#383 – Polite Dinner Conversation…

…isn’t supposed to include religion, politics, or money.  Write a scene at the dinner table where one or more of these topics is discussed.

Disclaimer: This post deals with things some people may find offensive.  You’ve been warned.

Three people are sitting at a table, eating their meal in uneasy silence.

Father: <clears his throat>

Mother: Hm?

Father: …nothing.

Son: Go ahead.  Say it.

Father: …I have nothing to say.

Son: I think you have plenty to say.

Father: <doesn’t say a word>

Son: Don’t stop now.  You were pretty vocal about it before I moved out.  So just say it.  You don’t approve of how I live my life.

Mother: Now, let’s just calm down and enjoy dinner…

Father: <sets his fork beside his plate, clearly trying to keep his calm> No.  Let him finish.  He knows everything now, let him share his wisdom.

Son: <tosses his fork on his plate, causing his mother to jump from the sound> No.  I know there’s no changing your mind.  There’s no convincing you.  You’ll just go on thinking your stupid little thoughts.

Father: <points a finger at him> Careful there, kid.  I may not agree with what you believe in now, but I won’t have you insult me at my own table.

Son: <gets up from his chair> That works for me.  I only came because mom begged me to.

Mother: Not like this.  Don’t end it like this, you two.

Father: Let him go.  Let him be with his kind.

Son: Yeah.  My kind.  The right kind. <turns to storm out of the house>

Father: If you walk out that door, you are done, mister.

Son: <pauses at the door and sighs> I’m sorry dad.  Really.  But I just…I can’t do this anymore.  I meant what I said. <walks out the door, quietly shutting it behind him>

Father:  <stares at the door for a moment before picking up his plate> I’ll never understand that, kid. I wonder what Buddhism has that Cannibalism doesn’t…?

Mother: I don’t know, dear.  Pass me a lung?

Father: <passes over a piece of meat> I hope our new mailman is as good as this one.  Not too gamey.

Mother: Mm-hm.

Behind the Random: This one was a struggle to do, but I knew there was going to be some kind of bizzare twist at the end, which I’m fond of if you haven’t noticed by this point.  I considered having them different things from aliens to vampires to Nazis to nudists.  Somehow, cannibals won…not sure how that happened.

#614 – Write a scene…

…in which two people leave believing opposite things are true.

“I don’t know what to write for this assignment…” I wondered aloud as I looked over the instructions again.  “Maybe I’ll just cop out and write about two guys arguing about how the glass is half empty or half full.”

My wife gave me an incredulous look.  “Don’t do that.  What about all the arguements I’ve had with your best friend.  We always walk away thinking the opposite.  Or our talks about religion or politics.”

I shrug.  “I could but that would take up too much time, I think.  I don’t want to spend all night on this project.  I think it would just be quicker to do this.  Besides, I have had discussions about optimism and pessism before, so I can draw from that.”

“I still think you’re being lazy.” My wife said with a sigh as she went back to her laptop.

“What you call lazy, I call efficient.” I responded back as I sat down at my own computer to begin my post.

Behind the Random: This one was another struggle, but fortunately I had a discussion with the wife about this before I wrote it.  So, while paraphrased, it is the conversation I had with her.