Made-up story or true story?

[asakiyume]

It's a choose-your-own post ;-)


This was my post for the prompt word "string."

"How long before we have enough people to form a real dojo?" Violet asked her dad. Only two families had come to her dad's open house ("Learn Dreaming Butterfly Martial Arts," the posters had said).

"How long is a piece of string?" her dad replied morosely.

How long was a piece of string?! Was THAT where the answer lay? Well then, Violet would find out. She crammed a tape measure in her pocket, & every piece of string she encountered, she measured. She'd get an answer.

I just tossed it off and then fell in love with the idea of Dreaming Butterfly Martial Arts. I want to learn them! Violet's dad, count me in!


I was leaving the supermarket the other day, and as I passed the 5-gallon water-cooler refills, a boy in his late teens approached me and said, "You see these water bottles? I have one at home, an empty one, and I put change in it."

"Oh yeah?" I said.

"Yeah. I've filled it up to here." He pointed to about one-tenth up the bottle. "Guess how much money that is--more than 150 dollars!"

"Wow! Think how much you'll have when you fill it to here," I said, pointing at the top.

"I bet several grand. Maybe 10 grand!"

"Maybe," I said.

"I don't put all coins in," he said.

"Just the silver ones?" I suggested.

"Yeah, just the silver ones."

"What will you do with the money?" I asked. By now we were both outside the supermarket.

"Well I'll save some of it so I can help if there's a family emergency. I want to be able to help."

"That's really great. I'm sure your family will appreciate it."

We talked a little bit more--about wheat ear pennies (which he called "hay pennies," which I initially understood as "ha'penny," which caused some confusion), about his dad, who redeems bottles and buys lottery tickets with the cash, and so on. He was not your average young teen, but a very pleasant person to talk to.

Comments

[minoanmiss]

These are both really charming. :) sends lots of silver coins that young man's way

[amaebi]

I can't say it better.

[asakiyume]

I'm very happy you both enjoyed them!

[asakiyume]

May his bottle fill!

(Of course as I thought about it later I worried about how he would move such a heavy thing... but I guess he wouldn't need to move it, he could just dig into it. He could even make a coin exit down at the bottom so they'd flow out, as much as he needed. Random young man whose name I don't even know, I have suggestions for you!!)

[gingicat]

Both stories are terrific!

I hope the teen is keeping his coin jar on a trolley of some kind, though.

[asakiyume]

Funny you should say that! That was one of my worries, too; see comment above.

[sartorias]

I love both stories.

And I want to learn Dreaming Butterfly martial arts. (I just spent a few minutes daydreaming about what the Dreaming Butterfly sect would be like(

[asakiyume]

Me too! All yesterday evening!

[wayfaringwordhack]

I begin my day charmed by both of your stories.

[asakiyume]

Hurray--I hope the day continued charmed

[wayfaringwordhack]

We had a 5-hour drive afterwards, but it wasn't too bad.😜

[asakiyume]

eeeeee, that would kill me, but ... good?

[wayfaringwordhack]

Tomorrow will be less fun: Breakfast with MIL, drive one hour to FIL's place, eat lunch and chat for a few hours, then drive 5.5 hrs back home.

[asakiyume]

Eeep!

[osprey_archer]

I love the conversations you have with people out and about. May many silver coins find that young man!

[asakiyume]

Re: conversations, thank you! Me too. And re: your blessing, a hearty assent!

[med_cat]

Both are great stories :)

[asakiyume]

Very happy that you like them!