

 

I was younger then. I’m much older now

I no longer live in this place. I’ve moved on

The people that I knew are no longer

Yet I am here and need to go home

 

As time would have it, it runs out

Sounds of music fill the air

Familiar tunes to the older me

Music that calls to me, it’s time to wake up

 

Dreams are there to tweak your mind

To take you places you’ve been before

And let imagination rewrite your world 

And so it was, and so it is.

Posted in Personal Stories, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Look before you Leap

Posted on February 28, 2024 by hdh

Look Before You Leap

Today’s essay has to do with leaping. I intend to focus on two aspects of leaping. Leaping to Conclusions and Leap of Faith.

According to thefreedictionarycom, “Leaping to Conclusions” is To make decisions or form opinions before one has all the pertinent facts.

 Leaping to conclusions is something that one does without thought. With the Internet the way it is, with unverified information posted, anything can seem factual. So, even taking the time to research facts, a choice would be leaping to a conclusion if the facts were not authentic, leading to a wrong understanding. 

According to thefreedictionary.com, “Leap of Faith” is The act or an instance of believing or trusting in something intangible or incapable of being proved.

A leap of faith requires trust and would not necessarily need any facts to support a choice, though having some proof should solidify that leap. 

One is generally judged by the choices one makes in life. So, one should be very careful about jumping to conclusions and taking leaps of faith, especially when it involves decisions that might have unwanted consequences for one’s actions. 

Another thing one must do, should one make a wrong choice based on the above leaps, is learn from the mistakes so that when similar situations arise, one can remember the flaw in their previous leaps of faith and potentially leap to a better conclusion.

Some of us ascribe to those definitions yet fail to take the next step and learn from our mistakes. Our leap of faith, though consistently proven wrong, leaves us with a “Leap of Hope” that this next outcome will be different from the last one, and the person we should not have trusted has changed. After all, he is my friend. What could possibly go wrong? 

Of course, this has never happened to me. I am writing this for those who might benefit from my advice. I’m a firm believer in “Practice what you Preach.” 

 

Posted in Original Stories, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Day Off

Posted on February 21, 2024 by hdh

A Day Off

I was looking forward to my day off. That night, my workroom’s “To-Do Bulletin Board” was blank. I had nothing planned the next day. 

I woke up the following day after somewhat of a restless night’s sleep. I had a few random dreams of no consequence. However, my concerns about real life had filled my mind. For example, I hadn’t started working on my taxes yet; they were almost due.

 The first thing I did when I woke up was write a post-it note, “Do Taxes,” and put it on my To-Do board. 

I also thought about the email I received about our planned trip. I had to get back to that agent, and that was added to the board. 

As I began to make breakfast, I noticed a set of unopened bills on the table. I hoped the due date hadn’t passed. They got tacked up, too. 

I started eating breakfast when I realized I was supposed to make reservations at Fifth Season restaurant for our anniversary. I needed a reminder to do that. While I’m on the subject of our anniversary, I still haven’t purchased a gift or a card for it. I’m pretty sure it’s tomorrow. 

Didn’t my daughter have play rehearsal after school today? I better make a note to pick her up. 

The phone rang while I was washing the breakfast dishes. It was my boss. He wanted to know where the Cooper file was and had I finished writing up the Off-Week statistics report. He needed both for a presentation to the CEO by 3 o’clock. I said that shouldn’t be a problem. Just in case, I put a reminder note and a copy of the report on the To-Do board. 

It wasn’t even 10 a.m. yet. I noticed a note from my wife on the counter, reminding me to go shopping with a list of ingredients I knew could not be purchased at the same store. That would mean going to Target, Stop and Shop, and Uncle Giuseppe’s. That was not a short trip. She didn’t mention why we needed all that food, but I suspect it had to do with our anniversary. I couldn’t forget that; I put it on the board. 

Today was Wednesday. Right? That meant it was dust and vacuum the house day. How could I forget that?  I would have if I didn’t write it down and post it. 

By 11 o’clock, I had accomplished nothing other than to fill up my blank To-Do Bulletin Board; there were no blank spaces to be had. 

I was beginning to question whether or not this was, indeed, a day off. 

As I stood in front of the board, I tried to focus. How was I going to accomplish all of this in one day? 

I needed another day off. 

Posted in Original Stories, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

An Unbegun Story…or…Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Posted on February 6, 2024 by hdh

An Unbegun Story…or…Could Possibly Go Wrong?

…could possibly go wrong?” I had it running through my head. I’ve heard it before we started and have never paid attention to the warning or the history behind said statement.

All I had left was to locate the final destination and deliver the packages. Game over.

The problem was this was a neighborhood that I was not at all familiar with. 

It might have been a fun activity had I had someone to play it with. However, that someone bailed out at the last minute, saying he had to go somewhere with his mother. Quelle surprise! 

I should have thought this was fishy from the start, but I trusted Ronald.

When I found the playground, I saw the spot where I was supposed to leave the packages. I also saw three police cars stationed right near that spot.

 What to do? 

I left the packages behind a bush and slowly walked towards the goal line to see if anything would happen. 

One of the policemen immediately stopped me and questioned me about what I was doing there. 

I stammered that I was here to meet up with a friend and play.

The cop looked at me and told me that the park was closed today and that I should go home. 

I tried to inquire as to why the park was closed but was just rushed out of the park with no answer. 

I decided not to retrieve the packages and went home. I definitely did not want to get involved with the police. I was only 13 years old, and my parents would kill me if they found out I was involved in some criminal activity, especially if Ronald was involved.

I caught up with Ronald the next day and told him what had happened. He denied knowing anything or what would have happened had I finished the game. He said it sounded like a fun game when he found it online. 

When will I ever learn?

Posted in Original Stories, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment