Blogchain - How Silly Am I? Not Very, Evidently

That's right word fans - it's blogchain time. And today I get the pleasure of answering the question posed by the talented Shaun, who asks:

What is the silliest thing from a book or short story you've written, and why? It can be a line or a paragraph or a whole page. Anything that you look back at and go, "Say what?"

Unfortunately, I am a bit different than the other writers on the chain. I do not have a long history of writing, filled with silly little scribblings and insightful interrogatives. There is no stack of poorly written pages beneath my bed or in an abandoned drawer (plenty of bad writing, just thankfully banished with the delete key). I'm barely a babe in this crowded forest, so answering this question was quite difficult for me.

Never let it be said however, that I have backed down from a literary challenge (okay, NaNo doesn't count and I had reasons, dangit). I searched the folder on my computer for anything even remotely silly, and this is the best I could come up with. This is the opening for a story narrated by someone other than the MC. I really haven't gone anywhere with it at this point, but maybe if I clean it up a bit...

Every story has a beginning. And every beginning is a story. This is my story, and if there’s any place to begin, its here. Well to be honest, this isn’t really my story. But I am meagerly involved. And since no one yet has told this story, I guess its up to me. So where shall I start? A start is often times difficult to begin, but I will give it my best.

My name is Neville. These days I am known as Sir Neville, but when this story began, I was known to be Theodore Neville. And I was an accountant. Well, my employer might consider me more than “merely an accountant”, but he tends to be overly generous. In fact, he is quite an exemplary man. He did not always believe that he was so, but I think I have known this for quite some time. It is that small spark you see in people, that you can tell when they are more than they outwardly show. And often enough, change in the world begins with a spark.

But forgive me, I am failing to introduce the hero of this story. Of course, every story needs a hero – of a sorts- so I suppose my employer fits the bill rather well. Frank Cindary was a piano player. That of course wasn’t his occupation, but it was his gift. The rest of his day encompassed so many other things, but truly his gift was the way his fingers could dance upon the keys. Whether he was playing a subtle mournful tune or a lively dance, anyone nearby would feel a swelling within that could lift them into the arms of heaven.

Now I understand that most people do not describe things in such a manner. In fact, most people do not talk this way at all. I’m afraid I am a dying breed, so you will have to bear with me. But it is true, that Frank had such an amazing effect when he began to explore his soul. He was a computer technician by trade. One could even say his job was rather boring. But that’s not the way Frank would have described it.
Even when he was performing the most menial task, Frank was always trying to remember to smile. He once told me “A smile can change the world”. And evidently that attitude seemed to work well for him. His smile was contagious, and you could see it in the way it infected those he helped. Even those who were having a rough day enjoyed the way he had a tune in mind, a bop in his step, eyes that were always bright. I know if it weren’t for Frank, I would have stayed in the dismal world of accounting and never gone on the adventures with him later. I do not mean to speak poorly of accountants, nor of their profession. I merely acknowledge that the field was never mine.

In spite of Frank’s continual teasing of calling me Teddy, I found him to be fresh air. I could also tell that he did not enjoy the work, but that he did enjoy pretty much everyone around him. It was always the people that Frank found interesting, and the fact that he could help them when help was needed was what kept him going. So it was a great surprise when he came in one day and announced to his few friends – I am thankful to say I was counted among them – that he would be leaving us in a couple weeks.

Okay, so I guess I've failed to bring something really silly to the discussion. I did write something during my sophomore year in high school that I wish I still had a copy of; I'm sure it would have given me lots to laugh about. This will just have to do.

From here, you can drop by my predecessor Sandra's take on the subject or you can hop over to Kat's page for her response.