In an online writing class this summer, I’d given the following writing prompt, “What if . . . .” Participants had 10 minutes to write whatever came to mind. Here is Bob Bader’s response:

What if I were never born? The sun would still rise and set each day. The birds would still sing and the bees buzz. Flowers would still grow tall and give off sweet fragrances. Girls would still dance and boys, oh boys, would still be a pain to girls. That is, until the boys were older then the pain would be of a much different kind intermingled with sweet love.