A big thank you to
Fear of Monkeys for publishing my short story 'Zoology.'
http://twinenterprises.com/the_fear_of_monkeys/issue_twentyeight/index.htm
Julia called her friend Marianne early on a Tuesday morning. It was half-price day at the
Zoo and Julia really wanted to get some walking exercise, but not by herself. Marianne
balked for quite a while, but finally conceded to go once Julia told her that "that cute guy"
Brian was probably going to be there at some point.
Upon entering the zoo, Marianne took her phone from her purse and declared to Julia that
she absolutely must see, right now, what Kim was wearing today. So she missed the
peacock standing in front of her with his tail fanned, and she missed his shrill peacock cry.
Walking on another path, Marianne told Julia that there was a new game on her phone and
she must play it right now in order to be one of the first people to have that experience.
Therefore, she was oblivious to the baby chimps to her right who had just discovered the
game of tag.
Later that morning, they stopped for coffee at the little café within the perimeter of the Zoo.
From her chair, Julia had a good look around at all the pretty landscaping while Marianne
stayed on her phone catching up on emails.
Mid afternoon, Marianne proclaimed that her favorite artist had just dropped a new tune
and that she must hear it right now. So, while Marianne listened to the thumping beat,
people stood nearby mesmerized by a group of exotic birds singing. This was a rare and
beautiful event performed by these birds. Many of the people present, truly moved, had
visible tears on their faces as they realized the significance of what they were observing.
On their way out of the zoo, Marianne announced to Julia that she must, right now, watch
the latest video of a public marriage proposal that had taken place in a stadium. "It doesn't
get any more romantic than that," she sighed. And as she watched the small screen, she
neither saw nor heard "that cute guy" Brian waving and calling to her across the path.
Out the exit the two went.
On the way home, as Julia drove, Marianne cooed that she felt such a sense of accomplishment
about today as she simultaneously re-tweeted this: "Take time every day to peacefully appreciate
the beauty in the world around you."
Creating "Zoology"
Let me tell you about tis sometime when I can put my phone down. 😀
Afterthoughts for "Zoology"
The truth is, we're all cyborgs with cell phones and online identities.
Geoff Johns
Cell phones, mobile e-mail, and all the other cool and slick gadgets can cause massive losses in our creative output and overall productivity.
Robin S. Sharma
How absurd that our students tuck their cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPads, and iPods into their backpacks when they enter a classroom and pull out a tattered textbook.
Eli Broad
