31 Comments
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Nov 26, 2023
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Jimmy Doom's avatar

Thanks Ben. I keep trying to write new favorites for people. In this case though, the story just had to escape its cage in my head.

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Nov 26, 2023
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Jimmy Doom's avatar

Thanks for responding to this one. To any and all of them , but this one I thought might send people to the exits.

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Nov 26, 2023
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Jimmy Doom's avatar

I love that. And I love that Mark said it reminded him to be grateful for a happy childhood.

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Veronica's avatar

Ouch.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

I know. I had to get the ouch out

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Patris's avatar

You’ve crushed me now.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

Please don't leave me. I'll write some lighter ones.

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Patris's avatar

I’m sticking no worries but whew

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Joseph L. Wiess's avatar

I want many things.

I need very few things.

The things I need won't fit in the box.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

I'm not sure I want to write this child's similar adult struggle

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Joe's avatar

I still had hope for the child at the end of the story, but it's a long way to adulthood.

But hope is a powerful motivation - if it can be held on to.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

This kid has hope. But being faced with a similar decision as an adult would be brutal.

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Kate's avatar

Powerful, immersive....it makes you feel..

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

All art ( visual, musical, written ) should make people feel something

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Karlyn's avatar

“I didn’t understand that a broken thing couldn’t be wanted.” This sentence. My heart aches for some reason. Probably lots of reasons. I really enjoyed this story. Thanks Jimmy.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

That's the sentence that made me publish this one.

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V Moire's avatar

You weren’t kidding. This is bleak. It be like that sometimes.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

Yes it does.

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Joe's avatar

Wow.

Poor kid growing up in a sick, twisted environment.

Emptying the box, indeed.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

I think one of the worst things is assuming a kid is stupid, or is simply there to acquiesce.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Sad. Sad. Sad. Makes me thankful for a mostly happy childhood and stable home.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

That's a beautiful takeaway from it. I knew it was a sad piece, obviously, but if it can pull gratitude out of people I'm extra happy about that.

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Patty Mallett's avatar

Wow. Hard family life.

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Luke's avatar

You captured it.

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

Touched me deeply Jimmy. I moved all the way across the country three times before I was 8. Ten different schools before high school. I understand the box.😥

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

That had to be brutal. We would move a few blocks and I hated it.

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Dee Rambeau's avatar

Mostly I didn’t understand. But I understand the box and the lack of control.

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

This story seems to have hit a nerve with a lot of people. Really didn't anticipate the response. Thanks for letting me know.

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Maria Day's avatar

Heart wrenching sad!

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Jimmy Doom's avatar

I know. It really needed to come out.

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Carol Angel's avatar

The box could be so many things, can the child understand he is going to have to leave a part of his life behind ? No!

Life is a mystery box and we are going to leave it all behind and be happy with only a little portion of what we are left with and we are expected to go on...make a new and more boxes when we arrive at our next destination.

All your life remembering and wondering where is it...that stuff that didn’t fit in the box...very deep Jimmy

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