From One Question To The Next, Ad Infinitum #carrotranch #specialprompt

Posted on Jan 30, 2021 by TanGental

A lot of thought has gone into Charli Mills’Special prompt, here, for Sue Vincent

January 28, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about life as a river of consciousness. Think about the possibilities of the prompt. Go where the prompt leads!

This 99-word story prompt will be posted and presented to Sue Vincent on February 17.

This is my small contribution.

From One Question To The Next, Ad Infinitum

Earliest memories are impossible to confirm, as time coalesces when young. Mine, if it be such involves me, in my pushchair watching a thrush smash a snail on a flagstone. My reaction was to ask my mother why. First memory and first question.

Life runs on questions, expanding from the toddler’s incessant whys, through the hows and whens and wheres to the teenager’s whatevers and beyond.

We paddle forwards on those questions, sometimes battling intractable ignorance and at others flowing easily as answers accumulate in our wake.

Eventually Mother Nature answers my final why with a terse ‘why not’.

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline. I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy. I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
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16 Responses to From One Question To The Next, Ad Infinitum #carrotranch #specialprompt

  1. willowdot21 says:
    Jan 30, 2021 at 10:27 am

    So true Geoff life is a river of flow with questions, with the odd eddy of answers… The main thing is life flows on 💜💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

  2. D. Wallace Peach says:
    Jan 30, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    I love this, Geoff. What a profound reflection on life’s journey in questions. Well done!

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Darlene says:
    Jan 30, 2021 at 7:09 pm

    Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Jennie says:
    Jan 31, 2021 at 2:41 am

    I am speechless. This is profound. I will be reading this many times over. My goodness, Geoff.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Norah says:
    Jan 31, 2021 at 9:53 am

    Life in a nutshell – well 99 words anyway. I guess why not answer ‘why not?’ when there seem to be too many still unanswered questions.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    Feb 7, 2021 at 6:54 pm

    Maybe the ultimate maturity or wisdom is when the why’s and the why not’s cancel each other out.
    A well spent 99 words here.

    Liked by 1 person

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