The Story Frame Newsletter

The Story Frame

Short and funny personal stories and thoughts on how to write them.

Tags: satire

Showing 12 results:

I'm Committed to My Wife but Not THAT Committed

Ink Life Commitments (1/3) My daughter told me, "Daddy, I want to get a tattoo." She was four the first time she said it, so she was probably talking about the fake tattoos, which are very popular with her friends, the ones you put on and wear off a few days later. I don't see any harm in that,...

by Carlos Garbiras — Jun 11, 2025 culture relationships satire society

Your Kids' Indiscriminate Pruning Independence

Or how kids have plans and don't care about yours. "Stop!" I shouted from across the yard. I find myself shouting this a lot around my daughters. I don't necessarily want to. I want them to grow up feeling the world is a "yes space," but it does seem like the world is not a "yes space" outside o...

by Carlos Garbiras — May 28, 2025 culture parenting relationships satire

I Survived a Tornado in Dallas But Barely

Becoming a storm chaser for a night Living in Texas is not for the weak of stomach. Sure, property is cheap there. Sometimes, you go to Buc-ee's for gas, a Slurpee, and some Venison jerky. When you walk outside, you realize the clerk stuffed the title to a giant ranch right under your armpit. ...

by Carlos Garbiras — May 21, 2025 culture relationships satire society travel

My First Communion Party and the Many Glories of Being a Kid of Divorce

The Virgin Can Be Scarier Than an Atomic Iguana (2/3) I was under no delusion; the Virgin could still walk into my mom's room and ruin the plans I had for the rest of my life. I was pleased when the Virgin decided not to talk to me all night. When the sun came out, I took a 12-minute nap. I don’...

by Carlos Garbiras — May 13, 2025 coming of age culture intercultural satire society

The Last Night I Lost Sleep and My First Communion

The Virgin Can Be Scarier Than an Atomic Iguana (1/3) I still remember the last time I lost sleep. September 14, 1994. Okay, I made up a date, but I remember the night. It was the night before my first communion. After six months of memorizing prayers and passages from the Bible, I was finally ...

by Carlos Garbiras — May 12, 2025 coming of age culture family intercultural satire

In Get Rich Quick Seminars, The Back is for Poor People

I am a sucker for a get-rich-quick scheme (3/3) There I was, a brand new immigrant, newly arrived in California, ready to consume all the information to get me started on the oh-so-American path from rags to riches. The seminar organizers were prepared to give me even more than I had bargained f...

by Carlos Garbiras — Apr 23, 2025 culture sales satire society

When You Are Finally Able to Afford Gold Caviar

I am a sucker for a get-rich-quick scheme The stranger made a beeline for my wife and me through the sea of Christmas shoppers, drowning in the desperation to find the perfect last-minute gift in Walnut Creek's open-air mall, Broadway Plaza. "Wow, you have an amazing smile!" He said. "Here we go...

Apr 23, 2025 culture sales satire society

I Have Been to Many 'Get Rich Quick' Seminars

I am a sucker for a get-rich-quick scheme (2/3) Jamal came by on the day of our meeting. He knocked on the door, and I let him in. The person who walked into my living room was a stranger in my friend's body who asked me, "Can any of your knives cut through a Coca-Cola can?" I felt silly admittin...

by Carlos Garbiras — Apr 22, 2025 culture sales satire society

Would You Like to Join My Multi-Level Marketing Group?

I am a sucker for a get-rich-quick scheme (1/3) The stranger made a beeline for my wife and me through the sea of Christmas shoppers, drowning in the desperation to find the perfect last-minute gift in Walnut Creek's open-air mall, Broadway Plaza. "Wow, you have an amazing smile!" He said. "Here ...

by Carlos Garbiras — Apr 21, 2025 culture personal essay sales satire

Feeling in Your Ankle When a Storm Is Going to Roll by

My mom’s gift of gab convinced me to wear girly roller skates (3/3) All adults in the city break away for a few hours at noon to head home for lunch. My mom would make it home for lunch, but we lived on the fourth floor of a four-floor building—the exact floor limit to avoid building an elevato...

by Carlos Garbiras — Apr 15, 2025 coming of age memoir personal essay relationships satire

My Mom Has Labia In Spades

My mom’s gift of gab convinced me to wear girly roller skates (2/3) And my mom has "labia" in spades. So, I might've had the discerning power to know that the beef round didn't taste in any way like a burger, but I believed her when she told me that our roller skates were unisex. If anyone even...

by Carlos Garbiras — Apr 14, 2025 colombia coming of age culture parenting satire

Rolling Into Trauma With My Fuchsia and Magenta Unisex Rollerblades

My mom’s gift of gab convinced me to wear girly roller skates (1/3) When I was 12, my mom got a pair of roller skates as a gift from a friend who had returned from Miami. The boot was a bright white, two wheels were magenta, and the other two were fuchsia. Rollerblades had been on my list of "Mo...

by Carlos Garbiras — Apr 07, 2025 colombia coming of age parenting personal essay satire teenager

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The Story Frame

Short and funny personal stories and thoughts on how to write them.

Tags: satire

The Story Frame

Short and funny personal stories and thoughts on how to write them.

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