Slow Bullets: A blog site by novelist John Rachel: December 2024

Sunday, December 8, 2024

What Do Mermaids Eat? . . . Deehl

Posted on December 6, 2024 by johnrachel

Deehl was very quiet. Finally she said …

“I’m kind of shy.”

Hmm. What could she be shy about? I tried to second guess her.

“You speak English perfectly!”

“I haven’t said much … but thanks. That’s very sweet.”

“Just stating fact.”

“Hmm. I don’t want to confuse you. But …”

“But what?”

“Just because you hear English doesn’t mean I’m speaking English.”

That’s all she said.

I really had to think about that. I still do, as a matter of fact.

I studied philosophy in college. What she pointed out refers to the paradox of perception. When I see the color red, is it the same color — meaning the actual color that appears in your vision — as you see?

Maybe I’m in truth writing this in Chinese. But you see it on the page and read it as English.

So … to those of you who want to know: Do they speak English?

All I can now say is: That’s a very good question!

What I do know is that mermaids are very smart. And at least the ones I met — with a few exceptions — are phenomenal cooks!

Do you want to hear more about my unique adventures? How about having your own copy of my book?

As I mentioned before, the ultimate deluxe full-color paperback is available for a limited time — sale extended until January 2nd! — for 25% off the regular price . . . order it here directly from the printer.

By the way, this stunning fantasy/travel/cookbook is also available as an ebook, in the format of your choice . . .

JUST DO IT!

[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . https://jdrachel.com ]

What Do Mermaids Eat? . . . Deehl | John Rachel

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

What Do Mermaids Eat? . . . Chif

“Chif. You are stunning.”

“I love that word. It can be taken a couple different ways. Am I a stun gun? Are you a drooling lump spread eagle on the floor? Have you lost control of your body fluids?”

“I … I … well …”

“Word is you haven’t said anything like that to any of the other mermaids. Why am I single out for flattery, John? I know you’re happily married, so you’re not coming on to me. But … I am … I am … black! Really really black! You had to let me know that in spite of that, I passed with flying colors. Yes … I’m stunning!”

“Hey! It’s not a racist thing. I’m color blind.”

“None of you top-siders are color blind. It’s something you haven’t yet and maybe never will evolve beyond. You’ve got your flags. Gang colors. School colors.”

What could I say? She was right.

My only question is: How do they know so much about us? How do they manage to figure out things about us that we can’t? From watching our movies and browsing on a smart phone for a couple weeks?

Maybe this stuff is so obvious, so in our face, we look right past it. It’s hiding in plain sight!

It’s always a journey of discovery to see ourselves through the eyes of others. So imagine what it’s like seeing ourselves through the eyes of MERMAIDS!

There’s a lot more where that came from. I met 23 mermaids in all. If you want a real walk on the wild side, check out my book.

The ultimate deluxe full-color paperback is available for a limited time (special sale has been extended to January 2nd) for 25% off the regular price . . . order it directly from the printer.

Plus, this stunning fantasy/travel/cookbook is also available as an ebook, in the format of your choice . . .