The Story Behind the Story - The Baby Slot
I love it when I write something fictional, and then find out it's true. Was it something I overheard, or read, or the Universe whispered in my ear?
I've posted a short story, "The Baby Slot," written before the law was passed in some states allowing a mother to relinquish her newborn at any hospital or, I think, church.
What prompts the story? "The Baby Slot," was seeded by three things:
- I was reading again and again about newborns found in dumpsters, on gas station bathroom floors, in front of churches and thought, "What if?"
- I had just been through the extended death of a friend's newborn son, and met an older man, a volunteer, who came to Children's Hospital and held the babies in the NICU.
- My father-in-law was in the early-middle stages of Dementia, and I was spending a lot of time with him.
Here's "The Baby Slot."
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sonshi (not verified) says:
Beautiful
Ericka,
What can I say. You're a wonderful writer. The Baby Slot's mix of old and young, realism and dream state, current and past were skillfully woven in a small amount of space. The Valerie and hummingbird flashbacks were poignant.
The story made me curious, angry, sad, hopeful. Most important, in my opinion, it made me face the cold hard truth to then allow me to figure out what I can do to make our society better. It may be too late for the old man, Mr. Martin, but it's not for most of us.
If we all can learn like the old man has finally learned that the time to make things right is from the beginning, to set at least a proper example for children to follow or to make the leap and help each other when tough problems arise. It's about stepping up but as usual some so-called mature adults even mess that up. Being a board member of a large child advocacy center that helps abused children, I know for certain we have a long way to go.
Ericka Lutz says:
Thank you!
Such thoughtful comments, Thomas. I really appreciate the read. I love this story -- Mr. Martin came in from nowhere and taught me a lot. I sent this story out a bunch of times but it never found a home, so it's nice to be able to share it here.
sonshi (not verified) says:
Thank you so much for
Thank you so much for sharing it. Like a precious baby, the story will eventually find a home. Please don't give up because I think it's a brilliant, touching story.