What's So Funny?
Russell Gayer, author speaker
Deli Dreamer
How good is your memory? I like to think mine is pretty good, although sometimes when I go from one room to another to get something I have a hard time remembering what I went there to get.
To keep my recollections of the past in order, I file them in two categories, the Memorable and the Forgettable. The Memorable includes births, celebrations, and fun stuff. These memories are pleasant, but often fuzzy and lack detail. The Forgettable is comprised of events such as prepping for a colonoscopy, root canals, and slamming a car door on my fingers. My recall of these incidents is vivid and crystal clear.
Now it’s your turn. Please share a favorite memory or something you’d rather forget.
If you’re new to Friday Flash Fiction, our hostess (who is writing a novel on the joys of being vertically challenged, entitled “Short Women”) is Louisa May Alcott Wisoff-Fields. If you’d like to participate in this exercise of madness, head over to her blog for step-by-step instructions. To view the ensemble of practicing fic-titioners in the writers in FFF Hollywood Squares Authors Block click here.
Decorating cakes at a grocery store bakery was hardly the dream job Shelley had in mind after earning a master’s degree from Walla Walla Bing Bang Art Institute.
She’d always loved art. Her mother often joked that Shelley was born with a purple crayon in her hand. Over the years, she mailed dozens renderings of “Winky” in response to the “Draw Me” ads in newspapers and magazines.
The art instruction school’s reply was always the same. You appear to have talent. Submit again when you’re older.
Finally, at age thirty-two, she was accepted.
*speaking of memory, I may have posted this excerpt from Criminal Mimes previously. I honestly can’t remember. If so, that post was neither memorable or forgettable.
48 Comments on “Deli Dreamer”
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What's So Funny? 
I don’t remember reading this post before. A reminder to keep on trying no matter what the critics say.
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My brother recycles Valentines Day cards to his wife. After she reads it (and gets teary-eyed) she places it on the mantel above the fireplace. A few days later he takes it down and hides it in a drawer. The next year he pulls it out and gives it to her again. She thinks it’s a new one and gets teary-eyed all over again. You might give that a try.
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Great tip! 🙂
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Oh that’s good!
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Dear Martin Memory Mogul,
Shelley has graduated from purple crayons to watercolor wine glasses and hopes you and Winky are very happy together. Yes, I do remember this story. But when you have such great a great subject material, y knot?
Why is it those not so joyful memories are what stick with us? I remember having my head bashed in by an electronic door at the tender age of 3. I also remember colonoscopy prep, the re-enactment of “Run for Your Life” without Ben Gazarra.
Back to tweaking my novel. Today, Amy gets cut down to size.
Shalom,
Louisa May Alcott W(T)F
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Dear Louisa May Alcott W(T)F,
You’ll be happy to know that Winky is looking over my shoulder as I type this. He’s good at clever comments but his spelling, punctuation, and grammar are even worse than mine.
Hmmm . . . severe head injury at age 3. That explains the attraction to Do-Not-Remove tags. And I suspect the affection for tasteless, high-fiber cereals has something to do with the colonoscopy. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, I’m sure Detective Lowry will find this information useful.
Now, if I can only remember it,
Martin Memory Mogul
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A cute story. I am sure that Shelley has not only conquered Wink but the writing world as well. 🙂
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She’s working on it, Sascha. 😉
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Shelley is multi-talented and a great character to work with. Without her, there would be no Criminal Mimes.
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😀
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Aw shucks. 🙂
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She wins through in the end.
gramswisewords.blogspot.com
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You have to admire her perseverance. However, these days she mainly draws empty wine glasses.
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Where have I read this before? My memory is not always up to par 😉
Shelley and I were kinda hoping you were gonna jump in on our party..
We both came to the conclusion that Connie must be keeping you too busy 😉
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I do enjoy writing Fictioneers into these post, but you two did such a great job this week there’s was no point in me jumping on that bandwagon.
Connie does keep me busy. On Wednesday, she forced me to go fishing. I tried to beg off, but she insisted.
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Ah well… we thank you, then! We tried to do it as well as you do 😀
So I heard. Did you catch anything, at least?
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Yep, I brought 10 crappie home.
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Never too late! I was going to say something else but I’ve forgotten what it was….
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No need to apologize, Keith. That happends to me all the time.
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good for her that she didn’t give up. but i wonder at what cost? 🙂
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Anything worth having is worth sacrificing for.
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i totally agree.
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Decorating cake is not a bad job, if you get to eat a bit of cake also. After all, a degree from Walla Walla Bing Bang Art Institute is not easy to acquire.
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Good points, Abhijit. We’re not going to say how long it took her to earn a degree, but that giant oak tree was just an acorn when she enrolled.
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I clearly remember slashing my arm falling on a broken bottle and breaking my ankle in three places. I also forget if I did something a few minutes before. Thank goodness for Google when I forget words for things. Getting old is no picnic in the park. It is highly preferable to the alternative, though. Thank goodness for my sense of humor. 😀 — Suzanne
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My earliest memory is almost slicing my finger off on a metal oil can (around age 3). It’s remembering what happened yesterday, or earlier this morning that’s the problem. Names is a real issue.
I’m thankful for your sense of humor too. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Once again Russell has two stories for the price of Free. If you enjoy this jolly fare, just move up and to the right to click on one or both of the covers. To assist him even more, reblog this post on your blog. Thanks.
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Hopefully, you’ll have some takers. After all, the price is right.
Thanks again for reblogging me.
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I always enjoy your stories, and their introductions. I wonder if there’s a reason why your memory of happy events is hazy, that may not be unconnected with how you celebrate them? Hic.
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Thank you, Penny. I have plenty of great memories. Why the details are fuzzy is a mystery. Maybe they weren’t what made the event special. Smashing my finger with an 8 pound hammer is quite another thing. I remember every stitch it took to sew it back together and the scar is a constant reminder.
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And an OOO EEEE OOO ah ah to you:) I hope Rochelle does finish that book. I could use it to elevate my height at the dinner table 🙂
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She could use a booster chair at the table too. 🙂
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Never too old to start. Good thing she persisted. Now she hangs in the National Gallery, is lionised by the art world. Purple is the new black.
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Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But perhaps gray is the new silver.
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I enjoy the foreplay between you and Rochelle as much as I enjoyed your recounting of ‘Shelly’s’ disjointed work history. Nice write!
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We do love to pick on each other. 🙂
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32? pfft! that’s no age. Almost a child prodigy, I would say. I had some memories to share with you, but that was a minute or two ago…
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Yes, just a babe in purple clothing.
Maybe those memories will come back to you, but don’t keep your shoe laces crossed.
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I remember those art college ads in the newspaper and tried my hand at drawing one as a child. I think my parents just shook their heads. Their job was to protect me from such attempts to massage my ego for commercial purposes. I get that now.
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I drew one of their Pirates and sent it in when I was twelve or thirteen. I got the same response as Shelley, only I stopped submitting before age 32. Some people just don’t know when to quit.
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Persistence pays off in the end. Nice job.
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W. C. Fields said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.”
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I have such a good memory for facts and trivia but if you asked me where I put the car keys half an hour ago, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. All shopping request must be written down otherwise I will not get the requested items. But I can tell you that Jim Hines, Ronnie Ray Smith and Charles Greene were the first to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters, all on 20 June 1968.
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Wow, thanks for sharing that information. Now, if I’m ever on the TV show Jeopardy and Alex Trebek throws that clue out there I’ll be ready.
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This was hilarious!
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You’re too kind, Dawn.
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many talented people wasted their lives in schools
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True. And some of us never bother with pursuing higher learning.
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