I have a tendency to lose things. I hate that feeling of needing to pull out my wallet and finding that it's missing. "Damn it, where did I put it now." To avoid that feeling, I try to put my keys, wallet, change, and phone in the same place each night. I put them in... Continue Reading →
Going under the knife
The shop manager at my local garage pulls me out of the waiting room. He talks in quick, muffled bursts and carries a clipboard that has billing sheet with an outline of a car. He points to the tires. I make out only a few words, but I definitely hear tire rotation and alignment. For... Continue Reading →
A small act, a big impact
(I first ran this piece in November 2016. Volunteering never goes out of style.) The husband and wife couldn’t have been more grateful. The woman asked if we wanted something to drink or eat. I told her that I was fine and got right to work. A large group of coworkers and I were helping... Continue Reading →
Bears? Zombies? Prepared for anything
The sun is starting to set. There are dark shadows everywhere making it hard to see. I'm out for a quick run. My senses are on high alert. I see the guy walking towards me. I size him up. He's wearing a hoodie. But his jeans are baggie and falling down. He keeps needing to... Continue Reading →
Standing up to a bully
When I was in middle school, my friends and I were on the football team and raced from class at the other end of the hall to the locker room. We had to get into our football equipment and out onto the field. Our coaches wanted us on time. They didn't want us to be... Continue Reading →
Clear the mechanism!
A few thoughts in my head today: --The Silent Treatment. I get out of my car. I parked in a wooded parking lot. However, I feel like I'm right next to the road. I walk a half mile along the trail. I'm in my thoughts. I'm still making the transition from driving. The trail starts... Continue Reading →
Fix It Stations on the bumpy road of life
The biker whizzed past me on the trail. I caught up with him about a half mile up trail. He must have had a slow leak in a tire. He stopped at the "Bicycle Fix It Station" and was pumping up his front tire. When the tire was fully inflated, he used an Allen Wrench... Continue Reading →
Bad, bad Leroy Brown!
I had the window in my car down the other day when I pulled up to a red light. The sun was beaming and I felt glad to be out and enjoying myself on a bright windy day. I was tapping the wheel, drumming to the music on the radio, and enjoying the day. Right... Continue Reading →
Ghosts of parenting past
I was walking recently on a trail near our house. It swings around the local middle school tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and football fields. At one point, I stopped on the path and listened. There was a light rain and I was alone on the trail. In the mist, I thought I heard the crack... Continue Reading →

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