Break It Up

When I got home, I scrolled through the news items suggested by an app on my phone. Stories from both ends of the political spectrum predicted everything we held dear was likely to dissolve the next day, by the weekend at the latest.  

NPR repeated a story confirming we were all going to hell in a hand basket. They described how Hellbound Handbaskets of Ohio had gone bankrupt.  The once thriving town of Hellbound, named for the town’s biggest employer, had been reduced to a liquor store, a vape shop, and a check cashing/laundromat/convenience store. The baskets were now made from lead paint and asbestos by child laborers in a volcanic cave somewhere overseas.

I scrolled down to a video of a tiny kitten trying to get a huge dog to play.  The kitten swatted the dog’s paws, got no response, then took a swipe at his nose.  The dog pushed the kitten away and rolled over. The kitten attacked the dog’s tail, and again got no response. Finally, the kitten gave up and curled into a ball between the dog’s jaw and neck.

I watched the short video twice. I wasn’t slipping into the escapism of my drinking days. Having read the news of the day, it was time for a break.

Today I will take a break.

Burnout Training ©2018 by Ken Montrose

Burnout Training is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/