What's grit got to do with it flash fiction

What’s Grit Got to Do with It?

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Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge - true grit

This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that shows true grit. You can use the phrase or embody the theme. Who or what has true grit? Go where the prompt leads you!

Grit is a combination of many things including perseverance, determination, resilience, persistence, doggedness. It’s an ability to overcome the small obstacles that litter life’s path without allowing them to overwhelm and prevent a way forward.

Teaching requires grit. Along with the enormous expectations and responsibilities of the role, there are the needs of many little people to be met. Most days teachers cope admirably, but some days can offer a little more challenge.

One of our roles as teachers is to help children develop grit, to have a go, persevere, be persistent and resilient. In any class, there will be children with varying degrees of grit. There will be those who are just a little more needy, requiring a little more encouragement and support. Most days they might cope admirably, other days may offer a little more challenge.

As John Denver sang, “Some Days are Diamonds. Some Days are Stones.”

Some days may be just a little grittier than others and we might need a whole bucketful of grit to make it through.

A Bucketful of Grit - flash fiction

A Bucketful of Grit

“Miss, Jimmie’s crying.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Susan,” she smiled through gritted teeth.

What now? Couldn’t she just finish her tea for once? Something trivial, no doubt. Better go see, just in case.

She met a small posse escorting Jimmie across the playground. Their imploring eyes begged her sympathy.

“What’s wrong, Jimmie?”

“I, I —”

“He got grit in his eye, Miss.”

“Let’s see. Ah, yes. Better take him to First Aid.”

The children moved off as one, except George. He turned and held out a bucket.

“What’s that?”

“You told Jimmie to find some grit. Here ‘tis!”

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

45 thoughts on “What’s Grit Got to Do with It?”

    1. Norah Post author

      Thanks, Charli. It was only as I wrote my flash that John Denver’s song came to mind. Some days are definitely easier than others and it depends as much upon how the teacher is feeling as how the children are responding. I hope the teacher accepted the grit with a smile and lightened up herself. I don’t think she was having a good day up to that point.

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  16. thecontentedcrafter

    I’m glad to be back in time for this little story Norah. I could relate to the teacher’s throwaway comment and the twist showing how kids so often take what we say literally. I once angrily told my tardy seven year old daughter she ‘needed to pull up her socks’ and then burst out laughing when she obediently did so – it’s an often told story 🙂

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    1. Norah Post author

      Where have you been, Pauline? I have missed you. I’m pleased you found the story believable. That’s funny about your daughter ‘literally’ pulling up her socks. Our language must be so confusing for new speakers, including native speakers. 🙂

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      1. thecontentedcrafter

        Ha, thanks Norah, it’s always nice to be missed 😀 I was unwell, then on a significant birthday week, then plain exhausted 🙂 Plus a few issues with my ISP that made time online harrowing – but all is on track again and -touch wood – I’m back to normal. The sock story is a winner isn’t it – it came up again during our week together and we were musing on how kids are so often downright discombobulated by the things grown ups say. That incident certainly made me aware I had inherited some pretty weird turns of phrase and helped me become more conscious……..

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        1. Norah Post author

          We do have some pretty weird idioms in English. 🙂
          I’m sorry you were unwell but am pleased that you are feeling better now.
          Happy (late) significant birthday week. I hope you had a wonderful time. I think they’re all getting pretty significant now. There will be fewer in the future than in the past. That makes them rare and thus each one more valuable. 🙂
          I see a notice of a new post in my inbox. I’ll get to it as soon as I can. 🙂

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  19. Erica/Erika

    Hi Norah, I love the word “grit!” I believe it is the secret ingredient when dealing with many of the challenges in life. I enjoyed the play on words on the “Bucketful of Grit.” It also reminds me about children’s perception and how they often take many words literally.

    John Denver had a big impact in my growing up years. Yet, I haven’t heard this song. Teary watching him again. Thank you!

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    1. Norah Post author

      I’m pleased you enjoyed my story, Erica. Thank you. I struggled to find a response to the prompt and wrote it at the final hour, I think. I did try to put a few uses of the word ‘grit’ in it. Children do tend to take things literally. I think the teacher was in need of a little extra that day herself, so I hope the bucketful helped. 🙂
      That song of John Denver’s came immediately to mind when I wrote my story. I’m surprised you hadn’t heard it before. I remember when we lost him. I couldn’t believe he’d gone. Such a loss of musical talent. It is a beautiful song.

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