On this episode, Social Ascent, our short story revolves around Desmond, a man who has built a career so rich, he risks losing himself in the process. This springboards into a discussion on fame, corruption, the movie Twister, and the underappreciated talents of Lou Diamond Phillips. Then again, this IS Smirk.
Welcome to Smirk. A podcast that covers society and culture through a storytelling lens. Part creative writing, part discussion, and always interesting. Each week our hosts brings a story to the show, a story they wrote themselves, which is immediately followed by discussion on the author’s moral or theme. These stories can cover any topic the host wants to discuss, it can be lighthearted or more serious. No one but the author knows if these tales are truth or fiction, and part of the fun is guessing while you’re listening before the reality is made clear. We want to hear from you! If you want to share YOUR story, join the conversation by writing in to mystory@smirkpodcast.com, and include your moral, or you can let us guess at it. This is the podcast that looks at truth, fiction, and reality. With a Smirk. Don’t forget to subscribe to Smirk and share the show with your friends!
Want to read Amanda’s story “Social Ascent” in full? Think you can identify the moral or theme for this episode? Read it below, and then take a listen to the podcast.
Social Ascent
Desmond has spent his entire life finding a way to get by. His adoptive parents died within a year of each other when he was 17 years old, but wasn’t adopted until he was 12. Still, those were the years of his life that meant the most. These losses caused extreme devastation.
He hit the streets, got in with the wrong crowd which got him into trouble with the law a couple of times, getting out with warnings given his tumultuous past. His closest friend from childhood, Joe, also fell into the wrong crowd, but didn’t get the warnings. Joe’s cyclical incarcerations led to a drug problem, which ultimately ended his life. Desmond found him two days later, dead from an overdose.
After resistance to assistance, Desmond finally held his hand out for help. He gained a support system and they helped find him a decent paying job working in a rehabilitation center. The irony. He began taking on more hours because it gave him more time to talk with the clients and learn he wasn’t the only one struggling with life. These efforts led him to the realization that he wanted to go to school so HE could counsel them into safety. He went through a couple accelerated programs and had his Master’s in four and a half years.
When he finished school, he already had plans in place to open his own facility. Two years into it, he’s saved 378 lives from addiction and poverty, and has been commended by his city and state for hard work. He’s become nationally renowned, written books, spoken on television broadcasts, and has received a ton of fame from this success.
His wealth and success has spread into personal avenues of his life, and his friends and employees have noticed a shift in his demeanor; he seems to be engrossed in the celebrity of his success now rather than the work he originally sought out to. While the number of people he’s serving has increased, his number of employees have not. They’re becoming overwhelmed and he doesn’t address this. He says there’s not enough profit to warrant adding more workers.
One day, new individuals walk into the main facility requesting to speak with Desmond. As hes requested that I’ll walk ins and calls be held, the secretary declines saying he’s in an appointment. They offer to wait and she makes more excuses. With this push back, the two elect to tell the secretary why they’re seeking his time. They believe him to be their biological son.
The secretary walks into Desmond’s office to inform him, and when she returns she replies, “I’m sorry, Mr. Cleeseman is unavailable. Can I take a message?”