I have a friend. She moved last week, but I see her when I look out the window.
She is, in fact, only three short blocks away — happily situated on the tenth floor of one apartment building, while I’m content on the eleventh floor of another. And, as luck would have it, we face each other. Nothing stands in our way, we enjoy a clear, unobstructed sight line. It’s a perfect setup.
The nifty arrangement allows us to skip the traditional phone calls and visits. In their place, we use the clandestine messaging technique of 10-year olds: we flash our lights. Every night at 10:00 we position ourselves at our respective stations — she at a light switch, me on the balcony, flashlight in hand. The trial run wasn’t very promising; my co-conspirator fell asleep before the 10:00 pm rendezvous. That’s the big danger when you’re our age. Spontaneous naps.
Nevertheless, night two went off without a hitch. At the stroke of 10:00, lights flashed like crazy and kept flashing for long minutes. I felt exposed and conspicuous, standing outside, but sheepish gave way to impudent the instant I started laughing. It was a gas. I waved my flashlight like a shipwreck survivor, sketched wild, swooping arcs with the beam, flipped it on and off and on and off.
Mind you, all this transpires in the middle of downtown, where I’m surrounded by tall buildings and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of windows. Hotels, offices, churches, hospitals, restaurants, bars. Eventually and inevitably, someone somewhere is going to spot these shenanigans and mistake our antics for a distress call. 9-1-1 will be alerted and emergency personnel dispatched. In that case, criminal charges will almost certainly be filed for issuing false alarms or creating a public nuisance. They’ll think of something; city officials are notoriously humorless.
In the meantime, however, watch out! Mooning isn’t out of the question, installing a zip line is a possibility. Obscene gestures and profane signage are options, as well. Heck, maybe the flashing will catch on and the entire city will start strobing like a disco ball every night.
copyright © 2018 the whirly girl
the whirly girl 
14 responses to “: the not-so-secret society of flashers :”
Hmmm, between friends? It’s probably fine. Strangers down below..a different story.
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That’s what I was afraid of. Thanks for confirming; I canceled my order for a catapult 🤦🏻♀️
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How Fun! I would suggest Bean Bags but, Nerff won’t break a window or hurt anyone if you miss, while slingshotting. Lol
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Oooh, I know! I’ll get a catapult, load it up with water balloons, and bombs away. Is that illegal?
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That’s awesome! You have your own (not so) secret club. You should try walkie talkies. As Straddle the Turtle says, “The possibilities are endless!”
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Walkie talkies are a terrific idea! You know what this reminds me of? Big, the movie with Tom Hanks. Except I’m going the opposite direction — Little.
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I like it.
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Aw, thanks 🙃
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I’m happy to know there are people who still do stuff like this. You’re right, though. Sooner or later someone is bound to assume the worst. Until then, though–LAUGH IT UP, GIRL! :)
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I’m glad to know there are people who understand how flipping fun this is. Come on, grab a lantern and join us :o)
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You should sketch your mind in post-its notes on the window. Always fun.
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Really? A whole, entire post-it note? That’s way too ambitious for me and my brain :o)
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Hilarious! I would be so into this if I lived in one of those windows across from you. I’d do daytime, too, like a parade goer. I’d wave flags for every occasion (patriotic days, St. Patty’s Day, our birthdays… And then maybe pin prayer flags on a clothesline in times of distress. As one of my art professors said about a zillion times, “The possibilities are endless!”
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They are and I’m still considering my options 🙃 I wish there was a long range Nerf product I could use —- darts or frisbees or baseball gear. Or, ooh, a water balloon launcher would be ideal. A high-power slingshot. See? Endless possibilities.
💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡🔦💡
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