Both Geneva and Argelès-sur-mer were windy for today's Free Write. Julia was in Geneva. Rick and D-L were in the south of France. We managed to do it at the same time more or less, still not as much fun as together, but a spur to our individual creativity. The prompt was the name Thomas. The word doubt(ing) popped up for all three of us.
D-L's Free Write
Sixty-seven year old Thomas Masters Sullivan hated his name. He always had from his mother calling "Tommy-Baby" to his dad's "Tom-Tom." The neighborhood bully, Jason March started calling him Pom-Pom, which had stuck through high school graduation.
At unversity, he thought of using his middle name, but who wanted to be named for a golf tournament? He settled on T.M. Sullivan although sometimes people called him Tim.
T.M. had a career as a thriller writer. He made sure his full name was never on any cover and never discussed.
After a doctor told him his time was limited to months, he ordered his tombstone with T.M. Sullivan and his birthdate. "Someone will get back to you with the other date," he told the carver.
Now he was waiting for his publicist to work on his death announcement.
Part of him wondered if sometime in the future a Ph.D. student would dig up his full name.
He doubted he could control that.
Julia's Free Write
His mind was seething – a totally mixed up mumble/jumble of thoughts.
Did he want to do this, or that? Or should he let it go?
This, of course will not help a reader to understand what is going on – and that’s ok. Do we always need to understand everything we hear or see?
One thing was very clear: there was a total lack of motivation, an absence of any drive, and not a shade of ambition.
Would it be a major accomplishment? A piece of art? A story that would be translated or go down in history?
Or would it only be something that upon his leaving the world as he knew it, to be thrown in the trash along with everything else that he had accumulated, seen by no one, cherished by none?
Well, time to get a start – on something, anything. This going around in circles certainly was not productive, was it? See, yet again a question. That seemed to be his current life.
Again, his mind darted in all directions as he contemplated the possibilities. To do, or not to do.
Only a doubting Thomas could face the challenge – and Thomas he was!
Rick's Free Write
Who / what comes to mind?
Thomas the Tank Engine, with whom my grandson played for hours. Thomas’s friends were James and Percy, and I forget the girl engine’s name.
Thomas Aquinas, Catholic saint, though I don’t know why.
Tom Thumb.
Tom Selleck.
Tom Hanks.
Tom ‘Terrific’ Seaver, NY Mets Hall of Fame pitcher.
Danny Thomas.
Marlo Thomas.
Tom (cat), frenemy of Jerry (mouse)
Tom, a friend in school, last name forgotten.
Tom, who worked for me as an artist, vacationed in Alaska, and stayed.
Tom Weiskopf, golfer.
Tom Watson, another golfer.
Justin Thomas, another golfer.
Doubting Thomas, Jesus’s disciple.
Thomas the car dealer who speaks some English and who sold me the car I hate.
Thomas Jefferson.
It’s not a name that suggests stature or fame. Thomases have been mostly supporting cast in the theatre of history. At least the history I have learned.
A somewhat ordinary name, though I’m sure not to them. Or their mothers.
Tom-tom, a drum.
Thomasina, a Disney cat.
I’m reaching the limit of my memory.
Julia has written and taken photos all her life and loves syncing up with friends. Her blog can be found: https://viewsfromeverywhere.blogspot.com/
Rick is an aviation journalist and publisher of www.aviationvoices. com His book, the Robot in the Simulator about AI in aviation is in production.
D-L has had 17 fiction and non fiction books published. Check out her website at: https://dlnelsonwriter.com Her non-fiction book 300 Unsung Women and the anthology The Corporate Virgin are at the publishers.
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