fact or fiction
Is it fact or merely fiction? Fact or Fiction explores the myths and beliefs we hold about our family dynamics, traditions, and if there's such thing as a 'perfect family.'
F is for Family
Hello, it has been a while. I do not know whether it is appropriate to tell my story, so it isn't easy to begin. I have by no means been through significant trauma, just life. If any story should be shared is that of my Mum, that's what should provoke sincere sympathy.
By The Lioness5 years ago in Families
The Art Thief
Looking beyond the tarmac stepping from the plane, Paulina could see the jungle. There was a familiar wall of heat draping over her, her first breath filling her lungs with humid and tropical urban air. For the past few years, she had lived in the United States, and not since her graduation party, where she broke the news she was leaving for good, had she stepped foot on Belizean soil.
By Harrison Long5 years ago in Families
My Father's Guide
So here I am standing in front of the mirror, water flowing into the sink, a razor to my face. It's my first-time shaving, I look down at the page to double-check the instructions on how to do this right. A book left to me by my father, filled with tasks and knowledge only a father and son would cherish, from how to shave, the best shaving cream, aftershave, cologne brands, and scents, to making sure I always wear deodorant and other useful information. I position the blade upward and begin gliding it. Only the best razor is to be used according to my Dad, which is the chrome Edwin Jagger doubled edge. This little black notebook gifted to me as a backup in case he didn't survive one of his high-risk work trips, which, as you may have guessed has happened. I don't know much about what my father did for a living just that it could result in risky situations. His life ended in an aircraft crash.
By Rachael Soullier5 years ago in Families
To Giselle, Love Grandpa
She awoke to the sun peeking through the opening in her living room curtains. The rays were so warm and bright. Squinting to see, she slowly arose from her supine position on the couch. Pushing the wisps of hair from her face, she began to remember the events of the night before. Was it all a dream, or did she really see her deceased grandfather? Sitting straight up now, she placed her elbows on her knees, beginning to think she was going mad. How could she really believe that her grandfather, who died 13 years ago, had sat with her on the same couch that she had just awoken on? Reaching for the glass of water on the coffee table caused her to jump. The smell of his cologne, the wrinkles on his face, the sound of his voice that she missed so much. How could she imagine that? It was all too real to be a dream. But the little black book he had handed her…where could it have gone?
By Jacqueline Plumley5 years ago in Families
The Mess Room Boy
One day, out of the blue, a white package arrived in the mail, addressed to me. There was no mistake. The address and name were spelled correctly, and, as far as I knew, there were no other "Mady Anne McGregors" in the world. After all, my mother shortened my name to 'Mady" instead of "Maddie" or "Maddy", like most people. It's supposed to be pronounced "Mah-Dee" not "May-Dee", which I have long grown tired of telling everyone who gets it wrong. As an aspiring writer, it's a pet peeve of mine to have a name that everyone mispronounces.
By Shelley Sandblom5 years ago in Families
Bitcoin Origins
One small boy traumatized from financial tragedy singlehandedly innovated the concept of currency like an invisible hand. Resilience is best seen in the lives of those that have faced significant challenge especially those that have been systemically marginalized. But who knew that resiliency could have given birth to the future of cryptocurrency? Jonah Abraham Blackmoor remembers seeing his grandmother screaming, “My God, my children are gone”, from a phone call. That day turned into days, weeks, and ultimately years. At that moment he became an orphan who would learn how to be a man from an even greater man, in whose shadow he would enjoy bittersweet success. His mother and father were killed in a car crash and he was now in the full-time care of his grandparents. They had all lived together so it was not a big adjustment, but the ache of no more mom and dad never faded.
By TanYah Global5 years ago in Families
Momma's Little Black Book
It took a few minutes before I realized the smell of dinner burning was coming from our kitchen. Oh no. Heart racing, I ran for the oven and yanked it open to see if there was anything left to be salvaged before Momma walked in the front door. It didn’t do any good because the smoke that filled my face and lungs left me blinded and gagging for air.
By Riley Luviek5 years ago in Families
Fifteen hundred pound Bull
Here's one you won't normally hear, from my personal vault of only known by a few, true stories. Of all the adventures to have in life, in our modern world we found some untouched by time's movement into the modern era moments. In this one, a true story as I have said, I hope you see my Huck Finn-ishness combined with my Tom Sawyer-nese. Right out of circa 1887, we here in our small town found a test of manhood that most 12 or 13 year olds are not faced with in this world today. it was either 1990 or 1991, but I and my two pals, all three of us the same age had decided to walk a long distance in search of a ride home because we were slightly stranded in the vast landscape of our hometown. I had begun a discussion about tests of manhood and adventure. I told them this would test us. It didn't seem very strenuous or much of a test, we merely had to walk like ten miles. We couldn't quite sit still and wait plus our town is always teeming with traffic, the streets, less busy than many streets, allowed us to get away with walking these country roads with less fear of being hit by a car then. I was rambling on and on and the guys were just looking at me and listening so I was the first to see it and it astonished me. I think at that time my cousin was telling me that I wasn't God, that I dpn't always have the right answer. I was a 69 pound pip squeak by the way. But I have noted in my life time I have saved our life something like hundreds of times. I didn't want to alarm the boys because I knew that would disadvantage us. So, I think, I just calmly transitioned in story to, "Remember when I was talking about adventure and testing our manhood? Well, I may have unwittingly called a little more down upon us than I had intended, too." My cousin said, "What do you mean?" and Ryan just kept smiling. I remember Ryan hadn't said much during most of the talk he just listened and smiled. So, I answered my cousin. I said, "I don't want to alarm you because we need to keep a calm head right now." And he said, "Jimmmmmyyy." a little frustration in his tone. So I continued, "It's just that there is a fifteen hundred pound Bull right there." and they turned and looked, and I continued even more with "and that fence looks small and flimsy. I'm not sure how a fifteen hundred pound bull is kept confined by such a shabby fence. If he learns that he can turn that fence to matchsticks we are in trouble." And then my cousin said, "What do we do?" and there was no smile on Ryan's face anymore. So I said, "Keep walking a normal pace, I'm going to show you something. See, they say red makes a bull charge but I'm sure it isn't the color of the cloth at all. I think it is movement and he's staring at us, so, do you see that big tree over there? I'm going to to get that bull moving and we need to run to that tree and get behind it out of sight. So when I say, run fast to the tree." I turned so that I was walking backwards when I took off my ball cap before the bull could gently walk up to and through the fence and gave my ball cap a wave as I watched him. Then I said run, and we ran and it started to chase us. We got to the tree and around it and out of sight. My cousin asked, "Is it still coming after us?" And I said,"No." He said, "How do you know?" I said, "I didn't hear the fence break." I said, "Chuck, can you please carefully look around the tree to confirm that?" We called Ryan Chuck for a nickname. My cousin said, "What would you have done if it broke through the fence? I said, "I would have thrown you in that tree and made you pull me up and I would pull him up because bulls don't climb trees." At that point I peaked cautiously around the tree and the bull had lost interest and was heading back up the hill away from the tiny fence that somehow contained him. I looked at Ryan, who hadn't spoken in a very long time and said, "I guess I should have told you 'and report back to me what you see' huh? Because I guess when I said look to see you decided you would keep that information to yourself but I did want you to report it back to me. That's ok though." Then we walked back out from behind the tree down the road away from the large beast and my cousin asked, "What do we do if he chases us again?" I said, "Just keep walking steady, we could run to that house if we needed but I think we are far enough away to be less concerned and then we will be far enough to be unconcerned." We saw my uncle in his own yard just ahead and I asked him is it a little unusual for a fifteen hundred pound bull to be kept in a yard behind a fence that seems to be made of material as flimsy as a bunch of McDonald's straws strung together, especially so close to town?" And he said, "There's a bull?" And I said yeah right over there. It was at his neighbors house on the backside of Main Street and he didn't even know it, hadn't even seen it. He walked out to his car and looked down the road and you could see the visible shock on his face. I said ok, you might want to tell the police because it is so close tot the center of town and if it got loose and rampaged that wouldn't be good. I might tell them, also" And he said Yeah. Then I said have a nice day. And the three of us wandered on down the road. That is my hometown. A little bit 1700 something, a little bit 1800 something, a little bit 1950 and a little bit 1970. A crazy mix of time capsule country and a part of what made me.
By James M. Piehl5 years ago in Families
The Black Book
The scent of lavender permeated the air, making Abby suck in a deep breath. She had always loved this garden, or she had before she was ever born. She was still trying to get used to the idea that she had lived a whole other life she barely remembered. Not that, she had really all that much of a good life now. Not compared to Caroline and her suspicious inheritance. She stood on the bridge looking down at the water that was a bright violet color, everything around was bright purple making Caroline's blonde hair stand out all the more.
By InkGalaxies~5 years ago in Families
