The Bones of “Other Options”
Remember that time you called and that message you left? It was late, and I was already passed out at my girlfriend’s house. When I saw your name, I let it go straight to voicemail.
First of all, I just want to apologize for the hiatus.
When deciding what to write about for this post, I kept thinking about the distance we create, intentionally and unintentionally, the choices we make and the ones that are outside of our control. Life gets in the way sometimes, but sometimes we put ourselves in the way at the expense of ourselves and those we care about, which is something we can’t always accept. This is one of the many themes that intersect in “Other Options.”
Like with other stories in the collection, there are details I can’t talk about, but the opening, specifically the memory of a friend’s dad dying from a pulmonary embolism in the shower while we jammed out playing N64 is real and is an experience I have thought about since it happened. Part of my anxiety is rooted in that experience, and it makes me think how a lot of childhood is about living through things you don’t process until you’re much older, like a roll of film you forgot to develop until you find it stashed away in a shoebox.
Then you pick up the photo packet at Longs and ask yourself, what is this? Did this really happen? At least I do.
And there’s the other thought, what if I had done things differently?
That’s a question that inspired me to choose standard second-person and the entire structure of the story. Recently, I was asked about the story’s resolution. I told the person that I wouldn’t call it that, but I can see how some readers might.
“…a lot of childhood is about living through things you don’t process until you’re much older, like a roll of film you forgot to develop until you find it stashed away in a shoebox.”
Previously, I’ve done prompts at the end of these posts. Here’s one for you to try:
Choose a real-life or fictional experience from your life or the life of your character. Write the experience the way it happened, then write it as if you or the character chose differently, see where it leads.
Once you’re done, post it in the comments below or to the “Bones of Blood Work” section of Bamboo Shoots.
You’re also welcome to send it to me via email or tell me what you think (or via the contact section of my website donaldcarreiraching.com).
And if you’re free and want to help close some of the distance, we’ll be launching my collection this Saturday, July 12th, from 1-3 pm at Downtown Art Center.
Come out and talk story. Misty Sanico will be there. It’ll be a good time.
More soon,
Donald
If you can’t make it to the launch, no worries! Come join us for another event or reading this summer. Kristiana Kahakauwila will be special guest at Donald’s reading on July 27 at da Shop!
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