Trouble in the Alphabet by Rick Smith

Posted By The Peak on May 1, 2022

The rest of the alphabet reacted with mild concern when Z declared to them that it had decided to leave them all.

Z claimed it was fed-up with the lack of respect it felt from the rest of the letters. “I may not be valued as highly as some of you,” Z had expressed, “but when I’m needed, I’m as valuable as any of you.”

“We’ll be fine,” suggested the duo of O and K. “X can fill -in for Z… that can work.”

“Sounds fine to us,” said A, E, I, 0 and U, the cool letters who were adored more than all the

others.

Life was a melodrama for the letters of the alphabet, a reality not one person ever realized. But trouble brewed between the letters for ages, until a bond between them fueled the release of their greatest potential.

“I kind of agree with Z,” chimed in Q at the time. “I don’t like the way some of you look at me. I sense you don’t have much use for me.”

” And I am not sure how I feel,” said X, “about taking over Z’s duties. Why should I have to do the job of two letters?”

“It’s not like you don’t have the time,” said U. “After all, X, you mostly just sit around.”

“U might call it sitting around,” said X, “but I want all letters to know that I’m in a state of total preparedness, always ready to do my best when I’m called upon.”

The bickering went on between the letters for years. Trying to find harmony between them seemed hopeless. Some letters formed coalitions to try to exert their own preferences upon the rest. The SOB coalition was the orneriest letter group.

One day three letters decided to do in-depth research to try to resolve the lack of letter unity. F, Band I amassed pages of records about letter use and value. F, Band I worked diligently together to achieve the results, but F and I agreed that B had been somewhat ornery through the process.

“What we’ve found,” proclaimed the F, B, I trio, “is unfair and undervalued perceptions of those letters that are the least among us.”

“Give us some examples,” asked W,H and 0.

“Well, Z is one, for sure. Do not forget, that in addition to not getting much play as a letter, Z is always the last of us in line. Then there’s X, K, J and Q. They’ve been undervalued as well.”

“Yeah, what would the word “kind” be without me?” asked K. “Not to mention, ‘karaoke’. may not get used as much as some letters, but when I am it counts!”

“We all count,” responded the R, 0, Y, G, B, I, V coalition. The R, 0, Y, G, B, I, V group explained that letters were like colors, and, although some are used more than others, each contributes as needed in creating great beauty and substance.

A wave of magical understanding flowed through the letters from A to Z.

A proposition was written and offered by letters L, 0, V and E. It read, “Let this be the letter of law and the law of letters. That all letters will value each other equally, knowing that our efforts and lives united together will produce our greatest achievements.”

The proposition passed unanimously, and the letters never looked back upon their decision.

Instead, they moved forward together, uniting to produce words of wonder that never could have been produced without each and every one of them.

To comminate their peace and harmony, a new coalition of letters was appointed to find a way to forever honor and recognize every letter in the alphabet.

The new coalition — R, A, L, B, C, Sand E — was proud of the letter game they created for the alphabet. They assigned each letter a point value and created a game in which the letters used the