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Ice formed on my eyebrows as I leaned over the railing. Staring out at the Statue of Liberty didn’t help much. “What is Liberty, anyway? The freedom to tear a man’s heart out?”
Sure, I told myself, be melodramatic. That ought to fix it. At this point I didn’t care. It’s not like I even know the woman; damn Tom for connecting us online. I never would have agreed to this blind date thing if Tom hadn’t been there when I needed a friend most; when my life was unraveling.
Sigh. Who has a first date on the ferry out to the Liberty Island anyway? This whole thing is starting to sound silly now that I think about it. Okay, maybe I’m rationalizing, but really, a ferry boat? I chuckled at the thought, even though right now what I wanted most was to leap over the railing and end my misery.
Another New Year’s Eve. I had spent the last few New Year’s eves alone, sometimes by choice, sometimes not. Okay, always not. I was actually starting to climb out of the annual doldrums this year, what with the big pay raise at work and all. But now this. This wasn’t going to help.
Stop. I am not doing this to myself again. Positive thinking, man. You know, that whole Norman Vincent Peale stuff. Go for it. Screw the girl who was standing you up. Just find someone else – anyone else – that looks in need of some warmth on this frigid ferry. Yeah, that’s it; go for it.
I had almost talked myself through this situation when a conspiratorial December gust blew a hat smack into my face. “What the h….?”
[to be continued]
David J. Kent is a science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.
Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!
Nice beginning
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Thanks. More to come.
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I mostly try to stick with short, self-contained pieces but started one yesterday (A Dark Tunnel) that I may need to continue too.
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I do a lot of short pieces for these daily prompts, but this was part of a continuing saga that I hope one day to turn into…something.
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I look forward to seeing more.
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I like this! Destiny awaits… although my own hat was blown into a volcano.
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Hat blowing into a volcano isn’t quite as romantic, but probably a lot more exciting. I’m hoping to turn this into a longer piece of something.
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I think I’ve destroyed three hats by running over them with a trailing mower after they get knocked/blown off my head. I don’t know what sort of symbolic significance one might read into that. But I reckon either alternative sunscreen or a chin strap are in order.
Getting excited about New Years is indeed a hopeful, youthful thing.
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Though it may not turn out that way.
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Hmm.. nice 🙂
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Thanks.
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My pleasure
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Yes, the ferry is definitely a weird place for a NYE blind date! I hope whoever came up with that idea shows up to explain herself!
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Seems like a good place to dump a guy though. 🙂
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Ha if you’re going for being really cold!
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Exactly!
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