27 Comments
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James Ron's avatar

Topsy-turvy, inside-out, victim is perpetrator. Really nice, Victor. Thanks for the "Soaring Twenties" turn on.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Glad you like it, James. Topsy turvy indeed! And yes, check out the Soaring Twenties. A nice collective, I've been enjoying being a part of them.

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Dane Benko's avatar

Quality, especially the ending.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Thanks DB. The reaction to this one is a little surprising. Gotta admit I was wondering....but went there anyway. All the best!

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Jim Cummings's avatar

Deep, dark and disturbing. I mean that as a compliment. This is a gritty, thought-provoking piece. Thank you for sharing, Victor.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Thank you Jim for reading and taking the time to comment. Yes, it's disturbing, sometimes like real life these days. Probably something lighter next time. Glad you liked it friend!

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Clancy Steadwell's avatar

Victor, I read this when it came out with Soaring Twenties.

"Never a letter, but he had to clean out the junk every damn day. "

I love this line, it lets us know a couple things at once: that this person is lonely and that they are perhaps stuck in the past.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Clancy, thanks for checking it out again. I know there's overlap between ST and here. And seems like you nailed it with your interpretation, that's a good one. Thanks again!

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Clancy Steadwell's avatar

And at risk of feeling ignorant, I have to now point out after reading again that that line conveys a third thing which I think is that not only are they stuck in the past, but disappointed and annoyed with the present in a way that goes beyond loneliness.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

No worries about ignorance that's for sure. My hope is that people see / interpret / imagine in ways of their own. I think your take on it agrees with mine, but I also realize that others might see if differently. And many thanks for the shoutout on Notes, Clancy!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

"Inside the TV told him to hate most everything and he said yes." Jesus, Victor! That old television will drive us all insane with its fear-mongering, or at least hurry insanity along. So glad I got rid of my TV -- three years ago and have never missed it. This is brilliant writing. I am glad I found you. I have subscribed and now I need a couple of weeks to catch up.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Thank you Sharron, for the lovely comment, and for subscribing. Really appreciate it. As you can see from my pic, I am what they call an elder (although I don't really feel it). Anyway, my point is that my TV went in the trash about 1975 and I haven't had once since. I like movies, but most of the stuff on TV doesn't do anything for me. Thanks again!

Edit: Your email came in and I'll answer that separately!!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

An Elder. That sounds so much wiser than 'elderly', doesn't it? As you can see by MY photo, I have become a leaf. I am as old as dirt, myself. 1975. I remember it well...

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Your leaf looks very autumn fresh Sharron!

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Joseph L. Wiess's avatar

Was there a reason why you didn't use quotation marks? I'm always curious about why writers do or don't use such things.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

I find quotation marks to be unnecessary roadblocks that tend to slow me down. They also encourage skimming. However, sometimes I do use them; mostly not, I suppose, but it depends on the aesthetic I'd like to convey. Thanks much for reading and your question, Joseph.

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Joseph L. Wiess's avatar

I only asked because I also write, and I'd lose my dialogue without those quotation marks. I don't use them for thoughts or mental communication, but for speech, they are essential, at least to me.

I had to constantly figure out where you wanted to start a quote and where you wanted it to end.

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Elva's avatar

I hope you have many" favorites". Are you as surprised as I am when certain words or phrases including newly invented/re-gigged ones just pop out of you? I am surprised by some of my 're-inventions'. Sneak preview of my coming story: "All words are borrowed", as pronounced by my beloved and magical writing teacher, Andy Couturier of Writing The Opening. Thanks for the caring nudge to present my first story. I continue to recover from Covid which mainly means I am re-prioritizing activities. Until next time.

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Andrew MacDonald's avatar

Kid did good!

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Yeah, he did, you're right. Thanks much for reading and commenting Andrew!

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Mike Leavy's avatar

Nice gut punch, Victor, and well-told. Your few words capture entire generations and demographics. If only a world of lonely white guys with persecution complexes eagerly consuming a steady diet of hate were fiction. As ever, thank you for your stories, and for sharing them with this other world.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

If only. Unfortunately, I read the news sometimes and catch stuff like this happening, sometimes with a different outcome. Next time it's back to rainbows. Well, maybe... Thanks so much for reading and writing here, Mike.

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Elva's avatar

WOW

Wonderment found here

Organicity gifts

World looks differently

I wrote this some time ago inspired by your writing. Maybe I shared it already or maybe I was too shy ... a world full of shyness.

Loved the melodic refrain: "A world of ..."

Enjoyed so many pieces and the whole.

This will reverberate inside me for a while: “They even drained the blood of language so that words no longer took sides.:

ps. I am with your Compadres, below. Thanks for sharing your gift.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Elva, you are the only person to call out that particular sentence (the blood of language) which happens to be my favorite. I guess I can have a favorite, right? Wow, synchronicity, glad that's reverbing for you.

I really appreciate your reading and commenting. I hope you've recovered well and are getting back up to speed after the covid you mentioned.

Keep on writing and get your stack going too when you're ready.

A thousand thanks and all the best!

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Mónica's avatar

Me parece una descripción de algunos vecinos que desafortunadamente me he topado en mi vida. Me gustó mucho, gracias.

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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Ojalá que no estes topando algunos asi hoy en dia. Me parece que no. Gracias Mónica para leerlo y tu commentario!

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Jun 6, 2023
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Victor D. Sandiego's avatar

Well, I'm speculating here of course, but it's something like that I imagine. And I do indeed love me a good "holy crap", wow, thanks so much for your comment Mitchell.

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