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Story ideas [13+]

Thoughts for the September Edition of

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Writing 4 Kids Contest   (ASR) If you like writing stories and/or poems for kids, this is the contest for you! #1999597 by Cubby

To Cubby: "Personally, I don't like 'birthday' as a prompt. It tends to bring up unpleasant memories and around here it's usually dealt with in a cliche way. So...

1. A story about how many birthdays are left instead of how many behind us. I'll be celebrating #12 as my family expiration date is coming up. Easier to blow out fewer and fewer candles each year.

"Only 6 candles? Why?" "I'm out-living myself. Next year it'll be 5. Each year it's getting harder to blow them out." "But what happens when you turn 80?" "Oh, my dear, I don't intend to live that long."

2. How did Benjamin Button celebrate his birthdays?

You look so young!" "Yes, I'm getting younger by the day."

3. What if birthdays came out of order?

"I'm 26." "But last year you were 10?" "Yes, a wonderful year; but next year I have to relive 13 all over again. I'm not looking forward to that."

4. If you were a mayfly would you be celebrating the hours?

"Noon! I'm 6 hours old. So few friends left. I need to find a nice shady branch to get out of this hot killing sun."

5. How many animals celebrate the seasons? If you have a pet, how many seasons have they survived?

"Tommie is 50 today." "50? That's older than you." "Yeah, she's starting to slow down." "?" "She was 6 weeks old when we brought her home in the Spring of 2009."

6. Do dolls have birthdays? Or other toys? What if the toy is an heirloom much older than you?

Teddy celebrated his birthday—again—on the top shelf of the closet in the children's bedroom. It had been years since one of them had taken him down and dusted him off. He would sneeze if he could.

7. Cultural differences. Some cultures don't celebrate birthdays, using name days instead... or just not celebrating at all.

I'm Steven. I'm Steve. I'm Stephen with a 'ph'. I'm Stephanie. Welcome to our name day, this 26th of December. [Stefania is September 18 in Poland.]

"I'm 9 today." "What kind of cake are you getting?" "No cake?" "No, we don't celebrate birthdays." "Why?" "We don't celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God." [Jehovah Witnesses for instance]

8. Not all cultures start with zero. A child turning 1 is said to be turning 2. As in... entering their second year. They were 1 the day they were born.

"I'm 21 today." "But your birth certificate says you were born September 2001." "Yep, that's when I turned 1." [In South Korea you are 1 when you are born. On January 1st you become 2, even if you were born the day before.]

9. What if your day is on a taboo date or shared with an important event? I have a friend whose birthday is 9/11, and another named Merry whose birthday is the 25th of you-know-what.

"My name is Merry, spelled M, E, R, R, Y." "Like Merry Christmas?" "I'll grant you one guess as to which day I was born."

10. What about conception date. Anyone who grew up on a farm might be able to explain that to urban folks.

"Hannah's conception date is my birthday." "How do you know?" "That's when my boyfriend made me a woman." "Are you sure?" "Once was enough... and never again."

~550 words
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