“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
My friend Marilyn Armstrong sent me this quote, which at the time applied perfectly to a stupid act I had just unknowingly committed. I’ve decided as penance for my action that I should write a poem to this theme and invite anyone who wishes to join me to do the same–poetry or prose.
The first person who answers this prompt will be my further prompt. I will take the first word of each of your sentences for the first word in each of my lines of the poem. Please note that your entry need not be a poem, but if it is a very long essay or story, I will just take the first words from the first twenty or thirty lines or sentences, lest my poem run on for too long. Use the quote above for your theme and send a link to your piece in the comments below.
Will whomever it was who asked me to post another quotation prompt please identify herself so I can give her credit? I’m crazy busy right now and tried to find your comment, but couldn’t!!! Thanks in advance for the suggestion!!! Judy
P.S. The picture above is not intended as a prompt. It is just an illustration of my stupidity coupled with Morrie’s absence of malice in creating this mess and severely limiting the supply of toilet paper in my house. We all know he went on to much more destructive acts–all with absence of malice. He’s tamed down some and his present hi-jinks have been limited to a construction worker’s back pack and four sponges used to smooth the stucco. And any errant plastic cup that gets in his way.
Marilyn Armstrong was the first to answer this prompt. Go HERE to read my poem based on her essay. I’m still accepting entries for another week, so please give me a link to your blog in my comments section of this post and on November 12th, when the entry period is over, I’ll list the entries of merit and links to all your blogs.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
This is funny, of course, because it is someone else’s dog and not mine. They are quite productive aren’t they when they would like to make a mess. Of course dogs are like little kids…so cute that you can’t stay mad for long.
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I know. He’s done much worse and I still love him to death. Um. Not literally.
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I’m glad sweet, retiring, shy little Morrie seems to be growing out of his “my jaws, the world” phase. I had one hound sho never grew out of it and we lived in a state of siege for 12 years.
Bonnie settled down around 2 years old, which is when most dogs seem\ to release those final gas bubbles from their funny little brains. Terriers mature slowly and stay puppy-like longer than most breeds. Which makes them terrorists — but lovable. You may WANT to strangle them, but usually wind up laughing.
That quote has worked for me in so many ways. It reminds me (often) that acts of true malice are relatively rare. Most stuff is done by accident or ignorance or just a flash of “duh” … to which, sadly, we all are prone.
But not Morrie! He’s always smart!
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Don’t you think it is serendipitous that I was getting to know you just as Morrie was slipped into my life? Just think of how you and Bonnie have added to my understanding of the unique Scottie personality. I think regardless of my skepticism regarding a benevolent fatherly God who watches over humans, that Scotties must have some great Anubis-like god of their own!
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Love the photo. 🙂
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