Creative Writing Feature!

Welcome back!! 

Readers today I bring to you a creative story I wrote in college in my Write Like a Woman English 404 – class by my lovely advisor/ professor at Iowa State University. She was very inspiring and enlightening. She made us her friend while keeping it professional. 

I remember at the end of the semester she prepared a dinner at her house and we had to come in our pajamas so it became a little sleepover. Everyone discussed their favorite part of the class and bonded as classmates. It was fun, the part about Iowa I like the most is the true adventures within classes and outside classes 

But back to the facts….

It was a very inspiring class and I had so much fun reading all things woman, writing as a woman and being in a class full of women!

The professor told us to choose a greeting card from a pile and create a story.

By the time the cards got to me there were many boring cards that this was the only one left that popped…

I looked at like what am I gonna make of this? 

Then trying to write a story?! Forget it. It was soooo complicated! 

I kept sitting there like 🤔🤔🤔

Then I came up with a dream concept…

From here, I’ll let you read and please PLEASE share your opinion, I know this story is silly. I wanted it to be fun and funny…..although the class couldn’t really get the joke 😝

****I have TWO edits to the story but I will post the final copy and think about posting the scrap! The scrap was more of a dream from the daughter and the official I made it feel more personalized and a connection to the character.*****

Let me know what you think! It was haaarrrdddd to write but I think I did a good job being OUT-OF-THE-BOX :).

STORY: 

“Is it my uniform?”

I stand at the register and wonder if this is true every time the customers turn away from me. I can’t help it, I’m eccentric. The managers thought it would be a great idea for me to have on this bright red long sleeve shirt with random even and odd numbers displayed all over.  It’s a good thing red looks good with the beige khakis I wear every day.  I didn’t choose to wear these clothes; this is what I have to deal with since I started working at Phantastic Pharmacy. I just turned fifty. I have a whole new perspective on my life that I am still trying to figure out.

My mother always told me “sometimes your eccentric attitude can get the best of you.” I guess mothers are always right at any age you are. My fifteen year old daughter thinks I’m hilarious because my jokes are outlandish and random. Laughter is the shell to my internal troubles. I enjoy being the eccentric woman my child loves. Although she is not a baby anymore, I still see her as one. If only my co workers were as understanding as she is. No one here even realizes it’s my birthday. The card my mother gave me this morning does not help either.

It’s 10:00 am and there are no customers. “I’m going to take a break!” I shout to no one in particular as I head to the break room. I’ve been working for 3 hours and it is time I sit my butt down. The couch makes farting noises which makes me uncomfortable. Oh the feel of plastic!  I loathe in my own loneliness as I eat red velvet cake. Yum! My guilty pleasure. I lick the plate clean, as guilt hits me. For some reason I think someone is watching me, but I am all alone. After I set the plate on the small table in front of me, I lay down to let the cake digest. Gross! This couch smells like feet! I think as I try to mask the smell with the sleeve of my shirt.

I like to tell the joke of the day, “Do you know how many men it takes to screw in a light bulb?” I’ve been at this job for over thirty years, I deserve some humor every once in a while. Don’t you agree? Customers waiting for their prescriptions or refills glare and snicker. Most of them just roll their eyes and say “Umm hmm…whatever” as they pass by.   

Someone once told me I remind them of the hip 70’s chic style with my big pink glasses and blue hair. My favorite fashion accessories are my earrings. Today I’m wearing my light bulbs. My daughter made them for me last month as an early birthday gift. I made a promise with her that I will wear them today.

 Just as I’m about to take my lunch, a handsome man appears through the door of the pharmacy. His eyes are ocean blue and his smile is crystal white as he greets me with “Hello, I’m here to pick up prescription for my grandma. I am her caretaker.” Then he belches a deep baritone laugh as if what he said is abnormal. I take notice of his dimples; one on each side as I hand it to him. As I’m ringing him up, I start to feel my cheeks flush while my body temperature gets hotter. I am blissfully dazed and I don’t hear the joke slip out my mouth.

He reads my name tag and says “Sally, why don’t you tell me that answer and I may take you to dinner.”

I almost dropped the drawer as I answer, “Just one. He holds the bulb and waits for the world to revolve around him…..”  

“Sally wake up!” one of the co-workers yells.

I haven’t even realized I passed out on the couch. Immediately my eyes flash open in a panic. She is sticking her head into the doorway. A quick yawn escapes my mouth. My neck hurts as I proceed to sit up. My right arm fell asleep too. I must have slept too hard on it. A smile creeps across my lips as I remember what just happened as I took a break from the standard routine. The watch on my arm says it is 11:00 a.m. As I head to the bathroom, pieces of the dream come back to me. If only it were real. My feet think ten steps ahead of me as I am now in the mirror, balling my eyes out.

*The End*

***Thoughts and opinions people, I am all open to ya thoughts! Let me know if you want me to post the other version***

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