Jim the Janitor

“WAG #10: The Professional” As we go through our days, we’re surrounded by people doing everyday jobs: the guy that reads the gas meter, cashiers, bank tellers, security guards, doctors, circus clowns… This week, your assignment is to observe someone doing a job (their profession should be one you don’t know that much about). Describe him/her and also what they’re doing, why they’re doing it (as best you can tell), and how. Feel free to use your imagination, but don’t forget the concrete observation! Special thanks to Lulu for this week’s topic idea!
Post the results on your blog, and read this post about the group for information on how to notify me so your post will be properly included in next week’s list. (Note, please include WAG #10 in the subject heading and tell me how you want your name to appear please!) Deadline: next Tuesday, May 5th.


I pushed the small button by the door. There was a beep, then the call from the office. "Yes, what do you need?"
"Can I get a janitor in my room? I had a kid with a nose bleed and there are drops of blood on the floor."
"Sure. I'll call Jim. He'll be right up."
I directed all the students to the sides of the room. They must avoid the blood at all costs. No one was allowed to walk through the center aisle.

Where was Jim? What was taking him so long? Didn't he realize there were biological contaminents on the floor and we could all be infected?

Jim came to the room dressed in a blue T-shirt and pair of navy work pants. It seemed like an eternity, but in reallity, he only took a few a minutes to make it upstairs. About time I thought.
I expected the man to carry a spray bottle of industrial strength disinfectant, masks, gloves anything to eliminate the problem. Where was the arsenal of supplies to protect us?

He sauntered in. "What's the problem? Oh just a few drops." He grabbed his bottle of clorox spray. The kind I use to clean my kitchen counters. He spritzed the splatters on the floor and wiped them away with a few paper towels. "Okay have a nice one." He left as quickly as he came. Probably on to the next dirty task.

The elusive Jim. I rarely see him in the halls. But when I do, I always say "Hi." He's been in my classroom a few times. He cleaned up the vomit a few months back. He was quick to swipe away the grafitti tagged by the mysterious one called Laser.

But who is Jim? We rely on him. Our school has never been cleaner, nor the bathrooms so fresh. The man that tackles life's daily problems with a smile, while the rest of us shriek in abject fear and disgust. How we appreciate the niceties we have while never thinking about the man that makes it happen.

Jim the janitor.

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Marsha

WAG #9 Something Appealing is now disgusting.

“WAG #9: Warning!” Last week the topic was to make something ugly sound beautiful, so this time let’s do the opposite! Choose an unfamiliar object (in other words, one you have no history with) that strikes you as beautiful, appealing, or somehow desirable etc… some ideas might be: a child, a sunset, an attractive shop window, a scenic view, a piece of art, an appetising meal in a restaurant… and write about it in such as way as to make it unappealing or even disgusting, frightening or repulsive to your reader. If you did last week’s topic as well (Rose Colored Glasses) I’d be very interested to know which of these was harder for you!
Post the results on your blog, and read this post about the group for information on how to notify me so your post will be properly included in next week’s list. (Note, please include WAG #8 in the subject heading and tell me how you want your name to appear please!) Deadline: next Tuesday, April 28th.


Something appealing that is now disgusting:

The blood pooled around the carcass. Raw carnage charred and singed along the edges leaving dark blackened marks. Knife hacked and sawed. Flesh was torn from flesh piece by piece. One chunk at a time smeared through the blood, lifted dripping, sopping. Hunks of fat tossed away to the side, spit out, unwanted. My dinner, steak medium rare, the way I like it.

When The One You Love Doesn't Love You

“A mighty pain to love it is,
And 'tis a pain that pain to miss;
But of all pains, the greatest pain
It is to love, but love in vain.”
Abraham Cowley

Why do we do it? We always want what we can't have. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I have been throwing around the idea of creating a character that is involved in a one sided relationship. She can't see the beauty of her true love because she is in love with someone who doesn't love her back.
There are many poems on the subject. Greek and Roman myths have been made about the topic. Many novels and classics were written about it.

Unrequited Love

“Love, unrequited, robs me of my rest:
Love, hopeless love, my ardent soul encumbers:
Love, nightmare-like, lies heavy on my chest,
And weaves itself into my midnight slumbers!”
William S. Gilbert

Have you ever been in love with someone who doesn't return the same feelings? Or was it reversed. Did someone love you, but you could't love them back? I'm sure most people have been in both situations.
I am not talking about my internal love affair with Brad Pitt. Let's be honest. How could Brad possibly love me back when we've never met? He doesn't know I even exist. No, I'm taliking about true unrequitted love. The type where there might be a chance for love but the feelings aren't recipricated.

Look at some of the classics about unrequited love:
Cyrano de Bergerac-Cyrano loves Roxanne but only from afar. His looks won't allow him to get closer.

The Phantom of the Opera-The phantom loves Christine. But again he is disfugured. She is in love with another.

Hunchback of Notre Dame-Quasimodo loves the sweet and beautiful Esmeralda.

Wuthering Heights-Heathcliff and Catherine grow up together. But they come from different worlds. Catherine can never be with Heathcliff because it would be beneath her to marry him.

There seems to be a running theme in each of these stories: The men love the beautiful women, but the love is not returned. The men are disfigured, or not worthy enough for the women.
It also begs the question: Do men love more romantically than women? I don't think so. It will be interesting to create a female character that loves someone who doesn't love her back.

The Love Affair Begins

I have always been interested in romace novels. My biggest dream was to write one of my own. Well, I have finally decided to take the plunge. In the past few months I have jumped head first into my dream. I feel like I have been on a writers crash course. And I am loving every minute.
I have joined the Romance Writers of America. Through the RWA I have become a member for two Chicagoland chapters. Through these chapters I have met wonderful people who have been welcoming and very helpful. My book is well on its way. Each day I become more and more excited with my story and my writing.
My love affair has begun.