I was lounging in the backyard, thinking pure thoughts about the world at large. All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like a police whistle, and a guy who looked like the McDonald’s Hamburgerler jumped over the fence and landed flat-footed in front of me. “May I help you?” I said. His eyes tightened, and I could see him turn red behind the mask. “You have a gun?” he responded. I told him I didn’t have a gun, but he could borrow my shovel. He burst out laughing and handed me an envelope. He then jumped back over the fence, and I heard more noise, then silence.
I opened the envelope, and here is what was inside written on the back of a canceled cashier’s check.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “hope.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
The check was for a million dollars and since it was canceled, all hope for the Bentley Turbo Convertable went out the window.
If you would like to have fun go to Linda Hill’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2021/07/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-july-10-2021/
Hope by John W. Howell © 2021
“Hey bud, what’s going on?”
“Saturday prompt.”
“Ah, another stumper?”
“No, this one is easy.”
“Like the bartender asked the horse, why the long face?”
“It is a word that can describe optimism or pessimism depending on how it is used.”
“Humm sounds like when my beer glass is empty.”
“I’m serious. I have a tough time choosing which.”
“Why not both? Then you can call whatever this is a treatise.”
“That is a good idea. The word is hope.”
“OMG, something you need a lot of for sure.”
“Uh..okay. Anyway, the word hope can mean looking forward with the optimism that things will get better.”
“Or?”
“When someone declares there is no hope, it pretty much means things will stay the same or get worse.”
“So you going to give an example of each?”
“Humm. How about I’m out of money, and very thirsty.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I hope some nice guy will stand me to a beer.”
“Yeah, I hope you are right.”
“Wait a minute that was your cue.”
“I don’t want you to lose hope, but I have no money either.”
“A perfect storm and example of no hope.”
“Wait, there is hope yet. I can put the beer on my tab at the Purple Octopus.”
“Gosh I hate that place.”
“But it offers us hope to quench our thirst.”
“Better hope than no hope I guess. Let’s go.”
“By the way. Don’t use their glasses.”
“This gets better and better.”
“Order a bottle and don’t take any of the bar nuts.”
“My hope for a happy ending is now fading.”
“Don’t touch your face until we get hand sanitizer.”
“Hope is gone.”
“Maybe but still there’s beer.”
“There is that.”
Fiction Favorites 
[…] I think it’s my week to pay, would you bring me a John Howell’s special and pull a cold Corona out for Dan, I think I saw him pulling […]
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The Purple Octopus sounds like a real dive.
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haha, John, Set up those beers!
Hope to me is a girl in 9th grade who cheated off my test sheet.
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Hahahaha. I love this, GP. Great idea for a story. Also, I wish I had asked the question, “What does hope mean to you?” I think some answers would be pretty entertaining. The girl who cheated off mine was Marylyn. 😊
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😏
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Ah, the things we do for beer. Good job with the prompt, John. I think there’s hope for you yet.
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Thank you, Dan. I hope never to disappoint. 😁 See you at the bar.
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You never do, John.
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Aw. You are a mench. 😊
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Lol! Perfect! Great job, John. Happy Saturday!
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Happy Saturday to you, Jill * Sung to the tune of*Still the One by Orleans https://youtu.be/XrPnBkjdaFM
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One of my favorites! 🙂
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Mine too.
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When all is lost, there is always beer. Nice one Sheriff.
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Thank you, Marc. 😊
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Gosh, I can’t remember when I was last in a bar. I think I was too young and stupid to notice much of anything. See what your story did? Great story, John, accompanied by smiles and memories. Have a great weekend!
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I can’t remember when I was last in a bar. Maybe that’s why I haven’t been going to bars. Thanks, Gwen. I’m glad I could conger a memory for you. “You come here often?” Best line yet.
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I love the method of delivery for your prompt! And as for hope … I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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I hope you do as well, Jill.
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Love the ending of this one.
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Thank you, Charles.
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They need to up their game so they don’t have to deal with dives like the Purple Octopus!! All hope will not be lost then 😉
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Good point. There is hope yet. 😊
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😁😉
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At least you had pure thoughts about the world at large. That’s hopeful. Alcohol is like hand sanitizer for your insides. Have another one on that guy’s tab.
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Yeah, Good idea.
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Hope is what keeps us going when all looks bleak. Great job, John!
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😊
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😀 Great fun with this prompt, John! Cheers!
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It was fun Deborah. Thank you.
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Great use of the prompt, John. Hilarious and both sides of the hope coin too.
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Thank you, Robbie.
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Good one, John:)
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Thanks, Denise. 😊
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Lol, John! Good one!! All hope is gone… 🙂
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Thank you, Jan
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Great take on the prompt, John, and I love how you used both mindsets.:) I hope you have a great rest of the week!
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Thank you, Lauren. 😁
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Your SOCS opening paragraphs keep getting better and better. Hope is you, on the upside. Well done, John.
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Thank you, Jennie.
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You’re welcome, John.
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