Don’t judge a book by its cover🙃

Written in response to: Start your story with the arrival of a new person in a town full of gossips.... view prompt

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Adventure Friendship Middle School

Well. Isn’t that why we are “here” writing our little hearts out……?


Nope. Read and follow along friend! A real page turner!


Chittycat the chit chat roamed the neighborhood looking for someone to talk to. Boy oh boy did Chittycat love to control the message(s) for the Newcomers in town. Just call Chittycat the furry, cute Welcome Wagon of Feline Heights.


Chittycat and the kittysistants roam around scratch and knock on doors. Lurking slowly but surely to see if there was any new meat in town. One of the prerequisite talents of the Feline Heights Welcome Wagon was the ability to chew up and spit out, like a hair ball. Spew out opinions of the neighborhood, neighbors, bad mouth others, spread mis truths, shut down any debatable conversation, set the tone.


Please take note of the laundromats listed in the services-bullet-points-section of the Welcome Wagon pamphlet. When you begin to not attend the monthly block parties in the neighborhood, you will need to know where this fine business is located! Take your laundry and your dignity and quickly; do not roll the dice, do not pass go, go directly to the wash machines. Skip this loud-mouthed-talking-blabfest of a party!


RSVP. No thank you as fast as you can! Proceed then to run in complete opposite direction!


Because you know better. Prepared, with laundry card in pocket, dignity still in possession, the laundromat location confirmed, fully functioning machines and a pleasant atmosphere. What more can you ask for? . When Chittycat the chit chat comes scratching at your door, offer a polite “plugged “ear” and a New York minute while she performs the Neighborhood Welcome Wagon act of “Airing of dirty laundry” schpeal.


Then, run away as fast as a dog chases a squirrel! At least the squirrel is working for its food, hoarding for a rainy day. The squirrel may taunt, but the squirrel protects its stash. In all fairness, most likely a dog is King of his Castle, and is doing ok with meats and treats.


BTW: Airing dirty laundry is: Revealing unkind and damaging facts about an estranged friend, another way to gossip/“air” the personal business of another, by loud-mouthed cool cats in town. One piece of this mean-pie used by Chittycat to devour like a meat-pie of character assassination. Estranged is defined as at one time we’re friends, but do not communicate or hang out anymore. Techniques include never-ending lip service and barrage of mis-truths in a mean-spirited attempt to dis-credit and devour a person and their reputation.


No worries, it happens to the best of us. We can handle rejection healthily. We become saddened. Of course. Most important, we reject meanness and catty ness. Nastiness.


Chittycat proceeds to lurk around the picket fences and bushes to re-tell the community stories of neighbors in her own words, pretending her words directly at your face. Awaiting your reaction about what you think. Kindness guides you fully capable of seeing what is right in front of your face. Chittycat is a nasty gossip.



Do we really NEED to know. Need to know what goes on behind closed doors? Let’s leave that information dissemination and diagnosis to a professional person. (My apologies, that was a mouthful). The long and the short is: Please do not ask Chittycat or the kittysistants’ Welcome Wagon for any sort of referral any time soon.


Chittycat and the Feline Heights Welcome Wagon are desperately afraid of rejection. They will use any and all tactics of doubt to sucker punch you right in the face. Thankfully, you are not a sucker! When you see the Welcome Wagon coming, run quickly in the other direction. Basically, it’s hands down-Escape as fast as you can. RUN!


Do we really NEED to know? Nope. Do we NEED to know what goes on behind closed doors? Nope. Questionable times require a trained professional. Not Chittycat and the Welcome Wagon of town gossip. The perfection of the lie is what they do best. While scratching at your door to share stories. May be swap spit. They conduct their wagon duties quite well. Their job performance is considered high quality in some circles. In the category including cat-like behaviors. Lurky, Sneaky, Cattily. Quietly pouncing to and fro and then away.


Secrets are on high on the list of bullet points in the operation manual of the Welcome Wagon. Chittycat and the kittysistants size you up, hope to draw you in by telling you what you want to hear in an attempt to align with you. Perhaps very soon another cat in the making, they think. Kittysistants offer wine to lap up with you.


Except, you are a dog person. Yes. Dogs drool. But they do not chew or spit you out. Yes. Dogs rule- by loyalty. Yes, track and field participant already. Thanks, but no thanks. All is well and good. Not a fun-hater at all, just not a gossip monger.


Spreading and spewing gossip in an attempt to form a connection is mean. Mean in spirit. Mean-spirited.


There is useful misinformation. There is misinformation. Gossip is worthless information. Questionably fun to read. Hurtful to know. Hurtful to a person is time wasted. Contradiction to “Welcoming” .


Debatable moments are few and far between with Chittycat and the kittysistants. They have been driving the Welcome Wagon for much too long. Probably not sensitive to the bumps created. Not worth their precious time and effort.


Newcomers would do right to take their time from time to time. Get a clue. Get a dog. Take time to know your neighbors. All the Differences and Contradictions and Complexities and Complications. Give generous benefit of the doubt. Be kind with your neighbor’s truth. Dodge, bob and weave Chittycat and the kittysistants appalling stories.


Hitch hike as another means of transportation. Skip the wagon and its Welcome stories. Skip the stories. Skip the cookies. Skip the wine. Skip the mean. Continue to be polite while Chittycat is spewing and spitting. Hairballs included.


It is what it is. A fancy inviting, appealing cover may get in the door. Benefit of the doubt is most appealing when not judged too hastily, too soon. Decline and deny without hesitation, immediately if not sooner the offer of a “back scratch” from Chittycat and the kittysistants. Deep within the fine print of the Welcome Wagon operation manual include subtle, intense cat-like expectations.


Chances are their nails may be fake, too long and razor-sharp.


Ouch.

















January 28, 2022 20:40

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