Or is it just out of fashion?
Hello! Here’s a little story to this week’s picture prompt posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for Friday Fictioneers. This is the conversation that came to my mind when I saw it:
Sally dumped her bin on the Post Office counter.
“Whatcha got today, kid?” Will asked.
“The usual. Packages. Some letters.”
“Anything rush?”
“You guys still do that these days?” She laughed, but friendly good-natured Will was suddenly scowling at her, looking both angry and hurt.
“We’re doing our best,” he snapped. Instead of sorting through her bin right there while they chatted, he carried it to the back.
She waited, but he didn’t return. Finally she said, “Geez, I’m sorry. When did we all lose our sense of humor?”
“We didn’t lose it,” said the other clerk. “It was stolen.”
Try it! There’s a new photo every Wednesday or so. If you’re a writer, or even if you don’t think you are, it’s a good way to get the creative juices flowing. You don’t have to win a Pulitzer — just write a little story and post it on your website or blog — And please, please give credit to the photographer. They share their own work, no charge. Then click on the froggie and share your link on the Friday Fictioneers Inlinkz site. And remember, it’s 100 words or less! I can hear you writers groaning, but it’s a great way to practice Hemingwayesque brevity. Then read the myriad ways other people have interpreted the same picture. Comment and receive comments from them.
I look forward to each week’s new prompt. Both the photos and the stories keep me thinking, about people and everything else we deal with every day. Funny — I didn’t even notice the contents of the bin at first. Now that would have made for some humor!
Genie in a Box: Words and thoughts from Eugenia Parrish, Author 
My local post come with a smile, it is so welcome
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I must admit, ours is delivered with a smile. But try and get one from the person behind the counter when I go in for stamps! Thanks for reading my story, Michael.
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Humour is the thing I miss the most. It’s been dying for over a decade and replaced with “offence”. Words were judged on intent. Humour is a coping mechanism for hard times and they have stolen… Great story E!
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Thanks, Tannille! I appreciate your comments, always.
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Knowing how the orange stain tried his best to shut down the post office so he could win the election, I feel for the postal service. I have a brother and a sister in-law who both work for USPS so it hits close to home.
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“orange stain” — love it! I feel for all the poor folks who get blamed for stuff when they’re just trying to do their jobs in a very stressful time. Thanks for reading, and for making me chuckle 😀
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You are very welcome, Eugi!
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I enjoyed the way you used the prompt to tell a story about changing social dynamics in the workplace.
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Thank you, Penny. They’re affecting people in so many unexpected ways.
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Dear Genia,
That last line is a sucker punch to the solar plexus. Very well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you! I miss the ability to find humor without fear. As if the times weren’t stressful enough, we have to tread so carefully and watch for the quicksand of unthinking offense.
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I haven’t actually lost my sense of humor. It’s just sort of taking a deep breath right now. There’s just so much that ISN’T funny at all!
You and I both used the Post Office this week, also a place that doesn’t always have a sense of humor 🙂
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You are right about that! The P.O. guys have never been much open to “teasing”. But I blame the government for some of that. Years ago such jobs had a kind of tenure; it took forever to get rid of the bad apples. Then suddenly profit reigned and those secure jobs were rocky. It didn’t make for happy workers, and now this! Thanks for your comments.
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Wonderful take, Eugenia. It does seem as if sense of humour has been lost!
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There may be hope. Yesterday my heart sank when I saw a (distance-spaced) line outside the grocery store. As two people came out, the kid let two people in. I’d driven some distance, so I got in line basically waiting for (expecting) a confrontation. But the big guy behind me made jokes for everyone to hear, and we were all laughing as the line shuffled forward. Definitely a relief! Thanks for reading my little complaint.
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I wonder why people bother wasting their energy on getting annoyed by having to stand in line. You know, it’s a reality right now. Might as well laugh it off! Glad the guy did 😀
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I agree wholeheartedly, our sense of humor seems to have been stolen. I hope it finds its way back sometime soon. Loved the dialogue!
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Yeah, he’s right. Everyone takes absolutely everything so seriously these days, it’s hard to find the humour. The lack of human contact in lockdown world doesn’t help!
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Thanks, Iain. I think this is what has affected me most — we lost our sense of humor somewhere in 2020. Or maybe it started before that?
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Good question. What happened to our sense of humor?
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Maybe we’ve just been bombarded by people who only accept “serious” discussion topics. Thanks for your comments, Oneta.
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