Comments on Landless: #FridayFlash: The Gift of Love, Eventually

Gosh this is powerful - and sadly true for some. ...

2012-01-23T08:20:40.223-05:00

Gosh this is powerful - and sadly true for some. Nicely told and packed with emotions - well done my friend

Luckily I've never had this kind of thing with...

2012-01-22T07:09:04.119-05:00

Luckily I've never had this kind of thing with my parents, they have a bewildered sort of appreciation of my eccentricity (in much the same way I imagine the Kents indulged Clark) but I've had it with other people before. It's always sad when they reject everything that makes you 'you', and you have to realise it's essentially you they're rejecting.

You're a true master.

This cuts deep; very slice-of-life. The final focu...

2012-01-21T17:42:30.996-05:00

This cuts deep; very slice-of-life. The final focus is different than what I had imagined, but I’m grateful for that.

Oh that's very sad, the realisation that you h...

2012-01-21T17:25:36.441-05:00

Oh that's very sad, the realisation that you have been trying to gain the approval of a parent that just didn't get you. Strong writing here Tony that made the reader feel the frustration and the pain of the main character.

Glad it's not a true story, see eye to eye on ...

2012-01-21T16:49:39.549-05:00

Glad it's not a true story, see eye to eye on most things with my dad, but sometimes not so much, but we try avoid those things and focus on the good stuff.

Thanks, Aaron. Tricksy twist endings are best when...

2012-01-21T13:37:16.441-05:00

Thanks, Aaron. Tricksy twist endings are best when they don't seem gratuitous. I'm glad this one worked for you.

Powerful. I, like many of the others, felt it goin...

2012-01-20T18:39:34.628-05:00

Powerful. I, like many of the others, felt it going one way and then was hit that much harder at the reveal. Very well done.

That's excellent.

2012-01-20T17:02:53.129-05:00

That's excellent.

I'm glad you liked it, Pete! There's some ...

2012-01-20T14:36:51.972-05:00

I'm glad you liked it, Pete! There's some of me in this, but, as I note up above, it's not an autobiographical piece (thank goodness!).

Yes, the narrator has more or less laid down and d...

2012-01-20T14:35:53.594-05:00

Yes, the narrator has more or less laid down and died inside. It's a bitter pill to swallow.

I think I caught a lot of people off guard with th...

2012-01-20T14:34:30.110-05:00

I think I caught a lot of people off guard with the reveal.

Thank you, Bev!

2012-01-20T14:33:56.243-05:00

Thank you, Bev!

There's a common thread here for many of us, a...

2012-01-20T14:33:28.998-05:00

There's a common thread here for many of us, and seeking a parent's love and respect. Ideally, the parent shouldn't make it hard to do.

It's my pleasure, Jack. Thanks for reading.

2012-01-20T14:32:38.067-05:00

It's my pleasure, Jack. Thanks for reading.

I think it's all been said. This felt like it ...

2012-01-20T14:03:07.796-05:00

I think it's all been said. This felt like it took a much darker/more real tone than your usual work. I really liked it.

Feels like you've captured something of yours and transmuted the feeling into this story.

A strong story, Tony ... story of my life, when my...

2012-01-20T14:01:59.912-05:00

A strong story, Tony ... story of my life, when my husband's "up". Fortunately, was blessed with two good sets of parents (birth and adopted).

The ending bit deep. It's horribly sad, as though the narrator had lost something of himself in giving in.

Wow, and I, like others, originally thought this w...

2012-01-20T13:56:55.772-05:00

Wow, and I, like others, originally thought this was about conflict between partners. Didn't see dad coming. Good work, Tony.

I didn't the dad part coming and it made the u...

2012-01-20T13:25:50.944-05:00

I didn't the dad part coming and it made the unrequited love hurt so much worse when it did. Good job.

I'm glad you pointed out that it wasn't au...

2012-01-20T09:49:00.543-05:00

I'm glad you pointed out that it wasn't autobiographical! I thought it was about a relationship at first, it called to mind Orianthe's "According to You." I know the feeling of never being good enough, and it can take a lifetime to get beyond that.

I, too, initally thought this was a struggle with ...

2012-01-20T09:03:54.542-05:00

I, too, initally thought this was a struggle with a spouse. But, as you mention above, this kind of relationship, the search for acceptance, for catharsis, can exist with anyone sufficiently close to us.

So well written, while I can't directly relate, I still found it a powerful read.

Thanks, Tony.

Absolutely.. a good friend of mine said to me once...

2012-01-20T07:47:55.727-05:00

Absolutely.. a good friend of mine said to me once..our children don't belong to us, we're just looking after them until they can belong to themselves.

Thanks, Tom. We are all called upon to accept the ...

2012-01-20T06:52:41.268-05:00

Thanks, Tom. We are all called upon to accept the differences in the people we love. It's part of what love is, I think.

I wish this kind of thing were fictional. I'm ...

2012-01-20T06:52:03.119-05:00

I wish this kind of thing were fictional. I'm sorry that it wasn't so for you, but on the other hand, I'm glad you loved it!

I'll admit that I left it vague at first, just...

2012-01-20T06:51:17.683-05:00

I'll admit that I left it vague at first, just because this is the kind of thing that could happen with any family member. Not so much with a friend, because that kind of a relationship would soon wither and die away.

No, my Dad and I are cool. We don't see eye to...

2012-01-20T06:50:04.172-05:00

No, my Dad and I are cool. We don't see eye to eye on everything, but we give each other books and movies that we enjoyed. Sometimes they click, sometimes not, but it's always a source of conversation & closeness, not rejection.