Piggles by Cole Parker.

[Camy]

Piggles affected me far more than I was expecting, but not because of the entire story - which is, as per any Cole Parker, wonderful.

My dad was a scientist long before the days of specialisation. When I was eleven he designed a weighing bridge for a pig farmer. We had a caravan at the farm for six months, and I was there most weekends and all summer, while dad did his thing.

On the first day we were there I was 'given' a piglet I called Blackie. He was wonderful, and a real friend. Then one day we arrived at the farm and Blackie wasn't there... Enough said. 😭

[Cole Parker]

This isn't the first mention I've received of the grief that the dissapearance of Piggle has caused.  One writer asked for reassurance that Piggles was sold to a familly that adopted him and moved to the Caribbean with him where he has his own room in their house and eats at the dinner table with them.

Please note that in the story, he was sold, not slaughtered.  It's up to the readers to decide his fate.  I kinda liked that pig, too!

C

[JamesSavik]

OK. I promise no bacon jokes.

I loved this story because it checked all my favorite boxes:

• Rural kid (YAY!)
• Cool animal pal
• Farm 💓
• Rural kids get together and nobody calls an exorcist
• No crossburnin' creeps wearing sheets.

It was as good as andouille sausage.

Thanks, Cole. Your stories always make me smile.

-JS

[Cole Parker]

Thanks so much!  I like this one, too.

C

[Ivor Slipper]

18 hours ago, Cole Parker said:

This isn't the first mention I've received of the grief that the dissapearance of Piggle has caused.  One writer asked for reassurance that Piggles was sold to a familly that adopted him and moved to the Caribbean with him where he has his own room in their house and eats at the dinner table with them.

 

C

Perhaps he helped to found the dynasty?

 

https://youtu.be/8SQNzfnywSo?si=RdTOU_SiKpVX8iAP

 

[Merkin]

Oh, wow, Ivor.  Take note, Cole.  Bermuda would make a great sequel to Piggle's story. 

[Jason Rimbaud]

I read this story yesterday and it took me about a day to understand how I feel about this (squiggly) tale. I love the way Cole writes, his prose is always entertaining. The scene where the father explains the reason why the pig has to go, is heartbreaking. 

But I don't like reading stories about 12/13 years old either, which is why I rarely comment on Cole's stories, because it might come off as negative as I would never mean it in that vein. But for the same reason why I never liked Harry Potter series, I have a hard time connecting with that age group or see them as a viable protagonist. I remember how ridiculous I was at 12 or 13 years old and can't get behind seeing them as anything more than a walking hard on dry humping everything in the house. 

That being said, this tale entertained me and caused me to achieve fuzzy bunny slippers level of enjoyment. I would want, in my perverse tiny world, more conflict to overcome. But that's not what Cole does. Cole gives us a feel good narrative with happy endings. And where I wish he'd dance a bit closer to the dark side, I could only imagine what deliciousness we'd get if Cole tapped into some gritty storytelling, that's not what he does. And I can respect that. 

So in the end, I enjoyed this tale about some kid losing his pig and getting years of sexual practice with a boy from South Africa. So thank you Cole for doing what you do, it's always fresh, entertaining, and leaves me smiling. 

J

 

[Altimexis]

I think 12 - 13 is a very difficult time for most of us growing up, regardless of sexual orientation. At least we didn't start junior high until seventh grade back in my youth, allowing us to be kids for an extra year in elementary school. For a nerd like myself, junior high was a revelation. Finally, I could take advanced courses and wasn't held back by the slowest kids in the class. That said, it was a very painful time in which I had to learn to put up with intense teasing when I didn't really understand it. The one positive was that since I was Jewish, seventh grade was the year we all were going through the ritual of bar and bat mitzvahs, which meant there were a lot of parties to attend and everyone was invited, regardless of popularity. If it hadn't been for that, I don't know how I'd have made it through the year. By the eighth grade, I'd learned better how to handle the teasing and by the ninth grade, I was quite active in school activities.

I'm quite removed from my early teenage years now, but in certain ways I feel more connected to that time in my life than to my middle and late teens. Perhaps it has something to do with losing my father when I was sixteen and the tremendous pain that caused me at such a critical time. I have many potent memories from my early teens and although some of them are quite painful, I remember the period fondly and enjoy reading and writing stories about that period. It's a time that defines so much of who were are and who we'll become.

[Cole Parker]

On 4/28/2024 at 10:13 AM, Jason Rimbaud said:

But that's not what Cole does. Cole gives us a feel good narrative with happy endings. And where I wish he'd dance a bit closer to the dark side, I could only imagine what deliciousness we'd get if Cole tapped into some gritty storytelling, that's not what he does. And I can respect that. 

J

 

If yoiu want somelthing grittier, read this one:  Derick/Jake/Nick in the novels listing.

[JamesSavik]

Actually, 12-13 is a fascinating age.

A very popular TV program called it the Wonder Years.

From a developmental standpoint, there's a remarkable diversity in this age group. Puberty has arrived or is well on its way. Some kids can still be children, while others are obviously becoming teenagers.

Anthropologically, almost every ancient culture has some coming of age ritual for this age group.

Sociologically, there is more mixing of this age group than any other, with almost every stratum of society in public schools.

This is also an age where things can go badly wrong for kids. Things that can seriously affect them for the rest of their life. I'm living proof of that. The beginnings of all sorts of problems have their origin in this developmental stage and are most amenable to treatment. It is at this stage many of the problems, like abusive behaviors or chemical dependency, have their origins.

One of my guilty pleasures in some of these stories is seeing what it might have been like to have supportive family and friends, instead of rednecks who thought if they just hit me harder they would knock the queer out of me.

This age is a critical nexus where children grow to become healthy adults, or if abused, can become monsters. It is for the ultimate good that we examine it.

[Jason Rimbaud]

I hear what you all are saying. But those stories aren't for me. And that's okay. I've read lots of Cole's stories, he's one of the better writers out there. It's just not my preference. Maybe it's because I don't like 12 or 13 year olds I come in contact with in my real life, owning a restaurant I meet a lot of them. So I surely don't want to read about them and their love lives or discovery. Though I know I'm in the minority of that. All those things are okay. We can differ opinions respectfully. 

Which is why I rarely comment on one of my favorite authors stories because it's always taken as a negative. I should learn to keep my thoughts to myself. 

J

[JamesSavik]

1 hour ago, Jason Rimbaud said:

I know I'm in the minority of that. All those things are okay. We can differ opinions respectfully. 

 

That's the fun part of communities like GA and Awesomedude. They're like a throwback to the early web when we could disagree agreeably. You are right. Kids that age can be obnoxious. Many teachers refuse to teach that age group because they are notoriously moody and difficult. 

 

[Cole Parker]

And the obverse, obviously, is that there are an awful lot of really sweet kids that age.  Psychologically, this is the age they start to feel their independence, are more aware of the world outside their private nest, and they do a lot of play-acting, seeing what they can get away and how they want to interface with the world; they want to test the water to find out who they are.  Some become aggressive and hostile and difficult for adults to deal with.  Or they can be more like me at that age, a little tentative, a little defensive, a little timid in the face of aggression.  There are many kids that age, and they shouldn't be stereotyped any more that older teens and adults should be.  I grew out of that early phase, but never became overly aggressive.  Kids change as they leave the beginnings of adolescence.  But we probably all remember those tender years and how we faced the challenges we met then.  James is right: a little introspection now and then does one a lot of good.

C