Ripped - By Craftingmom

[Hunter Thomson]

I see that this wonderful story hasn't received a thread yet. Let the discussion begin.

 

We keep talking about the fact that Declan is eventually going to figure out what Bailey's been doing, but its interesting to note that he's had a few opportunities to ask about it now, and he's chosen not to. I think that Declan already knows what's going on, and he doesn't want to make it more real by talking about it. It's not in his normal character, but I think we've seen that when Bailey's involved that Declan doesn't act in ways he normally acts.

[Timothy M.]

Great idea, Hunter.

I'm not sure I agree about Declan realizing what Bailey's secret is. He seems to be quite flustered and out of his depth whenever he gets close to Bailey. In a way I hope he doesn't find out before Bailey no longer needs the cutting to deal with his pain.

[drpaladin]

I agree with @Timothy M.  Declan has seen and felt clues, but he has always been distracted before he could begin to process them fully. If he was a detective evaluating evidence in a case, he might begin putting pieces together and work out what is happening. I have little hope the discovery will come after the cutting is no longer needed. It is a tough habit to break. 

[FormerMember4]

1 minute ago, drpaladin said:

I agree with @Timothy M.  Declan has seen and felt clues, but he has always been distracted before he could begin to process them fully. If he was a detective evaluating evidence in a case, he might begin putting pieces together and work out what is happening. I have little hope the discovery will come after the cutting is no longer needed. It is a tough habit to break. 

You are right. Even when you learn your triggers and coping tools... the urge will always be there.

[Former Member]

I am hoping that @craftingmom’s muse finds its way back to her soon. Just as Declan and Bailey seemed to have achieved the intimacy that we’d been hoping for from the beginning of the story, her muse abandoned us. I just wanted craftingmom to know that she still has at least one fan who’s looking forward to reading more of her work…

[Hunter Thomson]

On 10/4/2019 at 1:14 AM, droughtquake said:

I am hoping that @craftingmom’s muse finds its way back to her soon. Just as Declan and Bailey seemed to have achieved the intimacy that we’d been hoping for from the beginning of the story, her muse abandoned us. I just wanted craftingmom to know that she still has at least one fan who’s looking forward to reading more of her work…

I have done poorly in not tending to this thread. I don't wish to push @craftingmom, but have we heard any updates on what might be happening with the story? It's a fine piece of literature, and now that I'm a teacher I get to look at the story with a brand new perspective.

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, Hunter Thomson said:

…and now that I'm a teacher I get to look at the story with a brand new perspective.

Are you conducting your classes online?

[Hunter Thomson]

14 hours ago, droughtquake said:

Are you conducting your classes online?

I am, but just until June. Then we're ordered back to class while our students can (optional to the students) join us for one day a week per student for instruction. It promises to be a catastrophe of enormous proportions, but I don't have seniority so I can't say anything. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Hunter Thomson said:

I am, but just until June. Then we're ordered back to class while our students can (optional to the students) join us for one day a week per student for instruction. It promises to be a catastrophe of enormous proportions, but I don't have seniority so I can't say anything. 

I live in an economically disadvantaged area (high unemployment for decades) and while distance learning is the official policy, we all know that many families here do not have computers in their homes, and many do not have internet access. Many students relied on computers in schools or libraries which are closed. Others relied on internet access in libraries, McDonald’s, or Starbucks which are also unavailable (although I know that homeless people used to sit outside the library after it closed to use the WiFi connection which was still active).

I don’t know where homeless people are recharging their electronics with fast food seating areas unavailable and libraries closed. I guess that leaves BART trains (where there’s a single outlet hidden under a seat, apparently so they could vacuum the carpets that used to cover the floors). The service agencies that had power outlets available will be restricting the numbers of clients who can remain inside and not allow people to hang around while their phones charge.
:–(

[Hunter Thomson]

23 hours ago, droughtquake said:

I live in an economically disadvantaged area (high unemployment for decades) and while distance learning is the official policy, we all know that many families here do not have computers in their homes, and many do not have internet access. Many students relied on computers in schools or libraries which are closed. Others relied on internet access in libraries, McDonald’s, or Starbucks which are also unavailable (although I know that homeless people used to sit outside the library after it closed to use the WiFi connection which was still active).

I don’t know where homeless people are recharging their electronics with fast food seating areas unavailable and libraries closed. I guess that leaves BART trains (where there’s a single outlet hidden under a seat, apparently so they could vacuum the carpets that used to cover the floors). The service agencies that had power outlets available will be restricting the numbers of clients who can remain inside and not allow people to hang around while their phones charge.
:–(

That's awful. I'm fortunate that my district is well funded. The first week after spring break, we phoned all of our students and confirmed who needed internet and device access. The district then went and provided laptops and wifi access to all of our struggling students, free of charge to the families. Those devices will be expected to be returned either at the end of this school year, or the beginning of the next school year. I'm not certain, but I do know that all my students have the technical ability to communicate with me. That ability hasn't always translated into a willingness, but nothing to be done on that one...

 

Returning to the story a bit, I was thinking a bit about my own athletic career at that age, and how well I would have been treated by the Heritage kids. I play baseball and curl. It seems like the baseball kids don't get a lot of respect at Heritage, and I can only think about what would be said about curling based on what was said about gymnastics and other sports. For those who don't know much about curling, it's not a brute force sport. There's a lot of finesse involved, and while sweeping definitely requires strong upper body and arm muscles, the actual act of throwing a rock isn't as much about throwing the rock as much as it's about perfectly controlling your own body on a sheet of ice. So there's a lot of held muscle positions, especially with the legs and lower body. I know from firsthand experience even in Canada that most people who haven't curled scoff at how much effort is needed, and then try it only to find themselves sore the following day. That, or they just fling stones across the sheet and fail miserably. So I can appreciate the position of the gymnastics team about not being given much credit for their skills.

[Guest]

Oh, your avatar is a Curler! The answer to the once-every-four-years question about the strangest, most pointless, and least-well-known ‘sport.’ I thought it was a hockey player or something!

If Baseball and Softball are too American to be an Olympic sport, why isn’t Curling too Canadian to be an Olympic sport?
;–)

[Hunter Thomson]

On 5/19/2020 at 7:30 PM, droughtquake said:

Oh, your avatar is a Curler! The answer to the once-every-four-years question about the strangest, most pointless, and least-well-known ‘sport.’ I thought it was a hockey player or something!

If Baseball and Softball are too American to be an Olympic sport, why isn’t Curling too Canadian to be an Olympic sport?
;–)

So cruel. Doubly so for that backhanded insult to my summer sport. Contrary to popular opinion, curling is a physically demanding sport. Precision, not raw force, is the name of the game. But don't take my word for it, I'll let the laddies and ladies speak for themselves.