FF – First World Problems
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Sarah Potter.
I came up blank this week. I don’t do well when there’s nothing hilarious in the photo. So here’s a story which makes some sort of statement. Or whatever.
Copyright Sarah Potter
Snowflakes fluttered down through the darkness, silent, gentle, already a centimetre deep. The people of England were beginning to panic.
“How will I get to work?”
“The kids’ school is half a mile away! What will we do?”
“What if we run out of food?”
“This is a DISASTER!”
Half a world away Amira dodged through an underpass to avoid the roving gangs, bread clutched to her chest. Gunfire sounded, but a few streets over. She took a chance and raced across the square into her half-collapsed bedsit.
Home safe, food for the babies. Today had been a good day.
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draliman on life 
Quite a statement made here… a powerful statement, indeed! Great Write!
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Thanks 🙂 I’m glad you liked it.
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All about perspective.
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Yep. I feel like the world has ended if my internet connection resets.
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LOL Me too.
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One person’s one centimetre of snow is another’s fight for survival…
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Indeed.
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Great contrast. I saw two very different scenarios yet also the connection between them. Well written.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Nice take and well said!
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Thanks 🙂
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The contrast presented was stunning.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Well done! I agree, powerful statement!
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Thanks, glad you liked it!
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A great statement, and one I often shout at the news on television more bluntly when the top story is how bad weather has made travel difficult for Londoners to get to work! 🙂
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Yes, the poor little lambs 🙂
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I agree
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Thanks 🙂
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Oh, I so totally agree!
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🙂
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Excellent! We really have no idea about what it means to go without
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Thanks! For me, “without” means the internet went down and I can’t watch Netflix. Not really life-threatening.
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For some (like the elevator scene in the movie You’ve Got Mail) it’s a broken fingernail
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I, too, live in a world where a centimeter of snow leads to chaos. I love the contrast, you set our privileged drama into perspective. Great stuff.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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[Curmudgeonly voice]Now let me tell you something, Amira…. back in MY DAY, we had to duck into underpasses, avoid gangs and gunfire, AND do it all while trudging through 50 centimetres of snow just to bring the bread home for the young whippernsappers! And we didn’t complain about it, ya hear? Now, did you remember to pick up my fiber suppliment, or are you gonna have to go back out into the mean streets and get it for your poor decrepit Grandpa?[/Curmudgeonly voice]
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[whiny voice]Aw Grandpa, I’m only 6 years old and someone did just let off a nuke next door[/whiny voice]
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Dear Ali,
The mere threat of snow throws Kansas City into a panic. Bread and milk fly off the grocery shelves as if we’re going to be snowed in for a month. Your story puts everything into perspective. Very well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
It’s been several years since we had snow down here, but I go into a panic regarding driving and so on. I keep thinking “a few more weeks and we’ll be safe for another year…”
I’m glad you liked my story!
Ali
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No snow to speak of this year here either. It has been more like spring this week. However, when I was working and driving 50 miles a day, I would be chief among the panicked. I thought when I retired I’d stand at my window and revel in not having to drive in it. So far there’s been no reason to revel.
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Cornwall is very hilly – I’m not sure I’d even make it off my quite steep driveway!
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It certainly does make a statement! Great story!
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Thanks! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Very powerful and sadly very true. Fantastic work!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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I think you captured the idea quite well. A nice change of pace for you. Great as always, Ali.
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Thanks. I did think of a comedy later on but it was nearly bedtime 🙂
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This reminds me of “snow days” while I lived in the south of the United States. I watched people panic about snow that wasn’t even sticking to the ground. It was quite strange… often humorous… and to many times, dangerous… since it seemed that everyone forgot how to drive.
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That’s a bit like here. We only get snow which actually sticks about once a decade. I dread the thought of driving in the stuff.
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That was darkly funny, because that is how the Brits often carry on! One leaf on a rail track and all the trains are cancelled. That photo was taken from my front garden. You can see how hilly it is. People start trying to drive their cars at the first sight of snow and end up skidding all over the place, unable to get up the hill again after they’ve been out shopping, stocking up for the siege. It always gives me a huge laugh. You would think that they’d never heard of snow boots and rucksacks and walking to fetch the things they really need.
That being said, I think that in Amira’s situation, they would alter their focus and survive because they had to.
You have done admirably, contrasting the two, despite saying that you came up a blank.
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I worry about driving in snow myself – I’d still have to get to work nearly 20 miles away. Fortunately it hasn’t snowed here since 2010 or whenever that “big freeze” was in the UK.
I’m glad you enjoyed my story! I did have trouble thinking of something this week, though it’s a very pretty photo 🙂
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Yes, driving to work can be a nightmare. I remember many years ago when my quickest route to work was over the South Downs, via Devil’s Dyke. Sometimes in the winter, it was a bit like going on a switchback ride in a dodgem car! I am lucky now, as any work I do is from home.
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I flew home to England and dire warnings of a severe storm, your story is so apt. Well done
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Thanks! No snow here, just a lot of wind.
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I love this Ali! The shift is so powerfully done. Us Brits have it easy.
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I’m glad you liked it! We live in a very safe place, all things considered.
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We do.
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Why we worry about a little bit of snow I don’t know. Celebrate it, build a snowman. If you are struck by a snowball just think how you lucky you are that’s all it is.
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True, it could be something so much worse. Anything which interrupts our cosy little lives gets blown out of all proportion sometimes.
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We have food, we have shelter. It’s indeed a good day. We forget that too often.
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We just take it all for granted.
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Other people’s troubles should put our own into perspective more often – excellently done.
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Thanks. We should remember how lucky we are.
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Nicely done. I love the contrast and the reminder.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Puts everything in perspective.
DJ
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It does.
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This is what you call drawing a blank? It’s fantastic!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it! I wanted to write a comedy, though. I like to make myself laugh 🙂
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There’s always next time. You cannot be funny ALL the time, you know. 😉
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🙂
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Ah yes. In this world there are wars, bullets flying, bombs exploding, violent roving gangs — and inconvenient weather. I really like your take on the prompt.
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Darn that inconvenient weather. I’m glad you liked my story!
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Yeah. If it’s making my life miserable right now that’s what really counts, right?
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Contrasts. I like it! We can cry and moan about our circumstances only to realize others can have it tougher. Good job, Ali!
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Thanks, we’re very lucky indeed.
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Great write! A really apt comparison. Of course we know which one is really the disaster.
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We do. I’m glad you liked it!
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I did 🙂
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A good day… yes for some it means to survive… for others the smallest nuisance is a disaster.
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Some people need to get some perspective.
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a change of perspective will go a long way. well done.
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It will. I’m glad you liked it!
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The stark contrast drives the point home well.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Very nicely put.
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Thank you 🙂
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Good to keep us humble.
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Yep.
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Wow, that really hits home. We in the ‘west’ have things so easy compared to some parts of the world. As for England and snow- we do make a terrible fuss, even though many parts of the country rarely see a snowflake! A great job out of a prompt that didn’t inspire you. 😀
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I’m glad you liked it! We need a bit of perspective sometimes 🙂
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