Before divulging Perry’s choice for Round 6 of the challenge, let me remind readers that voting for the Round 5 stories ends two weeks from today. For them who are used to wait until the third week, well, that’s no longer a good plan of action if you are planning to participate.

If your life isn’t too busy, and if you tolerate our offerings, and if you want exposure to unknown writers who — however unlikely — may someday be almost famous, well, get yourself over to THIS post.

It has links to the stories and the poll where you can vote for your favorite. As of this post, three days after publication, only one vote has been cast, so here’s your chance to forge a path into terra incognita.

Right; let’s get on with the business at hand.

As is my wont, the photos are more renderings from Photoshop Mix and Paper Artist apps. I know I used some flowers and a doodle for the above, but it might also have other layers that I now don’t remember.

Sooo . . . the writers are taking turns picking titles. By agreement, they must choose from existing titles of semi-popular books and/or movies (nothing too obscure). Gary went first, then Perry for the current round — Round 6 — and then me for Round 7, then rinse and repeat.

Without further delay, the title — submitted by Perry — for Round 6 is:

It’s a Wonderful Life

The title comes from the movie of the same name, and, honestly, I thought Perry was pulling my leg when he told me his choice. But, no . . . it was just my pants got caught on a snag.

The aim is not for the writers to duplicate or adapt the original work (although Gary didn’t follow that guideline in his current offering) but to write a unique story using that title. As usual, it can be about anything and of any genre of the writer’s choosing.

The writers have a deadline of two weeks, excluding today, to submit a story, after which the stories will be published here for readers to peruse. So, the tentative deadline for the stories is August 17th.

I’ll make no bones about not liking the movie or its messages. I mean, yes, some messages — when taken as generalities — appear admirable, but close examination of what’s actually happening points to a different and not altogether sound message for how to live life.

I’ll start with George contemplating suicide. As someone in favor of assisted suicide, what I’ll say next sounds contradictory. Especially since I think the world would be better off if a whole lot of people committed suicide.

(Side note: unfortunately, the people who commit suicide are rarely the same people I would encourage to voluntarily leave this mortal — and final — realm.)

The thing is, while I grant that everyone should have the right to self-determination, for many people — as it is with George’s contemplation — it is a tremendous act of cowardice, laziness, and selfishness.

I can absolutely see suicide as a last resort in rare cases where life is unbearable. But, in George’s case, he just hit a little speedbump. A financial speedbump, at that.

So, never mind the fact that all the things that give him reason to go on living say nothing of his character; the fact that he would willingly abdicate his responsibility as husband and father is almost enough to make me go all Catch-22 and say “Go ahead, George”.

I say this because he decides to go on living not to help his family but because he gets a pat on the back for basically muddling through life.

The weirdest reasoning is that, had he not been born, his wife Mary would have had to wear glasses, become a librarian, and remain single and childless for the rest of her life.

I don’t mean to be sexist here, but I think Donna Reed . . . er, Mary . . . would have easily found herself a husband, and if she hadn’t, I think it would be more plausible to assume it was by choice, in which case, what’s wrong with being a librarian?

Anyway, that’s the title, and I’ll have to cope. Wish me luck.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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