Genre: Humor
“Did you see him? Sitting on the podium picking his nose as the chief spoke! I couldn’t believe my eyes!”
“Who didn’t? His secretary nudged him… too late though.”
“That man might be a brilliant scientist but he needs 101 on social etiquette. I feel sorry for his secretary – desperately trying to keep him from trouble while he handpicks the choicest of moments. Remember him snoring at the charity musical?”
“Matter of time before his buffoonery outwits his brilliance. His poor secretary – always a heartbeat late in saving him from the next fiasco, deserves a new boss!”
……………………………
100 words for Friday Fictioneers this week, inspired from real life incidents.
For the uninitiated, in case you are wondering what is going on here, read on. Friday Fictioneers is an excellent forum for people looking to have fun as they learn the nuances of writing. Every Friday a bunch of us write 100 words (no hard rules there) for prompts posted by Rochelle who runs the show.
This week’s prompt is an intriguing art form, David Stewart happened to chance upon. Perhaps his photography skills added to the intrigue!
The Prompt:
Austere Alacrity 
Very nice. Unfortunately mental brilliance doesn’t equal social brilliance. Poor secretary.
Indeed.. Intelligence is such a generic and expansive word that it can never be used in absolute terms for anybody.
Thanks for the prompt this week.
The post looks familiar 😛
Does it? Wonder why! 😛
I agree the secretary deserves a new boss. Or maybe it’s a small price to pay to help the boss achieve brilliant things 🙂
I take it the secretary is the one trying to restrain the boss in the picture?
I didn’t think of the angle that the secretary has something to gain from the scientist’s brilliance. But it is quite possible! Don’t we all stick to jobs we don’t always like for our own reasons?
Yes.. That’s how I picture the secretary in the story and the prompt.
This wouldn’t have made as much sense to me if I hadn’t realized (a day late and a dollar short) that there’s someone holding the man’s ankle. 🙂 I feel sorry for the secretary but as Abraham said, perhaps she’s getting something worthwhile out of it (such as a whooping big salary!)
janet
I missed the part immersed person the first few times too. Wonder what was going through the artist’s mind when he/she thought of this art form!
I also agree with Abraham and you about the secretary’s takeaways, though I hadn’t been bright enough to realise this when I wrote the story!
Ahh, but I’m sure your subconscious knew. 🙂 It’s all part of the fun of writing.
Very nicely imagined! Perhaps the brilliant buffoon is also a very nice person and otherwise a brilliant boss to his secretary. Most social etiquette is snobbery and therefore terribly overrated in my opinion, anyway. I see the secretary smiling and keeping her own quiet counsel.
Perhaps he is a nice and simple person – a genius of sorts.
Snobs do get respected a lot in today’s world. The times we live in…
Thanks for your insightful comment.
His secretary is probably in love with him! Yeah, that’s what I think!
Or maybe all ths Valentine crap is starting to affect me.
LOLLL!! Now that’s a thought!
Yes! If it is true.. I no longer know who is the buffoon! LOL
It would take a lot to love someone who picks his nose in full public view. But isn’t tha what they say about love – hopeless and blind? 🙂
Yes, but what doesn’t seem attractive to one might attract another. There is a reason a woman like her stays with a man like him and it’s not always about the money.
I agree.. Such are the ways of love 🙂
We fall in love with a person’s flaws too sometimes.
My therapist describes that as being one of my own flaws. It’s very confusing. lol
Great take on the photo; the lateral thinking on FF never ceases to amaze me. Nice work.
Thanks Sandra.. It is incredible what we achieve every week on this forum. With this amount of lateral thinking on one picture prompt, I am convinced that our multi-vibrant world dwellers can never run short of creative ideas!
before his buffoonery outwits his brilliance… nice line, P. Question: where is that girl that was complaining of writer’s block? Your story is quite a unique take on this photo… I am giving you an ‘Ab Fab’!
Thanks for noticing it Ted..
Do you think the writing block is gone?? I will know only after I am able to pull off a bigger than 100 word story!
Really nice take on the picture. 🙂
Glad you liked it.
first paragraph pulled this reader right in, juicy gossip and all. nice work.
I hope the pull lasted till the story! Thanks 🙂
yes it did, but that hook at the beginning is so important to a story and you did that very well.
Thank you very much! 🙂
Okay, this was hilarious. “Handpicks the choicest of moments,” indeed! 🙂 Such a creative, original story!
Thanks Lisa.
I did put that phrase intentionally. Happy you noticed! 🙂
Dear Parul,
A well written story on social embarrassment. Nice job.
shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. Congratulations for the OWL award. Well deserved!
handpicks the choicest of moments — hehe ^^
it’s a great take on the prompt. perhaps he’s a nice guy, really. and his secretary sees something in him that others don’t ^^ great job
Thanks kz. Thanks for noticing the phrase too.. Happened to be the first few words around which this story was spun! 🙂
Very nice. I enjoyed the conversation. It is a habit that plagues many people, unfortunately.
Unfortunately indeed!
Thanks for coming over 🙂
I loved your brilliant buffoon. Beautifully written as usual, and an excellent take on the prompt.
Thanks. I loved your entry this week!
Lovely story. I hope the secretary finds a more competent boss soon!
Yes.. It would be much deserved.
Awesome take on the prompt!
Thanks
I pictured the statue running with scissors and that poor secretary trying desperately to save him. Lots of sympathy and negative humor in this. Great job. I like this one the best so far.
Wow that’s a huge compliment!
I am glad you liked it so much! 🙂
Hi Parul — as a UNIX guy in IT, I have worked with many who tend to the uncouth. I really smiled at this one!
I am from IT too!
Wow.. Good to know!
Though I am not Unix. I am into this business software called SAP.
But I guess we have similar experiences with uncouth geeks 🙂
My team manages 207 SAP servers, and about 1,000 others. We are a big SAP shop.
One of my guys ( now gone ) was brilliant, but I used to have to sit in meetings with him and the Basis group because they would only talk to each other through me. ( sigh )
Such experiences teach you so much about yourself.. How patient you are, how diplomatic, how professional..
But for the life of me I could not bring myself to shaking hands with the guy who used to pick his nose “discreetly” ALL THE TIME.
So nice to meet someone from my domain at such an unlikely place! 🙂
I work as a technical consultant for SAP CRM.
Maybe we work together someday! It’s a small world. 🙂
maybe — I will keep my eyes open for you 🙂 You can shake my hand 🙂
With pleasure! 🙂
Great use of the prompt; the secretary would have to be able to grow every part of her body to keep this guy out of trouble!
Haha.. I agree!
You rarely combine the mental brilliance with mental skills. Very nicely written and original take on the prompt. I have a suspicion that you had a real person in mind when writing this 🙂
Actually two real people… One snoring at a musical and one picking his nose at client location while I watched aghast.
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
What can you say? I’ve known brilliant people who intentionally thumb their noses at social graces–a warped superiority complex?.
Intentionally? I am yet to meet someone like that.
LOL..I have an uncle who is “Brilliant” but a social cripple. This is how people really are, flawed in one area but brilliant in another. Good job and a unique take on the prompt.
Tom
Thanks Tom. That’s how we all are indeed.
Parul, great take on the prompt. It’s subtle and like it. Yes, poor secretary. I guess someone needs to take care of the brilliant minds!
Thanks!
Great minds often lack in great presence of mind.. Hence the secretary!
i think “etiquettes” should not have an S on the end. i think it’s more like a collective noun. well done piece of work.
Is it? I didn’t know that. Changing right away! Thanks 🙂
my belief but i won’t swear to it.
you would use the S if you were referring to various etiquettes from various places, like this: “Italian and French etiquettes are very different from German etiquette.”
I see… like fish and fishes!
Thanks 🙂
What’s that they say about behind every successful man is a good woman. Maybe his social skills aren’t up to par, but at least he isn’t a pompous buffoon. Then she really would need a new boss.
Reading all the comments, I seem to have a growing inkling this man could be a special kind of sweet. Definitely not pompous. Those are the real mean ones!
Thanks for the visit 🙂
It is true that many secretaries keep their bosses out of trouble. They are far more talented and have a high level of tolerance:) a well written story