Wednesday 4 March 2020

EMPATHY WORKS - 100 word story

When I looked at this week's Friday Fictioneers photo prompt, there seemed to be only one story to tell...


PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot



EMPATHY WORKS

My life was compartmentalised into three phases:
Life Before the Virus
Life During the Virus
Life After the Virus.
During phase two, I fled the anarchy and found refuge in a remote village.
The locals showed me how to survive, how to share. Who said Communism was evil?
Food was harvested and left for everyone to help themselves. We looked after each other.
Sometimes it was hard.
In Life After the Virus, I'm still here. The outside world remains a dangerous place. They don't know how to share. They still don't understand that empathy works better than anarchy.


Hope you enjoyed this story and I look forward to your comments. 


If you wish to read more Friday Fictioneers stories, you can find them listed HERE


If you'd like to join in the challenge, you'll find all the information posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 


- her blog is listed on 'My Blog List' on the right hand side of this page.


On a final note - I always attempt to visit the blogs of everyone who comments on mine. If I haven't commented on yours it's either because I haven't been redirected to your blog when I've clicked on your name or because you have a wordpress account that requires me to sign into wordpress first. 
Please check and amend your settings. Thanks.







58 comments:

  1. So very true - and one of the hardest things for many people to achieve. Well said.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment, Anthony. Yes, people have to learn not to be selfish. :)

      Delete
  2. Dear Susan,

    Let's hope this isn't becoming a reality. The news is more disturbing every day, isn't it? Topical and well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could only find one outlet that still had hand sanitizer in stock yesterday, Rochelle. Alarming times indeed.

      Delete
  3. What an interesting take on the crisis to come. Yes, you're right - we often learn during a crisis that it all works better if we pull together and share. And then, sadly, we forget what we've learned. Again

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Neil. Sadly, humans seem to be hard-wired to look after number one!

      Delete
  4. It really just requires everyone to remain calm, stop panic buying and go about your normal life. The media is certainly not helping the situation. Let's hope empathy prevails before things get out of control.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I agree. The media in particular are very good at manipulation!

      Delete
  5. Sadly people often think only of themselves during a crisis and not the community.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ah, if only, Susan.
    But when people are involved, greed is close behind.
    Remember 1984...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hard times behind, hard times ahead...and just like that, life passes us by.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's easy to lose focus on the important things, isn't it?

      Delete
  8. Great last line! We don’t do empathy and sharing very well. Sobering and timely story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Brenda. Something I've been thinking about quite a lot in the politics of today.

      Delete
  9. What virus?
    Denial works.

    Randy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Empathy is far better than autocracy or greed (by any other name). I agree. Here's to sharing what we have more than we need of, with those who need it. As for Corona - it will come and it will go, and it is up to us to be good people through whatever may. Good one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed it is better. Thanks for the feedback.

      Delete
  11. You told your story well, Susan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's very kind of you to say so, Jade. Appreciate it. :)

      Delete
  12. Great story and wish it were true here because, knowing people, someone would take all the food for themselves to hoard or to sell. The sad thing is that many people reflex action is panic and fear-2 things we should not be doing. The regular flu kills more people each year than this virus. We just need to remain calm and not let the media manipulate us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well said, Birgit, and thanks for commenting. :)

      Delete
  13. Joseph McCarthy.

    I always say, in all dystopian stories, I would be the first one to die because I want to work together and help people. Good story. Excellent moral.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Joseph. Working together and looking after each other should be the norm in all walks of life. I find it very disturbing that attacking people seems to be the norm now - especially via social media.

      Delete
  14. A simple message but one so many find hard to accept today.
    Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, unfortunately you might be right, Ann.

      Delete
  15. And if it is a virus that is necessary to bring the world to empathy, I say, "Bring it on." Very thoughtfully written.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Violet - appreciate your feedback.

      Delete
  16. A chilling tale of a situation that hopefully will never occur. The media seems set on causing panic whilst choosing to forget that flu and falling down stairs are still the biggest kllers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, the media love to stoke the flames, don't they?

      Delete
  17. A thought provoking piece, and a good metaphor for life in general. It's prompted me to think about the truths that lie behind your story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Penny. Always good to know that someone wants to delve a bit deeper. :)

      Delete
  18. There will always be those who run amok once law and order is gone.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Post-apocalyptic and well written, but scary - I hope we're too sensible for it to come tho that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you're right, Liz. But from what I've observed of human behaviour, I'm not so sure!

      Delete
  20. crisis can change us only to back to the same old ways when when it's over.

    ReplyDelete
  21. You're right, the world is a dangerous place, and I'm afraid it's only getting worse!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's something wrong with so-called progress, isn't there?

      Delete
  22. Your village wasn't experiencing Communism, because it was not forced upon them against their will. No superior power was doling out rations. They were experiencing a shared trauma, the bright side of human nature in a shared will to survive. And you brought it to life.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Actually 'communism' has more than one meaning. One of the definitions of communism, according to Webster dictionary: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed.

    ReplyDelete
  24. very topical and thought provoking, Susan, a good subject to chose.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Patience - appreciate the feedback.

      Delete
  25. You addressed this topic well. Does fit the prompt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ted. Always good to know when a story works. :)

      Delete
  26. Replies
    1. Thank you, Susan. Always nice to know when someone has enjoyed one of my stories.

      Delete
  27. Empathy and sympathy and general altruism always works, it's finding the community with those qualities that's the problem. Well done, Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, wouldn't it be a nicer world if these things were the norm? Thanks for the comment, Michael.

      Delete
  28. I hope that there will be sharing... right now it seems more like grabbing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's extraordinary, isn't it? I'm currently staying in a small village and there isn't any hand santizer to be found, which really took me by surprise.

      Delete
  29. SHaring IS caring after all. May there be enough toilet paper for everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that did make me laugh, Fatima.
      The trouble with all this panic buying is that the people who are NOT panicking are being forced to buy in extra stocks so that they don't run out of essentials. Mad situation!

      Delete
  30. An excellent message in this one. Your story shares it well😉
    I think this last week has shown empathy is very needed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Laurie. Appreciate your feedback. :)

      Delete
  31. Excellent story that sums up the situation doesn’t it?

    ReplyDelete

Many thanks for commenting. I appreciate your feedback.