Home » Friday Fictioneers » Lost in the Box – Friday Fictioneers

Lost in the Box – Friday Fictioneers

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It’s Wednesday and I woke up early. Rather than toss and turn to get sleep that surely wouldn’t come, what better than to write a Friday Fictioneers while having my first cuppa?  This was stream of consciousness all the way.  Now excuse me whilst I return to my memories… and while I do that, you g’head and click on the frog to add your own 100-word story or read others, if ya like, that is!

Image result for frog holding letter

Click me!

Lost in the Box

Hey, Mom!  Hello?  Earth to Dale, you there?

Sorry!  I got lost in the box for a moment there.

What box?

Rochelle gave us this prompt this week.  A photo by Ted Strutz.

Lame.  Besides the cremated remains, that is. Ewww. Could you imagine receiving that in the mail?

Never mind that.  When I saw the prompt I knew I had to go find mine.

So? What’s in it?

Old letters and cards.

So. Junk, then.

So. Not. Junk.  I just randomly picked up a letter from my late friend Roxanne. My goodness, I was seventeen again. Just like that!

127 thoughts on “Lost in the Box – Friday Fictioneers”

  5. Isn’t it strange how we don’t want to hang on to the past at times but also, at times, refuse to move forward? I have old cards & letters that I don’t read but can’t pitch. And yet, if you open the box and begin to read, the time machine clicks on and 3 or 4 hours later as you look at your watch, you say “what the heck?”. Where did the time go? Go job.

    Liked by 1 person

    • It’s true. Unlike to think it’s not so much hanging on to the past as much as letting the past come and visit…😉
      ‘Course, as the owner of such a box, I do need to justify it, right?
      Thank you, Jan!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Dear Dale,

    I can think of two, a letter and a postcard, from late friends. And a few more, now that I think about them. Even scanned and downloaded them so they won’t get lost. There’s something about reading a person’s voice in their handwriting that emails don’t replace. Love this stream of consciousness piece. You do it so well.

    Shalom and lotsa well-articulated hugs,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Rochelle,

      I have to say I read about four different letters before I forced myself to put them down and write! That is an idea.. scanning them, I mean. And yes. Roxanne’s amazing laugh immediately came to mind as I read. Sigh.
      Thank you, my friend.

      Shalom and Lotsa hand-written love,

      Dale

      Like

  13. My mom kept every letter, every Christmas card, every note. I don’t know if she ever looked at them once she put them in one of her many shoe boxes. They all got tossed, and it made me sad at the time, but no one had time to read 80+ years of her correspondence!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I stopped keeping them all a long time ago… But this box has already touched me in the feels!
      I don’t blame you for tossing them, though. Mine will surely as well one day.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Awww… That’s too bad. I am friends with a former boyfriend – I found a letter he wrote to me way back when sent him a scan and his wife said it was so lovely to see him wipe away a tear.

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  26. I got my box out this last week too, intent on sorting it out. A few tears and smiles later it all went back into the box to be put away again. Maybe next time. Hope you enjoyed yours.

    Liked by 1 person

    • That is exactly it! I haven’t put mine away again yet. I keep pulling out a random letter or card. Some I have no blessed clue who they are! I found a best wishes on your new job card and only when I recognised one signature did I realise where it was from… Sheesh…

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    • I can’t call it junk, that’s for sure 😉 I have been going back to it now and again since yesterday. Found two farewell cards from two jobs and damn if I can barely remember the people who were so kind to tell me they’d miss me! LOL
      But yes, time travel in seconds, for sure.
      Thank you, kind one! xoxoxo

      Liked by 1 person

  29. Dale, you made me think of a certain large envelope I have kept for a long time, at the bottom of a chest of drawers. I might even take a look 🙂 Lovely, lively writing from you, definitely food for thought.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I think we all have that box or envelope or drawer that we think we should empty but then, just can’t… because why? I do hope you do take a look. Thank you so much, Jilly! 🙂

      Like

  32. Q

    This is like a time capsule. It’s akin to keeping someone’s phone number in your phone, keeping their address in your address book, keeping a note they jotted down on a piece of paper and stuck on the refrigerator. It keeps that person there . . other end of the line, a letter, the every day things, it keeps them right there.

    And yanno? It’s So. Not. Junk.

    B

    Liked by 1 person

    • B,

      It really is. Yes! Though, when I changed phones, I lost some that didn’t switch over. I was not pleased but then I figured it was the Universe telling me to let go. I do, however, still have my address book. And yes, that connection was felt, especially when I fell upon notes and letters from people no longer with us.

      It’s So. Not. Junk. At all. 🙂

      Q

      Liked by 1 person

  36. No, not junk at all! Space limitations have me scanning many of those into electronic format, but I have to say that I cannot bring myself to scan all of them. Some just have to be in paper form. Some space-taking is acceptable, even in small NYC apartments. Yay to memories and this was a fab use of the prompt! XX

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Actually, we dumped all this old stuff we couldn’t identify with any more – except the diaries. We don’t know why we keep them, we haven’t had a look at them for ages. It’s different with our work journals in which we collected the ideas for our books. We are keeping those. But the rest like letters, fan-post etc. we burned and felt free afterwards.
    Thanks for sharing.
    All the best
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Yes, those old cards, letters and memorabilia are difficultlt to discard.
    I find that with aging one needs to. No sense in giving things to kids
    that won’t know what they are or who their from. Nicely written, Dale.
    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Be Safe 😷 … Isadora 😎

    Like

  40. This story feels kind of real. You don’t have to tell us what is in the letter, but I want you to know that I am wondering what is in this possibly real letter. Have a great day Dale!

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  42. I had a cousin who was the big sister I never had, and just this afternoon I was in the store and stopped dead — the woman ahead of me looked so like her that it brought up memories from years ago. And then I read your story. I think I’ll get out those old pictures and cards that Glo sent me (Gloria, but the nickname fit). I only wish she’d been more of a letter writer. Thanks for the memories.

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  44. Oh this is a very clever take on the prompt. Memories triggered by old letters. Amazing. My mum was showing me a letter I wrote to my grandparents when I was 7 yesterday. About a local fair and the showbags I bought! My Nana had kept it in her sewing box. I wonder why?

    Liked by 1 person

  45. Poignant box! It’s great you can be 17 again, even if for a few moments.

    I have too many boxes. I’ve been slimming down contents, in an attempt to not have too, many memories. These boxes can take up hours. I’d like to get down to 1 box. Thing is, no matter how much I get rid of, the boxes are still full. ⚡️💥

    Liked by 1 person

  47. Years from now people will be going through their virtual storage boxes in the cloud and feeling sentimental. We also have a few of those letters scattered across shelves and boxes. A nice surprise when you come across them while cleaning.

    Liked by 2 people

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