Thomas Charles Henry

The place where my writing lives.

The warmth of human kindness – Friday Fictioneers

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Thomas Charles Henry

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Time for another Friday Fictioneers entry. Sometimes early,  sometimes late,  but rarely on a Friday! The challenge is to write a 100-word story in response to a weekly photo prompt chosen by our host Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Follow the link to her blog for more information. Thank you to all who take the time to read, like, or comment.

2019 02 08

PHOTO PROMPT © Anshu Bhojnagarwala

The warmth of human kindness

It only won the Oscar because of the subject matter, she types. Another film about some gay kid from a minority background. It’s just sooo boring!

Her comment is one amongst thousands, but having a voice is important.

Later, by the fire, she watches a Romantic Comedy more to her taste.

Meanwhile; a Pakistani girl sleeps knowing she cannot attend school tomorrow; an African-American youth is gunned down by police; a British transgender teen cuts the hated body that doesn’t fit; and twenty Chechen homosexuals are abducted from their homes, never to be seen again.

And it’s all so boring.

16 responses to “The warmth of human kindness – Friday Fictioneers”

  1. pennygadd51 Avatar
    pennygadd51

    Well told. A good story with an excellent message.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thank you Penny. Much appreciated!

      Like

      Reply
  2. neilmacdon Avatar
    neilmacdon

    The challenge for writers is to make it less boring

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Indeed. Thanks Neil.

      Like

      Reply
  3. michael1148humphris Avatar
    michael1148humphris

    All around tragedy strikes, yet minor worries torment some individuals. Well told

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thanks Michael!

      Like

      Reply
  4. Violet Lentz Avatar
    Violet Lentz

    You are destined to hit a nerve in every reader with this. What an amazing post.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thank you so much Violet!

      Like

      Reply
  5. Iain Kelly Avatar
    Iain Kelly

    Keeping things in perspective. It’s easy to turn a blind eye and be distracted from the real issues in the world. On the other hand, sometimes it is nice to turn off for a while.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Oh I completely agree! I’ll admit I often avoid the news because I find it too upsetting to be bombarded with negatives every day. I didn’t mean for my story to come across as preachy in that regard. It was more a look at the throwaway comments people leave on social media. Shortly before I quit Facebook I saw a comment similar to the one in my story, where a woman claimed that there were ‘too many’ films about the struggles of gay people from minority backgrounds and that the subject matter was boring. I thought it very inaccurate (personally, I can think of more Fast and Furious sequels than I can films with that content) and a comment that didn’t really have to be made. I thought about the woman who had written it and wondered if she’d ever considered that there’s a reason films like that are made; that people who have lived through struggles deserve to have their stories reach a wide audience; and that she actually has the choice not to watch something she does not like. Of course, everybody has a right to their opinion but I wonder if, in the days of social media, enough people take a moment to question whether their opinion really needs to be shared. Thanks for your comment Ian. Apologies for the long-winded response!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. spicedmullings Avatar
    spicedmullings

    Looks like her epitaph!

    Like

    Reply
  7. Keith's Ramblings Avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    Boring to some, tragic to many. A thought-provoking piece indeed.

    Click to read my FriFic tale!

    Like

    Reply
  8. lisarey1990 Avatar
    lisarey1990

    This has a great message. Sometimes people are so wrapped up in themselves that if it doesn’t affect them, they don’t care. But I quite like empathy in people. This was really great. Well done!

    Like

    Reply
  9. Lynn Love Avatar
    Lynn Love

    Very thoughtful piece of writing, Thom. You’re so right, social media has made passing thoughtless comments too easy. And the sheer numbers must seem overwhelming too. You could dash off a quick Twitter post and have hundreds of venomous responses. No one stops to think how the recipient of all this bile might feel. Imgainative response to the prompt picture

    Like

    Reply
  10. Still Loved...Still Missed Avatar
    Still Loved…Still Missed

    Thought-provoking story. People don’t want to know about burning issues in the world.

    Like

    Reply
  11. Nan Falkner Avatar
    Nan Falkner

    Sadly, we watched police get killed in the line of duty this year as it was videotaped. They have an extremely dangerous job. Your story is very thought provoking and well written!

    Like

    Reply

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