It took this Daily Shorty project to teach me what a joy it can be to write in a parking lot. There’s something so… in between about that space, so not-place about it—it nicely empties your mind of whatever’s bugging you so story ideas can rush in. Now when I find myself in a parking lot, I see my time there as “found time” in the same way that I consider that five dollar bill I just pulled from the pocket of a jacket “found money.” I wrote today’s shorty in the lot of the local Hannaford while the husband, grateful to be free of my label-reading attention, restocked our pantry and fridge. My mystery box inspiration today was a black and white photo of a man in work clothes at a table covered in tools. Looks like he’s in a large space—a factory? And the photo looks period. Maybe the 1930s, 1940s? The tools inspired my story, so here I’ve put up a picture of a toolbox. One more day of the mystery box!
Working Title: His Best Level
1st Sentence: I’ve never seen my father without at least one tool on his person, excepting those few days in his life when he’s been forced to play dress-up—my sister’s wedding, mine.
Favorite Sentence: If you’re me, you don’t mind so much if you place a marble at one end of your kitchen and it rolls across the floor to disappear beneath the stove.
Word Length: 380
Daily Shorty 
Leave a Reply