Distance [backdated]
Driving to school yesterday, in the distance I saw a yellow dog dancing. It looked like she was playing with a man who was walking nearby, maybe leading him on a merry chase. I felt my senses perk up in anticipation. Seeing a dog always makes me brighter.
When I got closer, I saw that she was a mother dog with heavy teats. The man didn't seem to be paying attention to her, but she was dancing - agitated, rather than playful. She was in the wide grassy side of the road, barking, jumping, howling a bit. Then I saw the black puppy in the middle of the road, right on the yellow line, dead.
So that was sad. Or it should have been. I didn't feel as sad as I think I should have. Instead, it went through my mind all day, interesting because of its drama. I didn't necessarily like it, but it was something true and vivid. I can't stop thinking about it.
And now I don't know where I am. I think if I write the event as fiction, if I work it into a story, I will be able to insert myself into the situation and thus feel the right amount of sadness. I heard an author say yesterday that fiction is the best way to get at the truths of a war. Maybe it's the same principle.
When I got closer, I saw that she was a mother dog with heavy teats. The man didn't seem to be paying attention to her, but she was dancing - agitated, rather than playful. She was in the wide grassy side of the road, barking, jumping, howling a bit. Then I saw the black puppy in the middle of the road, right on the yellow line, dead.
So that was sad. Or it should have been. I didn't feel as sad as I think I should have. Instead, it went through my mind all day, interesting because of its drama. I didn't necessarily like it, but it was something true and vivid. I can't stop thinking about it.
And now I don't know where I am. I think if I write the event as fiction, if I work it into a story, I will be able to insert myself into the situation and thus feel the right amount of sadness. I heard an author say yesterday that fiction is the best way to get at the truths of a war. Maybe it's the same principle.