Lisa found herself at breaking point at the semester’s end. Beyond marking an astounding amount of essays and exams, her Cuba trip during winter break was ruined because her Visa application was denied. The weight of stress was crushing her, with no let-up in sight.
In a fit of anxiety she broke off her TA contracts for the spring semester. When the department head confirmed her release, she realized she had cut off all of her income for the next few months. However, she also felt an excitement for the future that she hadn’t known for a long time.
.
This story was written in response to these prompts:
Girlie on the Edge’s 6 Sentence Story prompt: Visa
Carrot Ranch‘s January 2, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a sabbatical. Who needs one or has had one? What kind of tension could a rest create? Where can a break take your story? Go where the prompt leads!
Elderberry Tea 
Hope the newfound freedom’s a hidden blessing for her! Cracking little story, Nicole 🙂
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Thanks, Tom 🙂 I think it’ll give her some much needed clarity.
I needed some clarity myself to cut down the first draft to only 99 words from 148 words. 😅
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Glad you managed it, girlboss! 😉
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Sometimes a person just has to take a leap of faith!
–Shay
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Thanks, Shay. That’s exactly right.
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Often “choices” are made for us. Not necessarily directly or intentionally but rather from fear, frustration or plain old bad luck. Yet often, buried amidst the wreckage is hidden opportunity. As Mr. Bell suggested, “sometimes when a door closes, a window opens” (roughly quoted).
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Exactly! Following the expected path doesn’t always bring the happiness others claim it will.
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What Denise said.
The path that is our own it seems is not the one imagined.
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Sometimes the whole body and mind rebel and have to rest, i hope it does her good.
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I have a feeling it will.
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Love the last sentence.
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Thanks, Reena. Wanted to end it on a hopeful and positive note.
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You did it 🙂
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Great Read, new here. Looking forward to linking up also.
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Thanks, Mel. 🙂 Can’t wait to read yours too.
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May things turn out for her during her semester break.
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Thanks, Frank. I might continue her story some time and let her do something exciting with her new freedom.
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Surely the verb ‘Leap’ is the only one used in this ‘better the advisor than the advised’
(Guess a: “Leisurely stroll of Faith’ just doesn’t have the same pizazz. lol)
Fun Six
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Haha. Hmmm… Now I want to write a story about a “leisurely stroll of faith” and do something unexpected with it.
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Ah, freedom!! 🙂
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Indeed!
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A well-deserved break, she’ll return a happier person.
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Thanks, Keith. Sometimes it’s just what a person needs.
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… and now life begins!
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It sure does!
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Detritus cleared to freefall into new opportunities.
Is the also for CR ‘sabbatical’? 😉
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Yes, exactly. 🙂
Yup, I kept it to 99 words and had her take a break from something, which is what a sabbatical is. And I just realized that I didn’t actually use the word “sabbatical”…
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Charli’s cool with going with CV concept, if that’s where the prompt leads you! 😉
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She gives us a prompt concept, not a strict prompt word.
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Yep. Been that way for many years.
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Fabulous response, Nicole, to the prompt that Charli set. I like that you didn’t use the word sabbatical.
Like you, I write what I want, check the word count, and start chopping out words to get it down to 99 words. Well done. ~nan
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Thanks, Nan. Whenever I combine Charli’s prompts with Denise’s six sentence story prompts, I find that I need to focus on the six sentencs first. It’s far easier to cut out or add in words overall than trying to include or exclude a full sentence. I’m surprised how often I manage to make them work together in a 99 word, 6 sentence story.
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I’ve never done that six sentence story prompts, but I can see where you’d have to start with that. Yeah, it is just the random word here or there that gets cut most of the time. The sentences need to be there. Well done, Nicole.
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I love the name of your blog! Nice story, but I’m not sure if I’d feel excited for a future without incoming!
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Thank you! Tea and writing sure go hand in hand for both of us, it seems 😉
Oh, I totally get that! Financial security is hugely important.
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Sounds like things are actually working out for her. It can be scary at first getting free.
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It certainly can be, especially when going from being so strictly scheduled to not having anything specific to do, or a direction selected to go in.
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