Is there a big scarlet ‘L’ on my chest for “LOSER”?

Everyone is staring at me. I didn’t change, so why is everything so different?

Maybe I did change.  After all I’ve become the poster-child for a bad country song.

I lost my dog.

Hit by a car when she slipped out of her collar.  My ex swears it was an accident, but he never put that collar on tight enough.

I lost my man.

Of course, my sister would tell me that I shouldn’t call that bad news. The eternal optimist (and champion defender/big sister) in her would see fit to remind me that he was an ass.  That he cheated on me, stole money from me and was in general emotionally abusive.

I lost my job.

I worked in journalism. Newspapers are folding all over the place, don’t you know?  I’ve been searching for a new job, but with this economy and the job market?  I’m waitressing at the greasy spoon down the corner. Making a whopping twenty bucks a night in tips. Did I mention greasy spoon? The place is a dive and no one comes in. I don’t expect to keep that job long either. Way my luck is going the health inspector will shut it down.

I lost my house.

Okay, it was an apartment, but still.  It blew up. Yes. Seriously.  Turns out my neighbors two floors up were cooking meth.  Whole place went up in smoke. Oh yes, as my sister cheerfully reminds me – at least I wasn’t in it, right?

“It’s a time for renewal!  You get to start with a clean slate! Emerge like a butterfly!” I swear my sister is risking getting knocked in the teeth when she says that. I mean, really.

I’m 35. Who the hell wants to start over at 35?

*~*~*~*~*

In turn, I had to hand over my challenge, and it went to R.L.W. Head on over to see what this inspired (I love it, BTW):

Twenty years have passed. Time has flown, but nothing has changed.  The ghosts are lingering, and have gathered the strength to answer your questions.

Join the Indie Ink challenge…it’s great – you never know what you’re going to get!!