The Friday Feeling by Phillip Marks

[Chris James]

How often we get entangled in a long and involved story only to forget that short stories have much to say. The Friday Feeling gives us a slice of a young life as if we had dropped in for a quick look.

The reader is left with the impression that not every child lives a happy and glorious life, but even the sad moments in this story are tempered with some feelings of hope...and we each have our Friday.

Like all short stories there is little enough detail about the characters, just a rough sketch that tells us things are not well in Barry's family. I suppose this is a sad commentary on large families and how the youngest are always made to suffer. I would love to have been given more, but what has been presented is well done. It left me with a warm feeling about childhood...and a desire for chololate milk.

You'll find the story here: http://www.awesomedu...day_feeling.htm

[Merkin]

I read the story earlier today and it is the kind of story where you say "Oh my god" the minute you finish reading. Then for the next little while it just won't leave you alone and your mind begins to work on it and clarify it and you find you have to read it again, just to reassure yourself it is as important as you thought it was the first time through. And it is.

[Gee Whillickers]

This is just an excellent story. One of my favorite kind of stories, one which leaves you thinking, wondering, and feeling. One which you leaves you wanting more but satisfied with what you got. Just excellent!

[Jeff Ellis]

Yes indeed, a beautiful mood piece. I remember the kids like that when I was small. The ones who got free-dinners, that were counted separately on a Monday morning... so that everyone knew who they were. Poor little sods. I had hoped that poverty at that level was a thing of the past, but... like Margaret Thatcher said "There is no such thing as society!" and then she went on to make sure that she was right!

[Lugnutz]

To me, it was a sad story. It is good and it tells you what is going on but it still is a sad story.