What do you do for fun?

"What is the capital of Florida, Izzie?"

"Tallahassee, Mr. Grinch."

"What is the capital of Maine...."

Please, please, please don't call on me.  Jimmy was nearing a full blown panic attack, though he was pretty sure the answer was Augusta. 

"What is the Third Commandment?"  Father Stricter scanned the contingent at the 9 o'clock Mass in search of weak prey.  Jimmy sensed that Father was moving in for the kill.  He tried to slink down in his seat but he was pinned in tight between Mrs. Globber who punched in at over two-hundred and fifty pounds and Mr. Slobber who out weighed her by one-hundred and twenty pounds.  And then the unthinkable.  "Jimmy, can you answer the question?"

"Ahhh, errrr, ah, thou shall honor your father and mother?"  Jimmy knew he blew it.  His ears began to melt and tears singed his cheeks.  That was the last Mass that Jimmy ever attended.

"Jimmy!  Wake up man!"

Jimmy felt Danny's elbow dig in between his ribs.   "Uhhh, uhhh?"

The fog cleared and the room came into view.  Jimmy let out a deep breath and began to relax.  He'd been daydreaming or rather day-nightmaring.  Until...

"Betty, what do you do for fun?"

Panic began to thrust hot pokers into Jimmy's throat.  He was back in Mass and Father Stricter was bearing down on him.  Except it wasn't Stricter in person.  It was Tom Wentworth, the consultant that his company recently hired.  Somehow though, Stricter had gained control of Wentworth's body.

How would he answer this question?  Or would he be saved by spontaneous combustion?  Would his head just vaporize from the incredible white, hot heat building up within his mind?  What did he do for fun?

"Ahhh, errr, ah, well Tom, I read and write."  Yeah right.  And the entire room would stand up and in perfect harmony cry out LOSER, Jimmy thought.

Later, Jimmy reflected.  He really wasn't embarrassed about telling people that he spent the majority of his time reading and writing.  No, the deer-in-the-headlight and uncomfortable silence that usually followed his proud proclamation of fun wasn't really that bad.  Really, it wasn't all that much different than telling folks he had leprosy or some other rare disease.

Jimmy is a real person and has asked me to ask you what you do for fun.  So, what do you do for fun?

Comments

[Verna Wilder]

Tell Jimmy that for fun, I read and write. Also tell Jimmy for me that he sounds like a perfectly normal introvert.

[April Groves]

Ha! Outside of my family...I read and write for fun too!

And I'm an extrovert :)

[Ruth]

Wow, Dave! Melting ears... what an image!

I have to agree with Jimmy. Reading and writing are tops!

Oh! And spending time with inspiring friends!