The Joys of Getting Sidetracked

I've been working on transferring stuff from my old tiny desk to my new (to me) expansive roll top. As usual, I've gotten sidetracked at each drawer, sifting through old cards, finding a check account register from an address we haven't used in five years, and tossing out notepads with phone numbers of people who needed to be contacted because of ????

The bottom drawer held the notebooks I use for interviews. Among all the working notes, I found a journal I'd used to jot down story ideas and thoughts inspired by the writers magazine I subscribe to. The following is one of those random musings.


The Red Letter Day (a story from a child's point of view)

Today is a, um, what is it Grandpa always says about really good days? Oh, yeah, A Red Letter Day. Today is one of those because we get to see the horses.

Not just any old horses but those big Freezin horses. That's funny, because it's really hot out today. How could they be freezing? Oh, now I remember. We looked on the map to see where they come from - Friesland. I think that's part of Dutchland. Anyway, the horses are Friesians.

Mama said there's a man at the farm who can make them do anything. I wonder what he'll make them do today.

"Daddy, can you make the car go faster? Are we there yet? Ooh, I see one!"

All the people here look so little when they stand next to the horses. The man, his name is Clay, is so funny. He made one horse go while he walked along behind, steering with long ropes. When the horse pranced, so did he. I wonder if he had to do that so the horse would know what to do?

Then he rode another one that had long hair, almost to his knees. I wish my hair was that long. I couldn't even see Clay's hands. He rode it round and round, then it bowed. When it lay down, I thought he'd killed it and I said, "Mama, look!" and she said, "Shh." But then the horse got up, with Clay still on him, so I guess the horse wasn't dead after all.

And then I got to pet them, and they tickled my face with their noses. They smell so good. I wish they made a soap that smelled like that.

It has been one of Grandpa's Red Letter Days. I'm going to remember this day forever, even when I'm as old as Grandpa.

Here's your assignment for today - take a moment to get sidetracked and recall a Red Letter Day of your own. Enjoy the journey.