It was a bright and sunny night and all of the animals and people in all of the houses and barns and pastures and well, you get the idea, were wide awake.
After all, this was the Village of Backwards and there was a tradition to uphold.
The sign at the entrance to town read “EMOCLEW” and the red octagonal traffic signs on the corners spelled “OG”
The local driving populace stopped on green lights and drove down the middle of the streets…backwards of course.
The pedestrians also very naturally walked backwards and as they passed each other, frowned and said “Goodbye”
When you were 6 or so years old you started College in The Village and after 12 or so years you graduated first grade.
All of the front entrances to stores and even the “ECILOP” station were locked and you entered….YES you are correct, through the rear.
New Years Eve was a day late and celebrated on January First with fireworks at noon.
It was a sad town which made everyone happy. Dogs walked their Masters in the park and the garbage truck brought new trash every Saturday.
Then one day a little blond haired six year old boy named Otto stood in the middle of the town round and yelled…”I want to start school in First Grade and I want to walk my dog and walk down the street forward so that I can see where I’m going!”
A crowd started to form as the boy continued citing all of the backward things that he thought to be rather silly and for the very first time the people started to think about their town in a whole new darkness.
The very next day as Otto climbed into his first grade school desk, the sign man was repainting all of the town signs and especially the one that read “WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE OF FORWARDS.”
That was many years ago now but there is still one stubborn family who lives in a house with the basement on the third floor and yells “Goodbye” to everyone that strolls past.