Here is a post about Saint Patrick’s Day.
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“The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.”
Original quote found here on Goodreads
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Write a story about Saint Patrick’s Day as the theme.
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Original meme found here on Spaknotes
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Cherie Collins had these nice things to say on our Facebook page.
This makes me think of what my grandfather used to do, because he din’t have a book case. I have only a few of those old books and wish I had more.
Thanks Cherie. We love old books here too. We hope you like what you read here.
Vernal – (adjective) of or relating to spring
Rosie O’Donnell was born on March 21, 1962.
Jean Paul was born on March 21, 1763
Information found on Born Glorious
This Day In Literature History
Literary related events that happened on March 21
1804 – Napoleonic Code adopted in France, stresses clearly written and accessible law
1983 – Only known typo on Time Magazine cover (control=contol), all recalled
All events found on On This Day
The first novel ever written on a typewriter was Tom Sawyer.
Fact found on Fun Facts About
Who wrote Moby Dick? If you know who wrote it, then see if you can also say what year it was written in.
Come back tomorrow for the answer.
The Catholic Mormon – Short Story
Three Irish brothers sat at the kitchen table expecting their parents over to celebrate the major holiday for the small group from the northern land of Joyce and Yeats. The large table that took up most of the kitchen was set with forks, and knives, and spoons and plates, and all that was left was the spot for the foods of the Irish holiday; the carrots, the cabbage, the ham, and mashed potatoes and the corned beef.
Two of them stared at the TV, fixated on the news that gave them terrifying snippets of the world. The local governor is under investigation. A man stabbed an old lady while walking on the subway. A company is changing its once prominent name to appease a specific demographic.
All news that is of little relevance to the three men in the room, but it was there to pass the time. Chewing gum for their minds that only wanted corn beef. None of them know the governor or the old lady that was stabbed or ever bought a product from the company.
Of the three only Joey, was not watching the news. I should note the only positive part of the report was a brief mention of the green-filled holiday. He didn’t look up from his phone and muttered at the other two, who ignored him. “Mom said we got to bring over some bread.”
The oldest of the group, Billy, had his focus on the news that didn’t affect him directly. “I hate the news. It’s all lies. I don’t want to say that it is fake news because then I sound like one of those people who thinks that we didn’t go to the moon.”
The youngest who was also watching it, Jimmy, quickly jumped in. “But we didn’t go to the moon.”
He finished his thought. “Sometimes the news seems fake, you know.”
“It is not the truth. It is only a story that they tell you.”
The news continued to report on the destruction of our world. Not only will the local governor have one case open, but they will start a new investigation to something else he may or may not have done. The old lady has not been the only person stabbed on the subway in the past week. The company’s name change is the latest in a string of major changes done by large businesses. Who knew that gum could hurt so many people?
“You know that trope is used a lot in movies. The characters watching the news just when they happen to need to learn something.” Jimmy informed his brothers.
“It is such bullshit. Only made to irritate and upset people. I’m telling ya, if it is revealed that the government just propagates the news or that there is more going on with it, I wouldn’t be surprised. Bastards are as corrupt as anyone else.”
“I don’t care when they tell me how to think like they have any authority over the situation. I have a brain as much as they do.”
Joey didn’t engage the conversation of the role of news in a person’s life as his brothers continued to discuss, for his mind was set on a young woman’s profile he stumbled upon. He pulled his phone over to his brother. “Hey, look at that right there. Tell me that ain’t wife material.”
Jimmy quickly noted the difference between the two people. “She’s a Mormon dude.”
“What?” Joey pulled back the phone and re-examined the pictures.
“Yeah. Scroll three pictures down. El Libro de Mormon.”
“Damn. Catholics and Mormons get along, right? I mean, that is not a problem or anything?”
“Aside from our basic understanding of the message that the Lord gave us and instructed us to live by, Nah. We’ll cool.”
Billy interrupted, “Plus don’t the Mormon men have like 50 wives? Like, come on, man, I get playing the field, but that is not cool. One man, one woman, that’s it.”
“Is it because I’m Catholic or Irish?” Joey inquired of the rejection.
“Damn! I knew this red beard would get to me one day.”
“When are you going to shave that monster? It is going to start speaking soon.” Billy asked
“I have been teaching it a few letters each day. Hopefully, it will know a word by the end of the week.”
They all watched the news for a brief second, of the slanted lies and skewed truth, and of the updates on the changing world that they weren’t sure they needed, and of the opinions that they didn’t know. Billy muted the sound so they could hear each other better.
“What is the actual difference between Catholicism and Mormonism?” Joey asked, interested if their speculation was correct.
“Seriously? Oh, you want to know like the actual answer.” Jimmy knew the answer to the question and was unclear if the others wanted a scholarly answer or a brief answer to move the conversation along. He decided to act like a professor. “Joseph Smith created mormonism in the 20th century, could have been 19th century after he had a revelation from Jesus according to him that he wrote on gold bars or something. Catholicism is the first sector of Christianity, dating all the way back to Saint Peter, aka the rock of the church. The traditional views of Christianity stem from Catholicism more than any other sect. Catholic means universal too.”
“Oh wow. I didn’t know that.” Joey answered, surprised by his brother’s knowledge of the two religions.
Billy was done searching up the information on his phone and read aloud what he found. “The Mormon movement began with publishing the Book of Mormon in March 1830, which Smith claimed was a translation of golden plates containing the religious history of an ancient American civilization which the ancient prophet-historian Mormon had compiled.”
“I literally just said that.”
“What’s the definition of Catholic then?” Joey asked as if he wasn’t just told what it meant.
“Universal. I just told you.”
“Let’s see” Billy searched for the information on his phone. “including a wide variety of things; all-embracing.”
“Find the definition relating to the church. That means universal.” Jimmy said.
“Oh… yeah, it does,” Billy said after finding that result on his phone too.
“How do you know all of that? What are you trying to become a Mormon?” Once again, Joey was impressed by his brother’s knowledge on this subject. None of them have gone to church in years, and religious talk is not something that any of them care much for, so Jimmy’s understanding was unusual for the group. It is not like they are a group of former altar boys. They aren’t. The most any of them know of the church is the Irish prayer by the saint whose holiday they are celebrating.
The two brothers Billy and Jimmy went back to watching the news, making minor remarks that the other ignored as Joey scrolled through the young woman’s profile trying to convince himself that a different belief wouldn’t be that bad for a relationship.
“Man, I am starving. I can’t wait to eat some Irish soda bread.” Billy said to Jimmy.
“You know that there is one dumb bastard who thinks that there is actual soda in this bread.”
“Yeah, there are actual Irish people in it too.”
Joey looked up from his phone. “Oh, that reminds me; Mom and Dad told me to tell you guys that one of us should bring over the Irish soda bread for dinner, so you know, we should do that sometime.”
“Bring some over, they said.”
“That means that they aren’t coming here for dinner! Dinner is at their house!” Billy jumped up.
“Oh… right, that too. Well, I guess we better head over.”
They turned off the TV and headed for the door.
Joey stopped before heading out. “Before we go, I just want to be clear about this, so you don’t think I should slide into that girl’s DM?”
“Shut up and get in the car,” Billy commanded, upset that they are going to be late for dinner.
“Not unless you plan on moving to Utah,” Jimmy said, closing the door behind them.
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Greg Luti is an editor and blogger on pensandwords.com. His favorite writers are Robert Frost and Charles Bukowski. He enjoys reading up on history, watching comedies, and playing video games, when he is not writing down a few notes for his next piece. He started this blog out of his love for literature and hopes that the reader shares that same passion.
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