I’m torn. I’m really torn. A local convenience store where I live has set up several self-checkout lines. These self-scanners have become the norm in department stores and grocery stores, but it’s the first that I’ve seen them in a local convenience store. Big business in today's world I’m sure it’s an attempt by the... Continue Reading →
A mistaken identity
She had the same wispy, gray hair and hesitant smile that I remembered. I was out for a walk a few weeks ago and walked by a house where an old lady, bundled in a jacket, rocked back and forth in a rocking chair on her porch. I could hear her humming and old religious... Continue Reading →
The most wonderful time of the year
If you're one of the lucky ones, you woke up today wondering what day it is. Yes, you're completely oblivious to the day. I'm not talking about waking up in a drunken stupor. No, no, no one likes an alcohol-induced hangover. Instead, I'm talking about the days immediately before and after Christmas, right up until... Continue Reading →
Sailing against the tide
I’m a list guy. On the left-hand side of the page, I had listed out the reasons why I should stay at my job, on the right, I had listed out the reasons why I should leave. I had started the list as a theoretical “let’s get a few laughs” exercise. I had been thinking... Continue Reading →
I wonder if Leo Tolstoy had this problem
I was trying to write a note the other day to a coworker, and I kept getting stuck. The email wasn’t saying what I wanted it to say. I wasn’t writing an important treatise on the state of man. It wasn’t War and Peace. It was just a quick work note, but I was still... Continue Reading →
Making a good impression
When I met my wife for the first time, she opened the door to her apartment; greeted me; laughed at the joke I made, trying to lighten the mood; and offered me a seat. When I met one of my first bosses, he held out his hand, but was more preoccupied with what was happening... Continue Reading →
When you don’t wanna go first
We were on a Microsoft Teams call, but we may as well have been on different planets. My friend Mike rolled his eyes and covered his mouth to hide a smile, while another coworker temporarily muted her audio. Of course, I looked down at my pen as if it might give me the answer. Our... Continue Reading →
You’re needed in the ICU stat: A hospital visit from an 11-year-old’s perspective
The nurse in the Intensive Care Unit looked down at her clipboard and then back up at my mother. She explained that my father had been in-and-out of conscious much of the day and his condition remained unchanged. His blood pressure and heart rate were improving, but not out of the woods. She encouraged my... Continue Reading →
Go away bully!
I walked out of the back door of the courthouse, focused on my thoughts. I was working as a small-town newspaper reporter in Virginia and needed to get back to the office to write up my story for the next day’s paper. When I returned to my desk, I would be pressed for time, so... Continue Reading →

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