Think back to an important experience in your own past—either happy or traumatic. Pick a single physical detail or action that embodies your feelings about that experience and describe it.
Write about at least five separate incidents (not events but rather moments) from your life that feel somehow related. If these vignettes are from different periods in time in your life, all the better.
Write about the last day of school in seventh grade.
In a detailed manner, write about the day of and the day after your little brother or sister was born.
I went with option 1, accident.
Danielle was completely drained and living a workaholic nightmare!Her underlings had been let go as a “cost-cutting measure” and she was the only one left. That’s too much responsibility for one person.
She desperately needed help. Working 60 hoursa week was becoming the norm and her personal life, practically non-existent.
Thankfully, her husband, Mario, an understanding sort, often drove Danielle to the office on the way to his weekly Sunday soccer game. How pathetic! The rest of the world is enjoying life, and she’s drowning in a sea of paperwork.
Time for a vacation!
Grabbing her desk calendar, she started rifling through the pages. Her husband’s employer would have the yearly maintenance shutdown next month, so that was ideal.
Sadly, they rarely went anywhere because of her job. Mario hung out with his friends, and she went to work. Yup, absolutely pitiful.
Danielle needed to let loose and get wild!
Although she was entitled to four weeks’ vacation (at least seniority was good for something), Danielle’s boss vetoed the idea of her taking more than two weeks off in a row.
He said her job was “too important” to be away that long. Well damn! It would take two weeks just to deprogram, never mind recuperate, but it was better than nothing.
So, the big question was, where should they go?
Mario was not one to express preferences; whatever Danielle liked was okay with him. She always found this frustrating, thinking he may have wanted something different, but wouldn’t say.
They both enjoyed spontaneous road trips. Just pick a direction, map out a few possible stops along the way and get in the car. She handed him a coin. Heads for west, tails for east.
West it was!
The last day at work was hectic, but Danielle managed to tidy her desk by the end. She regarded the empty surface ruefully, knowing full well that catching up afterwards would be horrendous. It didn’t matter anymore; time to get a life!
Big smile on her face as she waved goodbye.
The next morning, Mario loaded up the car as Danielle finished dressing. They were both eager to hit the road; to experience that sense of freedom!
Getting into the car, she gave his arm a playful squeeze and said: “Remind me to send my mother a postcard. She loves to get mail”.
They hit the asphalt, radio tuned to their favourite station.
Exploring back roads was part of the fun. No traffic for miles, and Danielle started to relax. “I need to take time off more often,” she thought.
Suddenly, a large, out of control van came careening at them and didn’t stop. The impact of the head-on collision shattered the stillness…
There would be no more vacations for Danielle and Mario!
Although the characters’ names and the car crash are fictional, the general circumstances were taken from my life during the late 1980s.
Here’s some irony! The so-called “important job” was easily eliminated a few years later.
On their deathbed, nobody ever regretted not spending more time at the office!
What do you think about this?
This story won a “WRITE TRIBE” (a now-defunct group) contest in Jul. 2013, using the specified words: postcard, coin, tidy, wild, help, calendar, responsibility. I have updated it for the Writer’s Workshop.
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
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137 thoughts on “THE VACATION; A CAUTIONARY TALE #WritersWorkshop #CreativeWriting”
I think all people should remember that the life in itself is the most important. Money, fame, career, work, they have become too important to the people. And nowadays in this internet world the burn out is lurking all the time behind us, just waiting for the right moment. I say to myself, find the off button, sleep well, eat well, drink well (not alcohol) take a peaceful walk, live healthy life style and be free and be grateful for finding the way out from all which causes disharmony in my life. Very good and thought awakening post!
Thank you, Jean! 🙂 When it comes to internet pursuits, I often experience burnout, spending far too much time online. I am still mostly on a break now, just trying to catch up a little, in between.
Wow, I thought this was an engaging fictional story with a very sad ending, and more sad to hear some of this was your life. Glad you made it through my friend. <3
Hi Debbie – well I’m glad I’ve avoided that experience … though there are touches that the family have suffered … it is part of life isn’t it, and we never know what’s ahead. Clever storytelling – well done … not an easy subject – cheers Hilary
Yes, the corporate world can be nasty and I’m glad you were able to avoid it, HIlary! 🙂 It’s true, we never know what will happen, which is why we should enjoy life while we can. Thanks for reading my sad little tale.
Remember the overused phrase “Work-life balance”. It seems many employers didn’t get the memo. LOL
I was in Danielle’s position in my last job. I was the last one to leave out of 15 employees and ended up closing the office. That was when I retired at 67 years old. Enough is enough.
I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I’m trying to catch up on emails and posts, which should take me quite a while. Your story is very well written.
Love,
Janie
Well done, Debbie! I never saw the end coming, but then in life we rarely do. A powerful reminder to stop and smell the roses while they’re still in bloom.
Working too much is a waste of life! We need to enjoy our life along with the work we do. I felt sad for Danielle and Mario! A story with a valuable message. 🙂
After such an encouraging start the conclusion came as something of a shock. I had one job that took up all of every day and many nights too – running a village pub and I loved every minute of it!
Running a pub sounds like a lot more fun than my previous corporate slavedom. When it’s your own business, you do it with love. 🙂 Thanks for reading my story, Keith!
Oh how sad, no more vacation, no more Daniella & Mario, no more nothing! Life is too short. Working like a dog, pardon the pun, leads to health issues and no burn out. A workaholic, working for someone other than his/her self has limitations and the employer is never fully appreciated or rewarded for the hard effort the individual puts in to his/her job. We wanted to take a vacation before all of this Covid-19 stuff blew in and while things have improved, there people are still getting sick and businesses aren’t fully open, so we will wait until next year to try to take a ‘real vacation’. It’ll be one definitely worth it, not only because of the craziness but because our vacations are decades apart. Our last one was in 2004. That sounds horrible but we compensate with many day trips to places within a short drive and that works beautifully for us. Enjoy yourselves, this summer is really fleeting by!!
In hindsight, I wasted a lot of years, but that was the corporate culture in the 80s. 😛 A “real” vacation sounds wonderful and definitely worth the wait. Our little excursion next week is just a short respite from the daily norm. A change of scenery is good for what ails. 🙂 (Like your day trips.) Thanks for coming by, Cathy!
Driving defensively is good advice. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the story. We are getting out of town for a few days next week, to shake the lockdown blues. (And we will be vigilant on the road.) Hopefully, by October, things will lhave calmed down and you can have a worry-free trip. Cheers!
Hi Carol! 🙂 Those workaholic days are behind me, and I don’t miss them. In hindsight, I wasted a good chunk of my life. Trying to make up for it now, but the pandemic is messing with that. 😛 Thanks for coming by!
Glad it was a fictional story. Many folks do not know how to relax and enjoy life. Their job is their life. Not me. I retired at 62 and have never regretted giving up a great salary and the ability to control my work schedule. There is another life away from the office. Retirement is something my father never lived long enough to enjoy. I am taking advantage of the time I have left here. Even if right now it means staying indoors on my computer, lol.
Hi Denise! The ending was fictional, but the rest was my actual, workaholic life in the 1980s. When I got “downsized,” in the 1992 recession, it wreaked havoc on our lives, but ultimately, it led me to a kind of rebirth. I’m glad you’re enjoying your retirement, such as it is, these days. 🙂 Thanks for coming by!
I’ve truly never been a work-a-holic. I get my time in and take off. I don’t let it fret me either. As Dolly Parton once sang, I’m spending all my time putting money in ‘their’ pockets. Even if I go home and do nothing, I’m comfortable with that. But fortunately, I have other pursuits, writing, photography and the such. But I do know work-a-holics. Usually these are the people who have hard-core invested interest in the office. Outside of that, I’ve never understood being a work-a-holic. Glad the car-crash was fictional. That ending certainly came on quick and without warning. Much like a true life auto accident (as I’ve been in a few).
That’s the best attitude, Jeffrey and wish I could have been more like that. As it was, I suffered a bad case of burnout and was actually relieved to get out, in the end. Yes, good thing the crash is fictional, but I’m betting this might have happened to someone, somewhere.
Ouch! Yeah, I can’t imagine thinking “gee, I wish I’d spent more time at the office.” I’m more of the “so many mountains, so little time,” sort, and we’ll be retiring soon to maximize our exploration of the world.
Unfortunately, you hear about this type of thing a lot. It’s sad that many take life for granted and don’t say how they feel when they feel it. Life is way too short to have regrets. Live for today. Great story.
Glad to know you are enjoying life to the fullest, Mary Lou. 🙂 Work is overrated, in my opinion, too. Although we are still plugging away at it, my husband and I make a concerted effort to enjoy a more hedonistic lifestyle.
I used to work horrendous hours at my job. Most of the time I loved it, but there were definitely times I needed a holiday. Fortunately, going on holiday was encouraged where I worked so I definitely got breaks when needed.
Sounds like your employer was more attuned to the needs of the staff. The standards where I worked were impossible to maintain after the recession hit and so many were let go.
That was such a horrendous end! This story reminds of one of the video of my favorite tracks, “I could be the one,” by Avicii. It’s almost on the same lines but instead of a couple its a woman who decides to chuck her corporate job and enjoy life, just to get hit by a vehicle as she steps out of the office. Such is life, we think we have the time but we don’t. Thanks for reminding me to keep that in mind, Debbi.
I’ve often worked long hard hours, but I’ve been happy in my work and the time spent didn’t seem to matter since I liked what I was doing. The story you told is a tragic one, but one of those mysterious ironies of life that seems to come to some people. Very sad really.
It’s all about balance, in my opinion. If you’re self-employed and/or love what you’re doing that’s one thing. When it starts to feel like you’re missing out on life and serving a jail sentence, then it’s time to reassess. That’s where I was at, at the time.
Ah yes. ..the priorities that need to be set right. Interesting post,Debbie. Like how you used a combination of fiction and fact to make a factional tale with important take aways.
Ghosts? There is a classic movie called “Topper” in which that is exactly what happened. 🙂 “Beetlejuice” is another one. Popular theme! Thanks for visiting.
That ending was totally unexpected!
A couple of years ago, even my job required me to spend really long hours at work. You couldn’t even talk about taking a day or two off. Glad I quit that job!!
I WAS Danielle! Glad my story made you realize that too, Ava. 🙂 What a lovely surprise to win the contest. All of the other entries were excellent. Thanks for dropping by.
The ending was very tragic. It just goes to show that we need to live in the moment and take time to enjoy every minute of our lives. We can never say about the future. Congrats Debbie !
I’m so sorry Debbie that you drew from that story of an experience that happened in your life.
You know I preach about this all the time myself that life is too short so enjoy it today because tomorrow isn’t promised. I wish more people would listen because at the end of their lives they’ll regret not having done more. So sad!
Hi Adrienne; Yes, at one time I was mired in a hellish workaholic scenario and am so glad to be out of that now. The older I get, the more I realize life should be enjoyed and not wasted on things that won’t matter in the end. Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend. 🙂
HI…that was excellent…yes it is very easy to get engrossed in work…Balance is key.. and most forgotten..wish Danielle got the holiday and had many more in her life…
Live for today, don’t bury yourself in work, make sure you have ‘me’ & ‘us’ time or else you’ll may find yourself ‘buried’ before you’ve had a taste of what life has to offer. That’s what came through in your dark tale, Debbie, well told my friend. xxx
Spot on, Penny! Thanks so much for visiting. Apologies that I have been slack in this area lately, but, I’ll be dropping by to get caught up with you soon. Have a great week. 🙂
How true that is. I can remember my father expressing those sentiments after my mothers passing. He so regretted all the extra time he devoted to his career rather than family.
I’m thankful that I was able to stay home and be a full time parent. Guess that would be my chosen career. : )
I think many people, (including me in those days), lose sight of what’s really important in life. The older I get, the more I subscribe to the “life is short, do it now” mantra. Your kids were so lucky, Linda to have a full time Mom at home. Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend. 🙂
I am pretty sure kids appreciate it now, not so sure they did then though….that’s so true about getting older and realizing time is getting shorter and shorter, so we need to do those things now…
What an awful ending! Good luck with the contest. Unfortunately, this is the way of the world, ie., cut positions so that those left have double the work, yet expect higher productivity. I don’t get to travel nearly enough these days. Seeing what happened, maybe that’s a good thing.
Hi Joyce; I know it’s a bad end, but I wrote that for shock value, to drive home the point that one never knows what’s going to happen in life, so we should “go for the gusto” before it’s too late. People die every day, but, that shouldn’t deter anyone from doing what they want to do. Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend. 🙂
I did write the ending for shock value, to drive home the point that you never know what might happen in life, so, “go for the gusto” whenever possible. Thanks for visiting Suzy. 🙂
Although fictional as you say, but it is also very real.
I am glad they laid me off, the money was tighter because of it and there is no vacations now. But I know the stress of taking any time off, for the issues I would comeback to. Not any fun the last few years I was there. But it is sad how much of ourselves we give away to someone else for them to make a tremendous amount of money.
Also knowing that one thing can change everything. Like to stay home on the holidays for that reason (being the 4th today).
Your past situation sounds very similar to mine, Mary The accident and character’s names are fictional, but the rest is an accurate portrayal of my life in the late ’80s. When my job disappeared too, it was somewhat of a relief as I was suffering from severe burnout. “It is sad how much of ourselves we give away to someone else for them to make a tremendous amount of money.” Spot on! Thanks for visiting and Happy 4th of July to you. 🙂
Whoa! If you want to look at it optimistically, at least she won’t have to worry about her desk being somewhat overloaded when she gets back to it…Makes you almost not want to ever go on a vacation… :3
Haha! There is that, Mary, but I was trying to drive the point home that we shouldn’t make work our entire focus. Balance is the key to happiness, yes? Thanks for dropping by and Happy 4th of July to you! 🙂
Awww…that was very sad for Danielle and Mario. Never felt that such a healthy beginning will end up in a tragedy. Felt sad. Realistically written. Good Job.
Sad for them and a good lesson for us all. Life is short; make the most of it, yes? Thanks for visiting Sreedev. I enjoyed your story as well. Good luck!
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137 thoughts on “THE VACATION; A CAUTIONARY TALE #WritersWorkshop #CreativeWriting”
I think all people should remember that the life in itself is the most important. Money, fame, career, work, they have become too important to the people. And nowadays in this internet world the burn out is lurking all the time behind us, just waiting for the right moment. I say to myself, find the off button, sleep well, eat well, drink well (not alcohol) take a peaceful walk, live healthy life style and be free and be grateful for finding the way out from all which causes disharmony in my life. Very good and thought awakening post!
Thank you, Jean! 🙂 When it comes to internet pursuits, I often experience burnout, spending far too much time online. I am still mostly on a break now, just trying to catch up a little, in between.
Yes to more vacations. But the car crash was an unexpected twist.
Welcome to The Den, Hena! 🙂 Yes, more vacations would be good! Sadly, some people waste too much of their lives at work.
Wow! I so identify with everything corporate and the workload involved.
As I read your post, the ending made me think of a song by Alanis Morrissette called “Ironic”.
Well done!
Thank you, Patty. I know the song well, and am glad to be out of that corporate rat race. 🙂
We should savour every moment of the day.
Great storytelling, Debbie!
Exactly! 🙂 Thanks for reading my sad little tale. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Wow, I thought this was an engaging fictional story with a very sad ending, and more sad to hear some of this was your life. Glad you made it through my friend. <3
Thanks, Deb! 🙂 I’m also glad to have made it out alive.
💜
Good build up to the sudden catastrophic ending, Debbie.
Best wishes, Pete.
Thanks, Pete! Except for the catastrophic ending, that pretty much illustrated what my life was like at one time. Glad I made it out alive! 🙂
Hi Debbie – well I’m glad I’ve avoided that experience … though there are touches that the family have suffered … it is part of life isn’t it, and we never know what’s ahead. Clever storytelling – well done … not an easy subject – cheers Hilary
Yes, the corporate world can be nasty and I’m glad you were able to avoid it, HIlary! 🙂 It’s true, we never know what will happen, which is why we should enjoy life while we can. Thanks for reading my sad little tale.
OMG Debbie…. that hit a nerve in more ways than one… what an ending for them and for us… great story.. ♥
That’s what I was going for, Sally! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading my sad little tale. I’m glad it made an impression. 🙂
What a sad story. No more vacations indeed.
Yes. I wanted to emphatically make a point that life is too short and we need to enjoy it while we can. 🙂
I think that was quite the abrupt ending, lol!
Purposely so, to make the point emphatically. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Life is always hanging on a gossamer thread. I wish today especially that they didn’t have to die. One of those days when maudlin stories make me sad.
It is, Natasha! I was trying to convey that very point. 🙂 Thank you for reading my sad little tale.
Remember the overused phrase “Work-life balance”. It seems many employers didn’t get the memo. LOL
I was in Danielle’s position in my last job. I was the last one to leave out of 15 employees and ended up closing the office. That was when I retired at 67 years old. Enough is enough.
That’s for sure, Eugi! The employers had the upper hand in those days and many employees were worked to the bone. I’m with you – enough is enough!
I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I’m trying to catch up on emails and posts, which should take me quite a while. Your story is very well written.
Love,
Janie
Well done, Debbie! I never saw the end coming, but then in life we rarely do. A powerful reminder to stop and smell the roses while they’re still in bloom.
Working too much is a waste of life! We need to enjoy our life along with the work we do. I felt sad for Danielle and Mario! A story with a valuable message. 🙂
After such an encouraging start the conclusion came as something of a shock. I had one job that took up all of every day and many nights too – running a village pub and I loved every minute of it!
Running a pub sounds like a lot more fun than my previous corporate slavedom. When it’s your own business, you do it with love. 🙂 Thanks for reading my story, Keith!
Debbie,
Oh how sad, no more vacation, no more Daniella & Mario, no more nothing! Life is too short. Working like a dog, pardon the pun, leads to health issues and no burn out. A workaholic, working for someone other than his/her self has limitations and the employer is never fully appreciated or rewarded for the hard effort the individual puts in to his/her job. We wanted to take a vacation before all of this Covid-19 stuff blew in and while things have improved, there people are still getting sick and businesses aren’t fully open, so we will wait until next year to try to take a ‘real vacation’. It’ll be one definitely worth it, not only because of the craziness but because our vacations are decades apart. Our last one was in 2004. That sounds horrible but we compensate with many day trips to places within a short drive and that works beautifully for us. Enjoy yourselves, this summer is really fleeting by!!
In hindsight, I wasted a lot of years, but that was the corporate culture in the 80s. 😛 A “real” vacation sounds wonderful and definitely worth the wait. Our little excursion next week is just a short respite from the daily norm. A change of scenery is good for what ails. 🙂 (Like your day trips.) Thanks for coming by, Cathy!
You always have to drive defensively. This is a moving story. We have not summer plans, but are hopefully heading to Ohio in October.
Driving defensively is good advice. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the story. We are getting out of town for a few days next week, to shake the lockdown blues. (And we will be vigilant on the road.) Hopefully, by October, things will lhave calmed down and you can have a worry-free trip. Cheers!
This shows we should enjoy every moment of the day! Excellent storytelling, Debbie!
Yes, that’s what I was going for. 🙂 Thank you, Eugenia! ?
Oh my. I didn’t see that coming. I was waiting for the fun and relaxation. Well done, Debbie. You had me hanging on very word.
Have a fabulous day and week. Big hug. ♥
Thank you, Sandee! ? The ending was fiction, but the rest came from my actual life. Looking back, I can’t help thinking, “what a waste!”
Ow, harsh ending! Does remind one to keep their priorities straight…
That’s what I was going for! 😀 Thankfully, the real story isn’t quite as harsh.
Gosh! I thought they were gonna have the time of their lives.
Heart-breaking.
Such a well crafted tale. Time is indeed precious and we got to make the most of it.
I needed a stark ending to make the point. 🙂 Thanks for reading my story, Natasha. Fortunately, things weren’t quite as dire in reality.
I think the lockdown has made some people slow down and take note.
You may be right about that, Damyanti. Or, people will eventually forget and go back to their skewed priorities. Thanks for reading my story! 🙂
It’s a sad thing that we are often used and abused by our employers and job – I’m glad you’re still with us and making me smile!
Hi Carol! 🙂 Those workaholic days are behind me, and I don’t miss them. In hindsight, I wasted a good chunk of my life. Trying to make up for it now, but the pandemic is messing with that. 😛 Thanks for coming by!
Glad it was a fictional story. Many folks do not know how to relax and enjoy life. Their job is their life. Not me. I retired at 62 and have never regretted giving up a great salary and the ability to control my work schedule. There is another life away from the office. Retirement is something my father never lived long enough to enjoy. I am taking advantage of the time I have left here. Even if right now it means staying indoors on my computer, lol.
Hi Denise! The ending was fictional, but the rest was my actual, workaholic life in the 1980s. When I got “downsized,” in the 1992 recession, it wreaked havoc on our lives, but ultimately, it led me to a kind of rebirth. I’m glad you’re enjoying your retirement, such as it is, these days. 🙂 Thanks for coming by!
I’ve truly never been a work-a-holic. I get my time in and take off. I don’t let it fret me either. As Dolly Parton once sang, I’m spending all my time putting money in ‘their’ pockets. Even if I go home and do nothing, I’m comfortable with that. But fortunately, I have other pursuits, writing, photography and the such. But I do know work-a-holics. Usually these are the people who have hard-core invested interest in the office. Outside of that, I’ve never understood being a work-a-holic. Glad the car-crash was fictional. That ending certainly came on quick and without warning. Much like a true life auto accident (as I’ve been in a few).
That’s the best attitude, Jeffrey and wish I could have been more like that. As it was, I suffered a bad case of burnout and was actually relieved to get out, in the end. Yes, good thing the crash is fictional, but I’m betting this might have happened to someone, somewhere.
Ouch! Yeah, I can’t imagine thinking “gee, I wish I’d spent more time at the office.” I’m more of the “so many mountains, so little time,” sort, and we’ll be retiring soon to maximize our exploration of the world.
That’s it, exactly! Life is short, so seize the day! Happy travels, Rebecca. 🙂
A good wake up call for us all. Having just lost a good friend today, I’m particularly aware of the need to keep those priorities straight!
I’m so sorry for your loss, C. Lee. 🙁 Yes, life is short and we never know what will happen tomorrow. Thanks for dropping in. Sincere condolences.
Hi Debbie,
Unfortunately, you hear about this type of thing a lot. It’s sad that many take life for granted and don’t say how they feel when they feel it. Life is way too short to have regrets. Live for today. Great story.
Have a great weekend!
B
That’s it, exactly, Bren! 🙂 Live for today, because who knows what will happen tomorrow. Thanks for dropping in.
Visiting from FlashBack Friday! I’ve always been a ‘stop to smell the roses’ type of person, much to the dislike of some controlling workaholics in my life. It’s me! 🙂 Great ‘wake-up call’ post, Debbie!
https://meinthemiddlewrites.com/2016/10/28/me-in-the-middle-of-writing-flashback/
Glad to know you are enjoying life to the fullest, Mary Lou. 🙂 Work is overrated, in my opinion, too. Although we are still plugging away at it, my husband and I make a concerted effort to enjoy a more hedonistic lifestyle.
I used to work horrendous hours at my job. Most of the time I loved it, but there were definitely times I needed a holiday. Fortunately, going on holiday was encouraged where I worked so I definitely got breaks when needed.
Sounds like your employer was more attuned to the needs of the staff. The standards where I worked were impossible to maintain after the recession hit and so many were let go.
Hello Deb,
I like how you pointed out that we have to decide what is really important in life. Sometimes we decide too late.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat
That’s it exactly, Pat! 🙂 Life is short and we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.
That was such a horrendous end! This story reminds of one of the video of my favorite tracks, “I could be the one,” by Avicii. It’s almost on the same lines but instead of a couple its a woman who decides to chuck her corporate job and enjoy life, just to get hit by a vehicle as she steps out of the office. Such is life, we think we have the time but we don’t. Thanks for reminding me to keep that in mind, Debbi.
That’s it! 🙂 Life is short and meant to be enjoyed. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Thanks for dropping in.
When we decide to live, life gives us a twist. So terrible.
They say, life is what happens while we are busy making plans. Your story certainly supports that supposition… So tragic.
So true, Myke. I’m glad the ending was fictional, at least. 🙂
I’ve often worked long hard hours, but I’ve been happy in my work and the time spent didn’t seem to matter since I liked what I was doing. The story you told is a tragic one, but one of those mysterious ironies of life that seems to come to some people. Very sad really.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
It’s all about balance, in my opinion. If you’re self-employed and/or love what you’re doing that’s one thing. When it starts to feel like you’re missing out on life and serving a jail sentence, then it’s time to reassess. That’s where I was at, at the time.
Ah yes. ..the priorities that need to be set right. Interesting post,Debbie. Like how you used a combination of fiction and fact to make a factional tale with important take aways.
Glad you enjoyed the post, Sid. I’m better at memoir than fiction, so this was a good compromise for me. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Or, as some would say, a permanent vacation for the two!
I wonder if the sudden death would lead them to turn into ghosts though…
Ghosts? There is a classic movie called “Topper” in which that is exactly what happened. 🙂 “Beetlejuice” is another one. Popular theme! Thanks for visiting.
Oh my. True we need to recheck our priorities and live life rather than exist.
Yes, absolutely! I’m happy to be out of that “rat race”, now. 🙂 Thanks for your comment.
That ending was totally unexpected!
A couple of years ago, even my job required me to spend really long hours at work. You couldn’t even talk about taking a day or two off. Glad I quit that job!!
Yes, in the long run, jobs like that are not worth it. Life is short and meant to be enjoyed. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
Congratulations on winning the WriteTribe contest! Nice story. Surprise ending!
Thanks Gary. 🙂 Nice to meet you.
Congragulations!!!!! Am atleast glad that they got to die together… iamgine being the one left behind….
Thanks Meena. Yes, together would best, for sure.
Congrats on your win 🙂 well deserved 🙂
Nice to meet you and thank you! 🙂
A great blog! Congratulations.
The TurtleQueen
Thanks Pauline. It was a lovely surprise. 🙂 Nice to meet you.
Congratulations on the win.
Your story is indeed touching. I am afraid I am almost turning into Danielle. I need to lighten up 🙂
I WAS Danielle! Glad my story made you realize that too, Ava. 🙂 What a lovely surprise to win the contest. All of the other entries were excellent. Thanks for dropping by.
Tragic indeed but definitely interlaced with so much of ‘Food for Thought’
Congratulations for being the winner.
Thanks Preetilata. 🙂 It was such a nice surprise and an honour to win this award!
The ending was very tragic. It just goes to show that we need to live in the moment and take time to enjoy every minute of our lives. We can never say about the future. Congrats Debbie !
Yes, that’s exactly it, Diana! 😀 It was such an honour and a pleasant surprise to win this contest. Thanks.
How sad that her long-awaited vacation was not to be! If only she had taken it earlier. Nice post.
That’s it, exactly, Cynthia! 😀 Work is not everything in life. We must make the most of it before it’s too late. Thanks for visiting.
Tragic, but a valuable lesson to be learned from such a story! Congratulations on winning the Write Tribe contest!
Thank you Roshni. It was a wonderful surprise and such an honour! 😀
Such a great honour! Thank you SO much. 😀
Thanks for entering the contest, Debbie. I so liked how you used shock to drive home an important message!
Glad you liked my entry, Corinne. 🙂 I really enjoyed the challenge of using specific words in a story and would definitely try it again.
I’m so sorry Debbie that you drew from that story of an experience that happened in your life.
You know I preach about this all the time myself that life is too short so enjoy it today because tomorrow isn’t promised. I wish more people would listen because at the end of their lives they’ll regret not having done more. So sad!
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne; Yes, at one time I was mired in a hellish workaholic scenario and am so glad to be out of that now. The older I get, the more I realize life should be enjoyed and not wasted on things that won’t matter in the end. Thanks for visiting and have a great weekend. 🙂
Oh shucks, Debbie! That broke my heart! It built up amazingly until the (anti) climax! 🙂 Good to connect with you!
The ending was shocking, but does illustrate that life is short and we shouldn’t waste it. Thanks for visiting, Vidya. 🙂
So glad you are the winner of the contest! Again, Fantastic post Debbie! Hugs to you!
Thanks Vidya. 😀 Such a lovely surprise and a great honour.
HI…that was excellent…yes it is very easy to get engrossed in work…Balance is key.. and most forgotten..wish Danielle got the holiday and had many more in her life…
All the best.
Thank you Aparna. 🙂 Yes, we never know what’s going to happen in life, so best to make the most of it while we can.
Nicely written …kept me engrossed till the end. All the best for the contest. 🙂
Thank you Rohan. 🙂
There would be no more vacations for Danielle and Mario.
A chilling end. I like how the pace of the story hurtled and then came to a crashing stop.
Thanks Damyanti! I wrote the ending for shock value. We never know what’s going to happen in life, so, we should make the most of it while we can. 🙂
o my!! No more vacations…and it seemed like fun!
You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so, make the most of today, yes? Thanks for dropping by, Patrick. 🙂
OMG!! That’s so bad and sad!
Made for a very engrossing read, though. All the best for the contest, Debbie 🙂
Yes, I wrote that ending for shock value. Enjoy life while you can, because you never know what might happen. Thanks For visiting Shilpa. 🙂
Live for today, don’t bury yourself in work, make sure you have ‘me’ & ‘us’ time or else you’ll may find yourself ‘buried’ before you’ve had a taste of what life has to offer. That’s what came through in your dark tale, Debbie, well told my friend. xxx
Spot on, Penny! Thanks so much for visiting. Apologies that I have been slack in this area lately, but, I’ll be dropping by to get caught up with you soon. Have a great week. 🙂
How true that is. I can remember my father expressing those sentiments after my mothers passing. He so regretted all the extra time he devoted to his career rather than family.
I’m thankful that I was able to stay home and be a full time parent. Guess that would be my chosen career. : )
I think many people, (including me in those days), lose sight of what’s really important in life. The older I get, the more I subscribe to the “life is short, do it now” mantra. Your kids were so lucky, Linda to have a full time Mom at home. Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend. 🙂
I am pretty sure kids appreciate it now, not so sure they did then though….that’s so true about getting older and realizing time is getting shorter and shorter, so we need to do those things now…
Thanks for sharing so I could visit…. :))
What an awful ending! Good luck with the contest. Unfortunately, this is the way of the world, ie., cut positions so that those left have double the work, yet expect higher productivity. I don’t get to travel nearly enough these days. Seeing what happened, maybe that’s a good thing.
Hi Joyce; I know it’s a bad end, but I wrote that for shock value, to drive home the point that one never knows what’s going to happen in life, so we should “go for the gusto” before it’s too late. People die every day, but, that shouldn’t deter anyone from doing what they want to do. Thanks for visiting and have a good weekend. 🙂
The ending shocked me a bit but your point about not making work your life is very well portrayed.
Dropping by from the write tribe contest.
I did write the ending for shock value, to drive home the point that you never know what might happen in life, so, “go for the gusto” whenever possible. Thanks for visiting Suzy. 🙂
Congrats Debbie on winning the contest.
Thanks Suzy! What a lovely surprise and such an honour. 😀
Hi Debbie
Although fictional as you say, but it is also very real.
I am glad they laid me off, the money was tighter because of it and there is no vacations now. But I know the stress of taking any time off, for the issues I would comeback to. Not any fun the last few years I was there. But it is sad how much of ourselves we give away to someone else for them to make a tremendous amount of money.
Also knowing that one thing can change everything. Like to stay home on the holidays for that reason (being the 4th today).
Mary
Your past situation sounds very similar to mine, Mary The accident and character’s names are fictional, but the rest is an accurate portrayal of my life in the late ’80s. When my job disappeared too, it was somewhat of a relief as I was suffering from severe burnout. “It is sad how much of ourselves we give away to someone else for them to make a tremendous amount of money.” Spot on! Thanks for visiting and Happy 4th of July to you. 🙂
Whoa! If you want to look at it optimistically, at least she won’t have to worry about her desk being somewhat overloaded when she gets back to it…Makes you almost not want to ever go on a vacation… :3
Haha! There is that, Mary, but I was trying to drive the point home that we shouldn’t make work our entire focus. Balance is the key to happiness, yes? Thanks for dropping by and Happy 4th of July to you! 🙂
That was a sad ending.
All the best for the contest Debbie.
Thanks Bhavya. A sad ending but a good lesson, yes?
Awww…that was very sad for Danielle and Mario. Never felt that such a healthy beginning will end up in a tragedy. Felt sad. Realistically written. Good Job.
Sad for them and a good lesson for us all. Life is short; make the most of it, yes? Thanks for visiting Sreedev. I enjoyed your story as well. Good luck!