March 28, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about disappearance.
Where’d it go?
Roll over, turn off the alarm. Shower, brush, dress. Make lunch.
Repeat times five, let cool for 48 hours and repeat for 20, 40, 60 or however many years.
Day after day after day. Weeks pass into years into decades.
The changes are so gradual as to be invisible. Some of them, like the need for a larger belt, bubble to the surface while others are more subtle. It wasn’t until around year 50-ish when I was stuffing my pants with a wallet and keys that I wondered why I still carried a comb. Where had it all gone?
Great take, Michael. We never notice these personal things disappearing from us, do we? Yet not see somebody for years, and they always notice the disappearance.
So true! And it’s the people we haven’t seen for years who don’t ask us where all our hair has gone or inform us of how much weight we’ve gained that we should try and hang onto.
How timely this is. I was out yesterday and heard someone call my name. I hadn’t seen her in about 10 years….maybe? She said she recognized my voice. My voice? I had changed that much????
What a clever story. Michael. What you wrote resonates with anyone who has experienced the phenomenon of aging (and I argue that toddlers and teens age, too, not just the 50+ crowd). What feels subtle can become drastic, forcing the question in your title! Well done!
No shampoo, no conditioner, no blow dryers, no barbers… you’d be surprised how quickly the savings add up! And no angst over a lost comb does wonders for one’s mental health!
Michael B. Fishman
Michaelsfishbowl 
😀 I saw a teenage boy sitting by his bald father. The boy had A LOT of hair and I couldn’t help wondering if he thought that would help his odds.
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Speaking from experience, I would say… probably not. But, the shampoo, conditioner, and barber visit savings add up.
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Great take, Michael. We never notice these personal things disappearing from us, do we? Yet not see somebody for years, and they always notice the disappearance.
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So true! And it’s the people we haven’t seen for years who don’t ask us where all our hair has gone or inform us of how much weight we’ve gained that we should try and hang onto.
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How timely this is. I was out yesterday and heard someone call my name. I hadn’t seen her in about 10 years….maybe? She said she recognized my voice. My voice? I had changed that much????
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It’s because you’ve changed for the better and she hadn’t kept up! A simple, “Lois? I thought that was you!” might have been better though.
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What a clever story. Michael. What you wrote resonates with anyone who has experienced the phenomenon of aging (and I argue that toddlers and teens age, too, not just the 50+ crowd). What feels subtle can become drastic, forcing the question in your title! Well done!
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Thanks, Charli! Teens get the good changes though. Although I knew someone who was nearly bald at 19 so maybe not.
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Well, I hope your wallet has got fatter down through the years! 😄
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No shampoo, no conditioner, no blow dryers, no barbers… you’d be surprised how quickly the savings add up! And no angst over a lost comb does wonders for one’s mental health!
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This is at the same time both funny and sad. The unneeded comb in the end is perfect.
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Thanks D!
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