The soul that lies in art is shared between the creator and the consumer. Most art, the consumption is not to destruction, and many can partake of the same feast. No artist can constrain the consumption, however, every participant in their artwork will have a subtly or profoundly different experience, because it is shared, not a sole pronouncement of their creative intent. It cannot be, no matter how much they would like that.
| Prod | Stick | Prodded |
| Leigh Kimmel | Sometimes you’re just as happy you missed out. | nother Mike |
| Becky Jones | The sunrise was accompanied by a sparkling rain of flowers. | Cedar Sanderson |
| Fiona Grey | The wine was filled with curses. | Becky Jones |
| nother Mike | When the new cars started reporting every traffic violation by email, no one seemed to know how to handle the problem… | Leigh Kimmel |
| Padre | “Thunder and lightning split the sky, then the rain started pouring down.” | Fiona Grey |
| Cedar Sanderson | He was flying a Martin Maryland bomber | Padre |
Ergo, there is no soulless art. It is, instead, a dance of two souls, approaching, withdrawing, and moved by the interaction. We are affected by it, even if that effect on our self is repulsion. Only in understanding the reaction can we understand the art.
| Spare | When the temple bells ring… |
| Spare | Where there’s smoke, there’s usually something wrong… |
| Spare | “Assume that I am a willing, very powerful, idiot. I will do whatever you command. But I will do what I believe you mean, which might not be at all what you actually mean.” |
| Spare | Who dyed the swans in Central Park black? |
| Spare | It’s the hammer of justice… who will swing it? |
Time to dance. Take the lead, and the rest will follow.
More Odds Than Ends 
Leigh Kimmel prodded with this stick…
Sometimes you’re just as happy you missed out.
[ what the heck, I asked ChatGPT to suggest five ideas based on that. Here’s the response…
Here are five ideas based on the prompt “Sometimes you’re just as happy you missed out”:
1. **The Reunion That Never Happened**: A character contemplates missing their high school reunion, imagining the awkward encounters and forced conversations they avoided. As the night unfolds, they receive messages from friends who attended, revealing the drama and secrets that surfaced, making the character relieved they stayed home.
2. **The Job Offer Declined**: A professional reflects on the prestigious job offer they turned down due to a gut feeling. Years later, they learn the company faced scandals and mass layoffs, making them thankful for the path they chose instead.
3. **The Missed Flight**: A traveler narrowly misses a flight due to unexpected delays. Frustrated at first, they later discover that the flight experienced severe turbulence or an emergency landing, turning their annoyance into relief.
4. **The Concert That Got Canceled**: A group of friends misses out on buying tickets to a highly anticipated concert. Initially disappointed, they later hear about how the event was a disaster—poor sound, overcrowding, and bad weather—leaving them glad they weren’t part of the chaos.
5. **The Relationship That Never Was**: A character looks back on a potential romantic relationship that never blossomed. They later learn about the person’s troubling habits or personality traits, feeling a sense of relief that things didn’t work out as they once hoped.
Not bad, right? Something to think about…]
He ran downhill towards the bus stop. He could see the bus already there, and the three people climbing on. But, of course, the door closed and the bus pulled out while he was still yards away.
He stopped, raised his fist and shook it, taking deep breaths. That’s when it happened.
The truck swung across the road and hit the bus head on. The screech as the two slid sideways was loud and long.
The silence afterward almost seemed to ring in his ears. His chin dropped as he stared at the wreckage. Then he shook his head and started to run again. There were probably passengers needing help in that mess. Hopefully it wouldn’t catch fire.
A minute before, he was angry that he missed the bus. Now? Sometimes you’re just as happy you missed out.
[there’s a quicky that I think reflects the thought…]
LikeLiked by 3 people
I like it. Showing how one can use AI to get ideas, and then taking it in a completely different direction from any one of them.
And I liked how your protagonist runs in to help at the end (although I hope he does take a moment to make a 911 call to get professional first responders on the scene). When seconds count, even a random person with some first aid training can make a big difference.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fiona gave me a wine challenge…
https://professorornery.substack.com/p/wine-tasting
LikeLiked by 3 people
oh, and this sounds like a setup for the next part, where the friends try to deal with the cursed bottle of wine, along with wondering just how it got in there… fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I selected a spare for this week: https://acyoungauthor.substack.com/p/wedding-at-iliopol.
PS: Since I was away I scheduled an unpublished short story on my substack across the last two Fridays. Feel free to have a read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] Thanks to Padre and a storm at Wind Cave National Park for the inspiration for this one! My prompt went to Becky, who’ll explore a cursed vintage…check it and more out over at MOTE! […]
LikeLike
watch out for prairie dogs!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And now mine is up on my LiveJournal at https://starshipcat.livejournal.com/1576601.html. It’s fun to look at events in the backstory of the Chaffee Artilect ‘verse.
LikeLike
our new car persists in sending me email every time I park and leave the windows down a bit (hey, the weather is hot, I want them down a bit!). Which suggested that the next step would be having the car complain about traffic violations… and you’ve done a great job working it in! Thanks!
LikeLike
Unfortunately, I didn’t get anything written tonight. But it was because I was working on the first draft of a cover for my poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person