DISCUSSION THREAD -- SEPTEMBER 2022 -- 75 Word Challenge

[Hugh]

Ever so well done @Jo Zebedee

And you too @Cat's Cradle

Re my Mullah Nasruddin story
I became interested in the idea of whether humanity as a collective can be said to have a sense of honour, and as I have a soft spot for Mullah Nasruddin (spellings vary) decided to introduce him into a story on this theme. Given there are thousands of Nasruddin stories out there, I'm sure there must be a good few where he ends up putting his head in the sand, but I resolutely decided against googling.
Wikipedia claims that the earliest reference to him goes back to the ninth century and that the first story in manuscript dates back to 1571, so I feel very pleased to have become part of a great tradition with my small effort.
Wikipedia: "The Nasreddin stories are known throughout the Middle East and have touched cultures around the world. Superficially, most of the Nasreddin stories may be told as jokes or humorous anecdotes. They are told in the teahouses and caravanserais of Asia and in homes and on the radio. But it is inherent in a Nasreddin story that it may be understood at many levels. There is the joke, followed by a moral and usually the little extra which brings the consciousness of the potential mystic a little further on the way to realization". This last sentence is a reference to their use in some Sufi traditions as teaching riddles.

 

[mosaix]

Thanks to @johnnyjet, @sule, @nixie, @Jo Zebedee, @Starbeast, @StilLearning, @Hugh and @Cat's Cradle for the mentions / shortlists.

And a special thanks to @Bowler1 and @Bren G for the votes.

 

[Christine Wheelwright]

Congratulations @Jo Zebedee on another fine winning entry.

Thanks to @BigJ , @Peter V and @Raz2k13 for the votes. And to @Cat's Cradle , @StilLearning , @Starbeast, @chrispenycate , @johnnyjet and @paranoid marvin for the mentions.

Looking forward to doing it all again soon.

 

[JS Wiig]

@Jo Zebedee congratulations!

 

[Bruce MacLean]

Thanks for the votes @THX1138 and @StilLearning (and the long list mention @johnnyjet). The story was an amalgamation of two incidents (unintentionally gaining two copies of Terry Brooks Straken when the first copy didn’t turn up for a month).

I voted for @Jo Zebedee because the story resonated so strongly. I may not be from Northern Ireland, but I’ve lived here long enough (indeed, probably live here because of them) to appreciate what it meant to put aside their differences in search of peace.

 

[Starbeast]

Congratulations Jo Zebedee
@Jo Zebedee

Silver Medal @Cat's Cradle
Bronze Medal @Christine Wheelwright & @The Judge

Plus a huge WELL DONE to everyone who participated.


​

My Story: Originally I was going to write a tale about a man chose to end his life to protect his family before becoming a vampire, because he was bitten by Dracula. However, just before I began to write the story, the Muse flashed another idea into my mind, because I imagined other people may also create "honorable death" tales. "Honorable", I thought, Court Judges* are honorable.

*A judge, in any jurisdiction, is considered to be a person of honor. As such, the position of judge is considered to be an honorable position and should be treated accordingly with respect and deference.

Then I thought, "what if Frankenstein's monster was a judge who went berserk because someone violated a smoking ban". "Fire, bad!"

So, the Honorable Judge Monster Frankenstein was born. (his first name, monster, because everyone called him that, and his last name Frankenstein because of course that was his creator)

My entry began, “All rise. Honorable Judge Monster Frankenstein, now residing. Everyone, be seated. Court is now in session. Good lord man. Put out that cigarette!”

@Bowler1 I suppose I failed at using "honor" in that way. Well, I'll keep on trying my friend.



Sorry, Judge Frankenstein.

"You did this to me. You, bad!"

"Uh-oh. Later folks!"

"Come back! I'll destroy you!"

"AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeee...!"

"You, can't hide from ME!!!"​

 

[Elckerlyc]

...because I imagined other people may also create "honorable death" tales.​

And sure they did. It even inspired me to write this story (but didn't use as my entry.)

Honour Reiterated

I died fighting for my country, was pronounced a hero and received a funeral with all honours.
My next life, feeling proud and manly, made me kill to defend my perceived honour. I got hanged for it.
Twice, I killed myself to prevent losing face, died fivefold protecting our village against trolls.
I’m doomed to reincarnate, until I find honour that draws its value not from Death, but how I lived.

 

[Daysman]

Congrats @Jo Zebedee !!!

 

[sule]

Congratulations, Jo Zebedee!

 

[Bowler1]

Well done Jo and while you didn't get my vote, I did like your entry and it was a definite 110% all Irish entry. Enjoy the glory and cough, hint, pitchforks or RAY GUNS are always good for monthly themes.

Lots of mentions and these are greatly appreciated - not as much as votes of course, but as I went down the well beaten path of Japan and death I can hardly claim to have been super original this month. Jo's winning entry was a inspiring moment in history... so I sadly know my place this month, and that is inciting mob activity that is slowly starting to get traction. There are two of us now, one more and we're good to go.

Starbeast - ok, I'll give you a connection to the theme and take back my comments. Not that it matters, you made me laugh and a proper laugh too. Let's kiss and make up, and think about joining my mob where the fun never ends.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Well done @Jo Zebedee

 

[Wayne Mack]

Congratulations, @Jo Zebedee

 

[Parson]

Wonderful story @Jo Zebedee. Those men and those who supported them are truly heroes in my book and deserve the honor which flows their way.

Honour Reiterated

@Elckerlyc I think I would have voted for that story. I liked your first one well enough, but this one is a real Cracker Jack.

----

I choose to be pleased over the discussion about my theme. I'd have never guessed it could be so controversial. But when choosing the theme I didn't consider how dark honor could become in some situations. All in all, I think the discussion during this last contest was better than most any month for a long, long, time. And that can only be good.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Well done @Jo Zebedee , given the apocalyptic nature of the news this year your story was a timely reminder that things can and do get better

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

Re my Mullah Nasruddin story

Love those stories. Don't know a huge amount about them, and they seem to vary in quality, but ya made a good go of one by my reckoning. Always thought of them like a sort 'paddy Englishman...' joke, but with a bit of a philosophical kick -well done

 

[Phyrebrat]

Congratulations on the win, Jo, and CC on the second place.

Thank you for the shortlistings that my story got, and an extra special thanks to @Luiglin who's clearly the only one with good taste in this place

My shortlist, favourites* and vote.

@Firebeard Jeff - the last line was a beauty.
@Iwroteathing - another great final line.
@Jo Zebedee - gravity, and for those of us who've experienced the troubles all our lives, whether in person on in current affairs, poignant.
@Cat's Cradle - because I love a mad queen.
@VRlass - some lovely turns of phrase, even though I might not have known some of the references.
@Swank - guilt always makes for a delightful arc.
@Stable - rejecting the of hegemony of honour
@johnnyjet - PTSD; something so close to my heart.
@sule - made me think about impostor syndome, and all the horrid things that go into art, creation... and the internal judge.*
@The Judge - can you write my eulogy?
@mosaix - honour amongst ghosts. A delight.*

Some great entries this month, well done to all.

BTW for those confused by mine, I wonder if it is down to local practice; that is, the practice of stopping clocks when a family member dies, similar to covering mirrors. I figured the clock had decided to stop itself after watching over a family for so long, and thus honouring them.

 

[Luiglin]

Congrats @Jo Zebedee

Thanks for the mentions folks. It did start out as a Dark Lord but turned nasty after a particularly annoying week.

 

[Parson]

BTW for those confused by mine, I wonder if it is down to local practice; that is, the practice of stopping clocks when a family member dies, similar to covering mirrors. I figured the clock had decided to stop itself after watching over a family for so long, and thus honouring them.

My goodness! That does do something for your story. I had never heard of either of those practices. --- Practical Protestant People, mine. (With just a hint of radical reformation.)

 

[THX1138]

My goodness! That does do something for your story. I had never heard of either of those practices. --- Practical Protestant People, mine. (With just a hint of radical reformation.)

@Phyrebrat I seem to remember now my parent from East Europe telling me about how they would cover the clock with a black cloth for 3 days when a family member passed.

 

[Phyrebrat]

My goodness! That does do something for your story. I had never heard of either of those practices. --- Practical Protestant People, mine. (With just a hint of radical reformation.)

I think the practice of mirror-covering might be Jewish (I seem to remember a film called The Vigil where the family do it but I can’t be 100% sure). Then there’s a nursery rhyme/song about a clock stopping but all I can recall are the lines ‘ninety years without slumbering; tick-tock, tick-tock’ and ‘but the clock stopped, never to go again, when the ollllllld maaaan died’

I was raised Methodist so none of that deviltry for me!

@Phyrebrat I seem to remember now my parent from East Europe telling me about how they would cover the clock with a black cloth for 3 days when a family member passed.

I wonder if it’s part of Shiva for first-degree relatives? It’s such an evocative and beautiful custom to me.