The trick is to make them all standalone stories. So if I do write it, someone could read and understand the cat owner perspective without having read Custody.
I think you do too. As for the cool kids, I was never one of them when I was a kid. I think it's something they label you with in hindsight. It's like finding out five years later that the girl of your dreams in high school had a secret crush on you.
Thanks J/S. While this is entirely fictional ( though I was an Olympic caliber garbage picker ) I have a friend who grew up in this type of environment who is now financially successful and runs the best homeless outreach charity in Detroit.
I was once encouraged by an older boy to climb the wall of a factory. I’d never done anything like that before. The factory made electric fires, and we found some discarded glass “coals”, They might as well have been diamonds to me. I picked the best one and put it in my pocket.
We climbed back over the wall and met the other boy’s friend. “Look what we found!” He said, and gave him MY diamond! That would have been 1969 ish. Your story reminded me of the perspective of boys exploring their world in the limbo land between childhood and adulthood. Thank you!
I loved those days. The pinion lathes at the auto plant where I worked made beautiful purple and gold scrap.I always wanted to make Christmas ornaments out of them, but technically it would be theft because they sold the scrap by weight.
Another story with a cat. I love it.
Harvey will not hate this memory when he’s older. Sammy - who thinks ahead and has prospects - didn’t abandon him and he got a cat after all.
Giving back that cat is going to be tough though. And people ALWAYS post rewards for lost cats
I’ve done it myself. So I’m personally torn on this. Hopefully he’ll use the reward to adopt a kitten?
Maybe I can write a new story through Ella's eyes.
A trilogy maybe - all of them - even the cat owner’s heartbreak.
The trick is to make them all standalone stories. So if I do write it, someone could read and understand the cat owner perspective without having read Custody.
No doubt. Unless she becomes unhinged of course…
But was the cat as cute as Stripper?
Not possible
Brotherly love but rough around the edges. Liked this one a lot, something lovable but also disgusting in their daily
Existence.
There's definitely love
So well done. I loved it.
Thanks Ben! Despite not being embraced by the Substack cool kids, I think I do pretty good work.
I think you do too. As for the cool kids, I was never one of them when I was a kid. I think it's something they label you with in hindsight. It's like finding out five years later that the girl of your dreams in high school had a secret crush on you.
Tough life.
Great story
Thanks J/S. While this is entirely fictional ( though I was an Olympic caliber garbage picker ) I have a friend who grew up in this type of environment who is now financially successful and runs the best homeless outreach charity in Detroit.
Did my share. Lots of great stuff. Congrats to your friend!
Cat lovers punching the air right now
Like Bender at the end of Breakfast Club, or...
I was once encouraged by an older boy to climb the wall of a factory. I’d never done anything like that before. The factory made electric fires, and we found some discarded glass “coals”, They might as well have been diamonds to me. I picked the best one and put it in my pocket.
We climbed back over the wall and met the other boy’s friend. “Look what we found!” He said, and gave him MY diamond! That would have been 1969 ish. Your story reminded me of the perspective of boys exploring their world in the limbo land between childhood and adulthood. Thank you!
I loved those days. The pinion lathes at the auto plant where I worked made beautiful purple and gold scrap.I always wanted to make Christmas ornaments out of them, but technically it would be theft because they sold the scrap by weight.
You reeled me in with the bluegill, perfectly descriptive of a child trying not to burst. Thank you.
I put a lot of thought into that.
A fun read! I love the brothers’ relationship.
I was definitely the older brother.
Yeah, for sure. I totally see it. :)
❤️