Two Short Stories Alaa Othman   © Copyright 2022 by Alaa Othman

Writing is not something I tend to do every day. I mean, I wish but I don’t. Although I have written “writing a crime fiction novel” on my bucket list a long time ago and I’m pretty sure I will write it one day. Now I believe writing has many more shapes than writing an academic essay. Having a diary is some sort of writing. Having one or two best friends that I can text and open to them is also a style of writing.

Writing is not something common in our society. We have doctors, lawyers, and engineers but no writers. A father would tell his son, you want to have a fortune, you must study medicine. Imagine if the son told his dad I want to be a writer and take classes every day to become a great writer one day! Yup you have guessed it! He would have talked him out of it and that is because in our society we value money and being a writer won’t make him a millionaire. In addition, we value other people's opinions and maybe that is why I don’t write much because I won’t have the chance to live my dream. Because we are in a trap, I can’t just change the pattern and be different! Even though I know deep down it’s going to be a big failure for me. I remember a relative once told me you don’t study what you love, you study what makes money and when I tried to argue his point, he used the famous last words: ``You're too young to know what is best for you”

If I somehow become a successful writer against all odds of course, everyone will start to cheer for me and start to say it was a great decision that I followed my heart and achieved my glorious purpose in life. Once I’m outside the trap, everything I went through was God's will or in a simpler way I got lucky. However, if I failed the “I told you so, you should have worked harder and my favorite one no one will marry you now!” will start to take place in my life and maybe that’s why I don’t write much.
Many people say that writing is hard because they cannot come up with ideas. For me I never faced that problem, Writing is one of my strong suits. All I need is a topic and something to write with and… yeah, a dictionary! I know right! Who spells all the English words correctly? I’m working on it and with a little bit of patience, one day things will be superb.

One thing that helped me to write is imaging scenarios in my life. Then I start to think and write what should I say if that happened? What would that person do if he or she had been there? By doing those things I end up looking up new vocabulary to fit my imaginary story. I have always felt that I am very good at telling stories. That is why most of the time when I write anything I tend to make it as If I am telling a story. I enjoy writing that way.

Writing is important to me because with writing I can express things more easily. It helps me to think twice about something before making any decision. It helps me to keep track of the things I must do. Whenever I make a to do list, I control my day and I achieve so many goals that day.
I might work one day as an editor or proofreader. I like to read other people's pieces of writing. It helps me to understand how this person thinks. I love to analyze how people think and act. In addition, I always learn something new when I read other people’s thoughts.

In the end here I am 1:11 am after midnight proofreading and editing my assessment for Doctor Christina’s class, instead I could have been sleeping from 10 pm. You know what? Forget about everything I said, I am going to sleep.

Let me tell you how my glasses and I met a long time ago. Well, it all started the day I was born. I was born with two eyes, but I only saw with one — the left one — neither the doctors nor my parents noticed that until I was three. I was trying to open the door by pulling the handle down - just in case you don’t know how to open a door- so we could leave, and I missed it three times. After that I went to the Optometrist who diagnosed me with myopia.

I can’t remember how I felt when I bought my first glasses, but I can remember the color of it. It was red! My favorite color. As years went by, my glasses became a part of who I am. We had a great relationship. I wear my glasses all the time and I only take them off when I go to sleep or I take a shower. Like any relationship, we had ups and downs. There were those days that I wished I had never worn glasses because glasses are like babies; you must clean them so many times and protect them.

Changing the frame of my glasses was another story. Every time I wanted to see myself in new glasses my old glasses started to shout at me: “After all we have been through!! I knew you would cheat on me! All men are the same. I hate you!” Then I replied: “Oh please! You still are the most beautiful glasses that I have ever seen! It replied: “You lying son of a…” and before it continued, this conversation was interrupted by the seller with his deep voice: “Excuse me, Sir do you want the blue glasses or the red one?”

With all that being said, my glasses had never chosen me. I chose them by accepting my destiny to be the boy with four eyes. God! I used to hate it if someone called me that at school. Now I don’t imagine myself without my glasses because my appearance will be different, even my personality will be different. Finally, I must ask you, do you like my glasses?