“Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.”
― Gerald G. Jampolsky, Love Is Letting Go of Fear
The duality of forgiveness.
The funny thing about this short story project is that I am able to explore various subgenres of science fiction while working through various topics and subjects. I always want to give mundane science fiction but didn’t know how to do it because everything I write about has always been dialed up to an eleven. It requires me to work through a more focused setting. That’s how An Overdue Dinner Party came about.
I wanted my first attempt at Mundane Science Fiction to be as grounded as possible without losing my style of writing. Furthermore, for the longest time, I wanted to explore the theme of forgiveness and the many sides of it. This was a personal thing for me because I’ve always struggled with that particular act despite being a Christian. However, it wasn’t therapeutic for me but it did do something else. It taught me the difference between forgiveness and acceptance.
Let me explain. I’ve never been the one to forgive people for their transgressions especially when they are repeat offenders and/or without a care. The worst part is when they get mad at me for not forgiving them citing that it’s my duty as a Christian to forgive people. Unfortunately for them, my response is always the same: “I think I’ve proven that I’m not your typical Christian.” That’s actually how to approach this story. There will be no real level of forgiveness.
I wanted the shadow of the villain to be a focal point of the story and I figured that the only way to give him layers and substances was to make him dead from the beginning of the story. That way it was possible for the readers to understand the personality and villainy of the antagonist. This also allowed me to show the level of influence he had over the men in the story and the damage he had caused in their lives. So, the reader was able to learn everything they needed to know about the villain through the stories of the men.
Then, I took it a step further by adding the butler and the son at the last minute to the outline. I did that because I needed a neutral party and an outside perspective, respectively. It actually worked out perfectly because the son was able to learn along with the reader while the butler provides my insight/views on forgiveness.
To put it bluntly, I’m not quick to forgive people but I am to accept them for who they are. That way, for me anyway, it will be harder to disappoint me – or even anger me – because I’ve already come to accept the fact that I will indeed be disappointed by that said person. My grandma isn’t a fan of this viewpoint but she knows that it’s the only way that I can hold a decent conversation with that lot; family is very important to her and I respect that. Call it a happy medium and that’s exactly what I wanted to portray in the story.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to forgive the most horrible people in your life. Instead, you have the option to accept them as a horrible person and work to limit contact with them. It’s not easy but it’s healthier, you know? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story.
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You can also learn about it on Goodreads. The link for it is here.
