Monday, May 10, 2010

Microfiction Monday





Susan, at Stony River (for a little while longer anyway) manages to host Microfiction Monday even though her life is in complete upheaval. And it's funny! That is the sign of something, but I'm not sure whether it's true class or true insanity. Either way, we love her for hosting!

Take the illustration she provides, write a story in 140 characters or fewer, post it on your blog, and link back to hers. Visit the others' posts, make nice comments, and voila - you'll have a group of friends who like to be funny and brief. (And some may even wear funny briefs, but you won't be able to tell unless they expose the truth on their blog, so don't worry!)

So here's this week's illustration followed by my story. I'm sorry but I couldn't decide this week. To understand the first one you have to know that in our area, blaze orange is the color prisoners wear as they are moving around the city.:



Look mom! Men in jail dresses!

No honey, those are monks in robes.

They get to wear their pajamas all day?

Not pajamas . . . oh, never mind.

OR

Let’s head for the Treasury building.

Free samples?

Yeah, Americans give money to anyone that looks oppressed.

These robes oughta do it then.

and FYI:  These monks were here in D.C. in 2008 as part of the Bhutan exhibit on the National Mall in Washington.  It's part of the Smithsonian Folklife festival. It was kind of strange to go into their pavilion and watch them doing 'monk' things on display. Sort of a weird anthropological zoo.  And even stranger to listen to all the excruciatingly politically correct discussions around me from the typical Washington beltway folks who know very little about anything in depth. I'm not sure which part of it was more surreal.  After about 5 minutes my son said, "this is creepy. Let's go to the Air & Space Museum."

20 comments:

Unknown said...

Great take!
Thank you for the lovely background info...
I am sure they would have felt funny too...

mine is here
Happy Monday!
Happy MM!
hugs
shakira

first50 said...

I wrote two as well, but didn't have the good sense to publish both like you did. :)

Loran said...

I wasn't sure, but I thought it might have been a picture from the Bhutanese exhibit at the mall. I've been to Bhutan and I can assure you that their culture is not so much about material success, but gross national happiness instead. I agree that most people completely misunderstand Buddhism. I grew up in the DC area and am very familiar with the political scene there!

Mary said...

Ha! See, I would've had to have said something about them not being able to find the football stadium (with them wearing orange and all!)!

Unknown said...

Jail dresses, LOL!

That does sound like an odd "exhibit" to observe, especially for a kid. I would head to the Air & Space Museum too!

anthonynorth said...

Enjoyed both of them.
Great fun.

jabblog said...

Ha ha - love it all particularly the fyi at the end :-)

Peggy said...

I loved them both.
You have a very clever mind.
Have a good week.

Sylvia K said...

Oh, yes, yes!! I love it! Terrific take on the pic of the day! Such a fun way to start the day! Thanks for the giggles! Hope you have a great week!

Sylvia

Anonymous said...

Those are both great. So true to life and funny.
Thank you.

Anonymous said...

OMG...isn't your second one right on the money. Both of them are actually and both really well done. Love them :) Have a great week ahead :)

Susan at Stony River said...

I love them both - the first one is so typically 'kid'!

As to class vs. insanity, it's definitely insanity at this point. LOL

I have a friend who became a Buddhist monk, so when I saw these three on the Mall last summer I just had to have a photo. It was only when I got home and saw it on the computer that I noticed the fellow on the left looking at his shoe -- hmmm?

Kristine said...

I kinda prefer the first one, with the inquisitve child and the irritated mommy lol. have a lovely week ahead.

Bill ~ {The Old Fart} said...

Very Nice, I'm still chuckling at Jail Dresses.

SouthLakesMom said...

You Canadians will appreciate this -- my husband has a flight suit that a member of the SnowBirds (Canadian AF demonstration team) gave him. It's bright orange. When my son wore it to school one day to dress up as a Canadian pilot for some presentation, all the kids (who had some experience with it) asked if he was dressing as a jail prisoner. Sigh. No! Orange shows up against the SNOW!

Jingle said...

http://jingleyanqiu.wordpress.com/2010/05/10/microfiction-week-3-what-is-this-place/

mine is here.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

two options,
both funny and witty.
Happy MM.
I loved your work!

hope said...

Ah the last one sounds so true to life I wanted to sit on my wallet and write my Congressman a letter. :)

Well done!

Suz said...

who has any money left to give?

I wanted to say that they ..the men in saffron. will find no enlightenment in D.C.

Michael G-G said...

Commenting late, but better late than never, eh?

"Jail dresses" is great. You captured the kid voice perfectly.

Have a great week.