Then The Turkey Ran Down The Aisle

The great people take on great challenges: marathon running; spending vacation time working in the poorest of countries; getting drunk and bungee jumping. Mine is trying to write around improbable sentences.

Some years back, I thought it would be neat to start a paragraph in the middle of a story with, “Then the turkey ran down the aisle.” No particular reason and that sentence had no meaning of itself. It just seemed like a neat thing to put in the middle of a story.

So I did. Then I had to figure out how to explain it, especially since the aisle was in a DC-3. I wrote a story and then worked the turkey into it, for that sentence only.

Ok, so my story wasn’t a cure for cancer, or the Great American Novel. But it was a fun challenge and I think we need fun challenges. Like the watermelon.

I was doing news at some radio station and there was a story about a watermelon seed-spitting contest. Distance, accuracy, jumping up and spinning backwards, over the shoulder, etc. I nearly got through it before completely breaking up.

One of my constant challenges is to see how little I can pack for my vacation cruises. I’ve been able to go for 14 days with one carry-on. If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t go. It takes careful planning on just what I really need, along with which ties will match all the shirts, and things like that. People ask, but I just smile kindly and avoid a direct answer.