Thursday December 13th, 2012

The exercise:

Write about: debt.

Today managed to pass quite quickly without too much of note actually happening. That seems to be occurring a lot lately.

Mine:

Shawn was not a fastidious man. It seemed as though there was not a favour he would not agree to do, nor a person in his town he was not willing to do it for. He could be counted on to lend a helping hand at any hour of the day, with no apparent consideration of himself.

"Thanks man, I owe you one!"

How many times had he heard that? How many times have you or I heard it?

But the difference between Shawn and us is that he took that casual phrase very, very seriously.

You see, his office at home held a large red book in one of its dark corners. And in this book Shawn kept precise, detailed notes of all the favours he had performed and who he had done them for. No held door was omitted, no carried grocery bag forgotten.

It took many years, but eventually Shawn had the name of every townsperson inscribed in his book. Real, physical proof of all that he had done for those people. His day had come at last.

One might be surprised to learn how much can be accomplished when an entire town is in your debt.