21 October 2026, Freewriters Community Daily Writing Prompt Day 3263: bronze statue
On a particular day, Capt. R.E. Ludlow was sorting certain documents about his father for his nephew Edwin III and niece Garlene, and, as always when he did such things, he left his study open in case his father's great-grandchildren and their little cousin adopted with them were curious about what he was doing and who Edwin Ludlow Sr. had been in the memory of his baby son. “Baby Bob” Ludlow was the child of his father's relative old age, and so he had a lot of material his mother had collected toward the end of Edwin Sr.'s celebrated but also hated career.
“Envy is real,” Edwin Sr. had been known to say, “and it is a blessing to have a reason for someone to envy you instead of it just being somebody's pure mental folly.”
Ouch. Ludlows were blunt. That had run down faithfully into Edwin Sr.'s baby son Capt. Ludlow and into most of his great-grandchildren through the captain – especially five-year-old Lil' Robert, eight-year-old Edwina, nine-year-old George, and occasionally – though glided with all the elegance of her great-grandmother Helen Ludlow, wife of Edwin Sr. – eleven-year-old Eleanor Ludlow.
Six-year-old Grayson Ludlow, however, took after the other side of his great-grandfather, who rarely did interviews over most of his career: Grayson was quiet, but his mind and hands were working all the time. He especially seemed to pop up when Capt. Ludlow was looking at the things that pertained to the captain's father, and because he was quiet, he also tended to be underfoot if Capt. Ludlow did not watch out for him. The captain just left copies of interesting things his father had said about different projects out in strategic places so that Grayson would not get all up under him just reading something before the captain realized he was there.
Grayson also was following the path of his big brother ten-year-old Andrew, who kept notebooks handy to copy down anything he thought was interesting or important. Grayson was not quite as organized yet about writing, but he made careful blueprints of anything he was serious about building in Legos or clay with white crayon on blue construction paper, and he had begun writing down things he thought were important with blue crayon on white paper.
“He is daily moving, even in color usage, toward my father,” Capt. Ludlow said.
So, Capt. Ludlow heard the rustle of paper and looked over to see Grayson, on this particular day, copying something Edwin Ludlow Sr. had said.
“Found something good, Grayson?” the captain purred.
“Yeah, this is real good here,” Grayson said, and brought the article over to his grandfather. “It's a lot to copy, but, I'm taking the main part about why not to have a statue put up.”
Capt. Ludlow looked, smiled, and then read the quote from his father aloud: “I desire that Lofton County spare me a bronze stature in my memory. Keep my buildings up, and in good order, and that is more expensive, and enough. I have given the local birds enough to sit on, but at least the people can sit in what I have built, like God has given birds the trees to sit on and in. A bronze statue is for a vain man who does not know any better than the birds what trees and buildings are for.”
“That last part, Papa,” Grayson said. “That's real good because I never see anything happening on all these statues in Lofton County but birds hanging out and doing what birds do, while buildings are helping people and trees are helping birds.”
“And, y'all are both right,” Capt. Ludlow said. “Copy it well, grandson, and keep this in mind: all things made just to show off end up being for the birds.”
“I'm gonna add that on, too … I'll just put Papa Edwin up here, and you right underneath,” Grayson said, and Capt. Ludlow watched with deep affection as Grayson carefully copied what he wanted, and then put what he had copied away. Capt. Ludlow made a photocopy of the article, and circled the quote from his father in blue crayon, and gave that to Grayson too.
“It's called primary sourcing,” he said gently, “so when you see what you have copied, you know where it came from and can show your siblings and someday your children.”
“Oh, this is great – I'm just going to need more folders – thanks, Papa,” Grayson said, and went to put the article with his copying.