Challenge: Creativity is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the more it strengthens your story and your vision for the future. I'd like to challenge members to share one short story that moved them emotionally (reference the feelings wheel for inspiration) in the last few weeks. It can be short. Or long. Great or lame. The mere act of sharing your quick story is the creative act in and of itself.
This morning it's still dark out and I’m walking to swim when I see a guy who looks like he had a rough night from across the street. Rough night in the sense that he'd taken the wrong drugs.
He’s got no shirt on — only jeans — and is aggressively walking and making weird noises that sound like exaggerated sneezes.
And since we’re walking in the same direction I keep my distance and my eye on him.
Until I lose him for 10 seconds only to turn a corner and have him pop out from the darkness and aggressively say and I quote:
“How’s about $50 to get punched in the face this morning?”
At first I am trying to understand the question: “how’s about $50 to get punched in the face this morning?” is sooooo confusing (especially at 6AM).
I'm embarrassed to admit I thought maybe this guy's asking for $50 and in exchange I get to punch him in the face?
But I replied with what I think most of you would say: “No, thank you.”
And he responds angrily: “don’t say thank you to me. Ya see, that’s what I hate about people like you.”
And which point I could tell he's on something because HE FAKE LUNGES AT ME (from like 10 feet away) the way an animal in the wild would charge to establish territory.
And I don’t know if it’s the meditation/yoga I’ve been doing, 10 years working with street gangs in Central America, or just the fact that I hadn’t had my coffee yet but I DID NOT FLINCH!
And I guess it worked because he goes scrambling off behind me rambling about how much he hates people like me...he was definitely looking to pick a fight.
And despite my keeping cool in the moment it felt scary and thrilling and as I was walking away (I almost just got punched!) and an older gentlemen on the corner who saw the whole thing smiles at me and says:
"You sir, are stone cold."
I Am Stone Cold
By Matt LandauThis morning it's still dark out and I’m walking to swim when I see a guy who looks like he had a rough night from across the street. Rough night in the sense that he'd taken the wrong drugs.
He’s got no shirt on — only jeans — and is aggressively walking and making weird noises that sound like exaggerated sneezes.
And since we’re walking in the same direction I keep my distance and my eye on him.
Until I lose him for 10 seconds only to turn a corner and have him pop out from the darkness and aggressively say and I quote:
“How’s about $50 to get punched in the face this morning?”
At first I am trying to understand the question: “how’s about $50 to get punched in the face this morning?” is sooooo confusing (especially at 6AM).
I'm embarrassed to admit I thought maybe this guy's asking for $50 and in exchange I get to punch him in the face?
But I replied with what I think most of you would say: “No, thank you.”
And he responds angrily: “don’t say thank you to me. Ya see, that’s what I hate about people like you.”
And which point I could tell he's on something because HE FAKE LUNGES AT ME (from like 10 feet away) the way an animal in the wild would charge to establish territory.
And I don’t know if it’s the meditation/yoga I’ve been doing, 10 years working with street gangs in Central America, or just the fact that I hadn’t had my coffee yet but I DID NOT FLINCH!
And I guess it worked because he goes scrambling off behind me rambling about how much he hates people like me...he was definitely looking to pick a fight.
And despite my keeping cool in the moment it felt scary and thrilling and as I was walking away (I almost just got punched!) and an older gentlemen on the corner who saw the whole thing smiles at me and says:
"You sir, are stone cold."
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