Survival of the Fittest will not be Me

I can still see my husband's face as he slapped down his book in his lap, looked at me and said, "Why do YOU want to go to Cabela's?" (sporting goods store)

"I'm working on my next book -- you know -- the feel good book for the end of the world?  I need to know how to make a fire from flint, or sticks and stones or whatever people use out in the woods."

Cabela's had a collection of fire making tools, in two places.  I asked several questions.  The teeny, tiny picture on the packaging left something to be desired.  "You just scrape some of this stuff off, strike this part really hard, you get a spark, you're good to go."  Okay, I can do that.

No.  I can't.  I scraped.  I got a spark.  Several sparks in fact.  Even some really big sparks.  No fire. "We're dead when we run out of matches," I said to my husband.

He comes over and strikes the stick several times.  He feels the paper I've got sitting there.  "What?" I asked.

"I wondered if it was wet."

"Right, because water would be an accelerant!"  I yelled.

"Try dried leaves," he offered walking away.

"Don't you know people in the military you could talk to?" my niece asked.

"Yes!  Your uncle, my husband the former Marine!"  We looked at each other, looked at him and then back at each other.

"That's not gonna work," she said.

"Yeah, I already found that out," I mumbled.

Yes, I know others in the military, boy scouts, eagle scouts, Scout Masters but I'm still going to be dead once the matches run out.

I'm hoping the chocolate holds out 'til then.

Missent Letter, story line prompt

Recently I received a letter in the mail with a purple stamp on it saying: Missent to Mauritius.  I have to admit, I had to look this up.  It's an island in the Indian Ocean.  The letter originated in Missouri and was being sent to Michigan, roughly 700 miles apart.  It took the scenic route, being sent across the ocean and Africa (a flight takes a day and 4 hours).

This happens so often the island  post office needs a stamp?

But it did get me to wondering: for people who are stuck in their writing and need a writing prompt I give you this: write a story from the letter's point of view.


A few examples of my own:  'I didn't like the devilish grin of the mail carrier as he looked at me and then stuffed me back in his bag instead of the mailbox.  What did he have in mind?'

'S.O.S.!  See Our Stamp!  Somebody, please!  I can't go overseas!  I'm scared of flying!'

'I landed on the island of my dreams and was sent right back!  I didn't even get opened.'

Have fun writing.