Good Day Brewers - Pang here! ☕

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes~ (840 words)

CLINK!

I found myself crashing head-on right through the glass windows.

For a split second, everything froze.

I was in mid-air, nine stories above ground.

Before I took the plunge. I screamed… but I had no voice.

The monstrous fall was so powerful that I felt like a loaded spring, and the recoil sent me soaring another story higher, flying past a couple.

The impact broke my back. It left me crippled like a man without a spine.

I had been loyal to my owners, shielding them from the heat on sunny days and sheltering them from the pelting rain on stormy days. Despite my unwavering loyalty, I was no longer functional to them.

I’d be swept away by the cleaner, towed away to the incinerator, and disposed off—a tragic ending.

“What movies should we catch later?” My girlfriend and I were chatting happily, ready to catch up on the latest Netflix shows.

We were strolling along the narrow walkway beside this towering flat that stretched into the sky like a colossal concrete giant.

CLINK!

A bright red umbrella crashes through the windows.

It landed just three steps away from us with a loud THUD! The recoil sent it flying past our faces, inches away from giving me a knockout that’d surely leave me in a coma for days, if it wasn’t time to see Jesus yet.

A few more steps forward and that could have been disastrous. The impact would have shattered our skulls. One of us could have landed in the hospital, or be in a coffin right now.

And it would have done more than just that.

It’d have shattered my dreams to build a storytelling business that’d inspire others to share their stories. Pang’s tweets and emails will no longer show up on your timeline and in your inbox.

Everything will go down in history.

But it doesn’t end there.

Loud screams pierced through the peaceful and tranquil morning. The cries of a lady going through birth or so, I thought. Followed by shouts and curses and swearing.

Her husband must have cheated on her.

What other explanation could there be for her actions, when, in the midst of a heated argument, she hurled an umbrella aimlessly, narrowly missing her husband, and unintentionally turning it into a potential weapon of harm?

If it had, the blood would not only have stained her hands and wiped out her life completely, but also left other families heartbroken.

A girl who’d lost her boyfriend. A family who’d lost his son. X who lost their favorite storyteller.

This is a great lesson for you.

As creators, we’re often tempted to act hastily, whether it's responding to small conflicts, starting hate speech and controversies, or resorting to plagiarism to gain attention.

To be a respected leader, it’s important to understand that your actions may have consequences, just like the umbrella you threw out of the window.

It could have taken someone’s life.

Depth of Stories

Most stories on X are boring to read. They’re one-dimensional stories focused on zooming to the finishing line. That’s what happens when you’re too systematic and objective-driven—you lose touch with your creativity.

And you wonder why no one remembers your stories?

Think of it like you’re peeling onions.

• If you get to the center too quickly, no one’s going to get emotional, let alone cry.

• If you peel only from one side, then you’ll only be able to taste one side of the story.

This isn’t a race.

Sculpting a good story is like painting a canvas. It requires your splash of creativity. Every stroke needs to have purpose and depth. Every angle has value.

Perspective is Power

This story took place because of a near-death experience.

Yet by exploring a few different perspectives, I was able to deliver the story to be a whole lot more impactful and purposeful.

Perspective 1: The Red Umbrella

An object has no feelings. It has no thoughts. It has no control over its actions.

And that’s why it served the perfect purpose in this story—by hooking you in with an unexpected twist!

Yes, the umbrella is the HOOKER!

It brought you along with fun and excitement!

• Crashing through the windows.

• Hanging in mid-air.

• Plunging from nine floors.

They’re scary moments that keep you on the edge of your seat.

What if this object has the brains of a normal human being?

What’s going through its mind? How would it have felt?

Perspective 2: Pang’s Perspective

In this story, I played the role of the OBSERVER!

I could have played the role of the “HANDICAP” if the red umbrella somehow smashed my skull and left me in a coma.

But it didn’t.

Perspective 3: Pang’s girlfriend’s Perspective

And if it did, my girlfriend would have been devastated at the impact.

The loss would have been unbearable.

My girlfriend played the role of the CONCERNED BYSTANDER.

Perspective 4: The Distressed Lady’s Perspective

But the most important perspective is the PROTAGONIST.

A lady in distress who made a rash decision in a heated moment.

The scene I’ve witnessed and the screams I’ve heard justify how I come to the logical conclusion that her husband might have cheated on her.

But her actions didn’t justify the emotions she felt—which could have potentially harmed innocent parties.

The perspectives explored within this story allow you to experience different emotions, leading to the most important conclusion that sometimes our actions (intended or not) may have unintended consequences.

By identifying them, you’d also be able to know the roles that different characters played within the story. That’d help you with developing your characters.

That’s how you peel the layers of onion, my friend.

What did you like or dislike about this story? Tell me about it!

Your Barista,

Pang

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