Week One: My Happy Money Experiment

For those of you that have not seen the first part of this project, “My Happy Money Experiment,” it’s worth checking out, it will help you understand what is going on here.

I am at the end of week one of “My Happy Money Experiment,” and I am not disappointed. At this point the only thing I can say for sure is that this project has made me think about my relationship with money. Leaving money and a note where someone could find it has really produced some feelings I was not expecting. After just one week it may be too early to tell but there have been some new things coming in, some of these things generate a bit of excitement. I guess they could be circumstantial but the whole process is fun so I don’t think it really matters.

The first day I took two one-dollar bills and put a note on each of them. The note did not vary from the Happy Money eBook’s suggestion: May all your days be filled with happiness, love and Wealth J. If you’re wandering the answer is yes, I always hand drew a happy face at the end.

We had a family trip to the toy store coming up so I knew it would be a target rich environment. I tucked the first dollar/note into a set of baby shoes; I thought that would be a nice message for an expecting couple. After the toy store we went out to eat and I left the second happy dollar under a paper towel in the sink area of the bathroom. Don’t worry I got better at finding places to put the money as time went on. This was more exciting than I thought it would be I really enjoyed it.

I also started looking for things coming into my life, completing the cycle of giving, which is one of the principles the author of Happy Money explained. It didn’t take long before I started questioning things that were probably everyday experiences I had never noticed before. I was amazed at how many things were constantly coming in. Not necessarily cold hard cash but there were certainly things worth being happy for that I never paid attention to before. Let me give an example: my sister-in-law was in town visiting and had accompanied me on a trip to the grocery store, we got to the checkout and she insisted on paying. That has NEVER even come close to happening before.

About day three I was excited enough to add an affirmation to the project. I affirmed: I always have plenty of cash to use as happy money. Later in the week I was down to my last dollar and starting to wander if I would have to hit the ATM to replenish. Later that day I was digging through my junk drawer looking for a flash light so I could fix a tiny bat mobile for a devastated two year old. As I was trudging through the junk I found a twenty-dollar bill. I don’t think that twenty manifested out of thin air but I can guarantee I had no idea it was there. I know this is circumstantial but it sure was a pleasant surprise and I am going to use it for the next week of my experiment.

Looking forward: I am going to get the twenty changed into two five-dollar bills and ten one-dollar bills. I am really looking forward to giving the fives. I can imagine someone getting the five and actually being able to do something with it, one dollar won’t even by a candy bar by itself and giving ones gets me excited.

We’ll see how it goes, but so far I am having fun!

Pink Dragon Pets

The Trifecta Writing Challenge asked for a children’s bedtime story of exactly 33 words. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Close your eyes and pay attention to your dreams

Tonight’s adventure can bring you so many things

Princesses, unicorns, or pink dragon pets

Close your eyes my sweet child and get some rest

The Note

 

You caught the tooth fairy,

you got your wish.

You must kill the source

to accomplish this.

Don’t be confused about

what you have done.

Your daughter is dust,

she’s gone.

Taking Aim

Copyright – Alastair Forbes

 

“Hang in there, I’ll get this joker off your tale,” he said to himself as he took aim. The smoke from his engine stung his nostrils making it hard to breath and difficult to hold everything steady. His plane had some serious damage from earlier battles. “Come on,” he said out loud, trying to will his enemy into his sights. “A little closer,” he was putting pressure on the trigger…

“Danny, time for dinner,” his mom called from the kitchen.

“Ah man, I almost had that jerk,” he said out loud hoping his mom would hear.

“Dad,” he said as he approached the dinner table. “How many enemy fighters have you shot down?”

“Son, we have been over this a thousand times.”

“So… more or less than ten?”

“None Danny, none, I am an airline pilot I don’t shoot at anything.”

“Ah Man!”

 

 

The above story represents my entry to Alastair’s Photo Fiction.

A Journey to Die For

He grabbed the handle, exhausted, trying not to collapse. This was a journey he was willing to die for, he was not about to give up now. He was willing to accept whatever happened, it was his destiny. Suddenly, he pulled his hand away from the handle, braced himself against the wall and slid to the floor. He had not run out of courage, he assured himself of that.

The words of a wise man kept ringing in his head, “You must not let your fears overcome you. They can sense it; they will use it against you. Men consumed by their fears stand no chance in a journey of such importance.”  He had seen such men, men consumed by their fears; the exhaustion that lived deep in their eyes gave them away.

He took a deep breath, looking at his hands, realizing he still had the charm. According to legend it was one of the only things that could subdue such a beast and allow his people to rest again. “I can do this,” he repeated in his head.

In a single motion he stood and opened the door. Before he could produce another thought he was immersed, standing face to face, staring into its eyes.

“Dada!”

“Here’s your pacifier son, now lay down we all need to get some sleep.”