Inviting TroubleLesley Mukwacha  y© Copyright 2023 by Lesley Mukwacha |
 Image by Brigitte JAUFFRINEAU from Pixabay |
Dinner
was served, a delicious cottage pie, green salad and roasted tin
foiled banana with melted dark chocolate for desert; just the silence
told you everyone was enjoying their meal. The big fire in the middle
kept us all warm on this cold winter night. My clients were all
happy, why shouldn't they be, I was doing a great job of guiding them
through four Southern African countries they had only dreamt of. . . .
Regina, The Strange LionLesley Mukwacha y© Copyright 2023 by Lesley Mukwacha |
Photo by Chris Rhoads on Unsplash. |
The
smell of fried
cabbage coming out of the small kitchen where my mom was preparing
lunch will always be the one I blame for what happened four hours
later that bright summer afternoon. Sadza,(stiff porridge) and fried
cabbage, would be the meal of that day, no meat to accompany them,
and it had been the same meal for the past three days. I had had just
about enough of that. I wanted meat, I craved meat, I needed meat -
even fish would do. . . .
I Love Clock From My ChildhoodChaitanyamoi Chetia © Copyright 2023 by Chaitanyamoi Chetia |
 Image courtesy of Mun Bora on Facebook |
In
the year 2014, a clock tower was installed at Dibrugarh: with the
installation, the city gave a vintage look to the onlookers, and it
became the first city in the state of Assam to get a clock tower. It
was a 45 feet tower erected at Chowkidingee traffic point facing four
sides of the road at the intersection. The clock was elegantly
curved having graceful dials of 6 feet diameter each, facing the four
sides of the road. . . .
Believe MeLauren Barrett © Copyright 2023 by Lauren Barrett |
 Photo of Lauren. |
I
adjust the camera on my phone for what seems like the 100th time
trying to find the perfect angle and lighting to capture my face. It
isn’t working.
Sighing
in defeat, I get ready to press the join button. No one will care
what I look like in a chronic illness support group anyway. . . .
White EnvelopeGiles Ryan © Copyright 2023 by Giles Ryan |
 Photo by Richard Loller. |
It’s
a delicate business, paying a bribe. Unlike other transactions, the
amount you’re expected to pay may be unstated, no more than an
estimate, but whatever you pay must be enough, and yet you certainly
don’t want to pay too much, for that might spoil the market for
others. And the thing must be done properly, so as to leave no ill
feeling on either side. It takes a deft hand, and it’s not a
situation that allows for gaucherie. . . .
The Thornback and the Red-Headed ManSara Etgen-Baker © Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker |
Photo
property of Sara.
|
Granny
called me a “thornback,” a derogatory term given to women
of her time who weren’t married by the age of 30. Yes, I was a
thornback—a single woman, approaching her 31st birthday. My
biological clock was ticking; and I feared becoming a spinster whose
only companion was a Siamese cat. But I would’ve preferred
remaining a spinster rather than spend a lifetime with a boring man
whom I didn’t love. . . .
Portrait of a Young Woman - July 17, 1793Giles Ryan © Copyright 2023 by Giles Ryan |
 Painting of Charlotte Corday by Johan Jakob Hauer.. |
It
is unique in the history of painted portraits. No other work of this
genre has ever been created in similar circumstances, or ever will be
again. The artist, Johan Jakob Hauer, is not well known but he was a
competent portraitist, and we may assume this is a good likeness. But
his most significant qualification was that he was available and
could work quickly, for he had not a minute to spare. . . .
More...
Promise MeSara Etgen-Baker © Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker |
Photo
property of Sara.
|
La Profesora de InglèsSara Etgen-Baker © Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker |
Photo
property of Sara.
|
This is a
memoir of my experience in moving
across the state of Texas and teaching in a border community just
outside of El Paso. It highlights my reasons for making such a
drastic move and the unknown outcomes of taking such a risk. . . .
The Witness TreeGiles Ryan © Copyright 2023 by Giles Ryan |
 Photo by Joy Deb at Pexels. |
I visited all the major towns of Bangladesh in those years, and in my memory they were much alike in this land of river deltas, although here and there a particularly elegant mosque would stand out from the general sameness. Depending on the time of year, going to these places might take several hours on a river boat, or some hours drive, perhaps longer during the monsoon when the rivers were high, with a longer wait at the ferry ghat.
Sometime
in 1979, when I had been in country about a year, my work required a
visit to Mymensingh for an appearance in court. The details are now
slightly dim in memory, something to do with an accounts clerk at our
local office forging a check or absconding with the petty cash. . . .
Life With The Butterfly WhispererSara Etgen-Baker © Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker |
Photo
property of Sara.
|
I entered
Whispering Oaks and found the large French doors of the day room
flung wide open. I walked through them towards the verandah and saw
Pop sitting outdoors amongst some zinnias surrounded by a rabble of
butterflies. . . .
A Call in the Middle of the NightFredrick Hudgin © Copyright 2023 by Fredrick Hudgin |
 Photo by Kirill Dratsevich at Pexels. |
I
was sound asleep when the phone rang. The clock next to the bed said
3:32 AM. Cell phones hadn’t been invented yet. The phone hung
on the kitchen wall of our mobile home. . . .
Street Crime: Memories Of Life On 28th StreetElliot Wilner  © Copyright 2022 by Elliot Wilner |
 Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons. |
In the
1940’s, when I was a young boy, 28th Street
Northwest was a nondescript street in the Cleveland Park neighborhood
of the District of Columbia, located about a half-mile west of the
National Zoo. Only two blocks in length, with just a single lane for
traffic, it was certainly a nondescript street in a nondescript
neighborhood, but for us children that street was our playground and
the center of our world. . . .
The Wolf Ate GrandmaValerie Forde-Galvin © Copyright 2023 by Valerie Forde-Galvin |
 Photo by Philipp Pilz on Unsplash |
In
my childhood, parents read bedtime stories to their children. In
theory, a child will fall asleep easily when listening to a familiar
soothing voice. In reality, the story choice makes all the
difference. So I have to ask why did parents chose fairy tales? What
were they thinking? Nothing was held back in these stories; nobody
seemed to realize that their content wasn't edited for children.
Today, because of its violent themes, my little book of fairy tales
would have been rated PG-13. At the time, I was six. I did not fall
asleep easily after bedtime stories. . . .
|
Valerie Byron © Copyright 2023 by Valerie Byron
|
Photo courtesy of the author. |
Today
started out pretty well for me. It's Sunday, December 23rd and for
once I don't have to worry about preparing for Christmas. My
daughter has offered to cook the meal in her new house, and my son,
Nick, and his partner, Lee, will be joining us, as well as my
husband, Bill. I didn't even bother putting up a tree this year. Didn't
really seem worth the bother, especially since I had thrown
away my artificial tree from last year in the trash by mistake. Of
course, that's par for the course. . . .
The Things I Did To SurviveTerry Mulcahy © Copyright 2023 by Terry Mulcahy |
 Photo by Eduardo Soares at Pexels. |
In 1973 I
got arrested for losing
control of a vehicle on Interstate-10 in Louisiana. The vehicle
belonged to a carny who managed a big ride, but he owned a kiddie
ride - a small metal setup that allowed some ponies to be hitched up
and walk around in a circle. It was very popular with tiny fair
goers. Before I get into that, I should explain how I ended up there,
as I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. . . .
Nice Day for a RideFredrick Hudgin © Copyright 2023 by Fredrick Hudgin |
 Photo by Javier Aguilera at Pexels. |
“All
right, get out of here! You’ve been moping and whining around
the backyard all goddamned day. I know you wanna go for a ride. So
GO!” My wife turned on her heel and stalked back into the
house, slamming the screen door loudly for effect. Josh, Beethoven,
and I looked at the door where she had disappeared, then down at the
garden where we had hoed, tilled, and planted since breakfast. I
looked up at the sky to see where the sun was—still a couple,
three hours till dark. A slow smile spread across my face—a
ride! . . .
Rescue From Machu PicchuElliot Wilner  © Copyright 2022 by Elliot Wilner |
 Image by Elias from Pixabay |
In
late January of 2010, while on an escorted tour in Peru, my wife and
I and twenty-six other members of our tour group became
marooned
near Machu Picchu due to flooding from the Urubamba
River. More
than three thousand other tourists became marooned with us. . . .
More...
South Valley SweatTerry Mulcahy © Copyright 2023 by Terry Mulcahy |
 Terry working on Mark's house in 1983. Photo courtesy of the author. |
It started
out as a hole in the
ground - a mud pit. Mark used it to mix mud for his adobes. It was
about two feet deep and five feet across. Next to it was a pile of
lumber scraps. For nearly two years, Mark had been building his
house, mostly on weekends, and now was the final push to finish it. . . .
| Pages From A Political Activist's Diary Karen Radford Treanor
© Copyright 2023 by Karen Radford Treanor
|
 Karen and Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia. Photo by Douglas Sutherland-Bruce. |
In
the early days of this century (heavens to Murgatroyd, doesn’t
that sound strange?) I worked for a state Member of Parliament in
Western Australia. She was a progressive young woman who had knocked
off the conservative incumbent against all odds, to the bookies’
delight. . . .
More...
| Plutarch's Prejudice Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Theda Bara as Cleopatra and Fritz Leiber as Caesar in the lost film Cleopatra (1917)..Public domain. |
Plutarch
(46 anno domini - 119 anno domini) was a Greek man who lived
seventy-three years in the Roman Empire. He was, by every standard in
his time and in ours here in the twenty-first century, a highly
educated person. A highest formally educated person nowadays is not
especially noteworthy because of the millions of others equally
educated. . . .
| Best Time in our Ghetto Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Oxfam East Africa via Wikimedia Commons |
Loud
vocal sounds, day and night, were not unusual in our ghetto of
Clairwood. At night, most of the time, we slept through them. When we
paid attention to them, day and night, it was for the first few
seconds in order to determine if the situation involved us. From an
early age we became experts in those few seconds' determinations. If
we assessed we were not involved, we could not care less; by the
natural laws of self-preservation; water off a duck's back; Emperor
Nero fiddling while Rome burned.
| The Farm on the Red Hill Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Petr Ganaj at Pexels |
The
farm on the red hill was a most dangerous thirty-acre place, and,
paradoxically, because of the danger, it was farmed reasonably safely
and profitably.
The farm was in a part of sub-tropical Africa where one of the natural and everlasting dangers forever is and will forever be, poisonous snakes. . . .
The farm was in a part of sub-tropical Africa where one of the natural and everlasting dangers forever is and will forever be, poisonous snakes. . . .
| When Fear Turned Into Fun Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Radu Vladislav on Unsplash |
I
was running for my life. My pursuer was almost twice my size, and so
I was not about to stand and fight. Mind you, if he caught me, he
would not have had it all his way. Both of us were Clairwood ghetto
gang members. . . .
| Somewhere in Ukraine Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. |
On
a farm in Ukraine, somewhere between the Carpathian Mountains and the
borders with Slovenia and Hungary, along the Dnister River. The time
was about three o'clock in the morning. It was raining. . . .
| A
Quaker Summer Reminiscences of Gini Waters Gini Waters
© Copyright 2023 by Karen Radford Treanor
|
 Photo of Barbara, Virginia (Gini),and Florence Bullock--furnished by Karen Treanor |
I
was clearing out old computer files and ran across the attached
short, short story which I thought might interest you. I found the picture, which
dates from the same era and location in a box of Mother’s
things. The writer—my mother-- died in 2008, aged 92.
(She’s the fishergirl in the middle of the photo.) . . .
More...
| George Orwell, 1903 - 1950 Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. |
The famous English novelist, George Orwell, was the pseudonym used by Eric Arthur Blair.
Eric Arthur Blair was born in India in 1903. India was a country in the British Empire. His Father's name was Richard;
his Mother's, Ida. . . .
| How Does One Properly Inter A Coon? Or, Tail of a Coon Pat Mann © Copyright 2023 by Pat Mann |
 Photo by Tim Umphreys on Unsplash |
I
received this email yesterday from a coffee buddy that moved from
sunny Florida back to Indiana with a peculiar request.
Pat,
Had a funeral today for a coon. I forgot, "do you bury them with their tail up or down?" . . .
Pat,
Had a funeral today for a coon. I forgot, "do you bury them with their tail up or down?" . . .
Sugar BabiesTerry Mulcahy © Copyright 2022 by Terry Mulcahy |
 Photo courtesy of Atahan Demir at Pixels. |
Frequently, hurricanes and tropical storms
passed
near Baltimore City where I grew up. There would be high winds,
sometimes hitting 100 miles an hour along the Maryland coast. One
such hurricane passed by in 1960 causing severe flooding. It was just
before my parents moved from our house in downtown Baltimore to a
location a bit higher in elevation. There was heavy rain in
Baltimore, but we had our yellow raincoats and black galoshes - those
rubber boots that buckled up from the toes halfway up our calves. . . .
|
The Dutiful Nevada Wife She Drove Him to the ER Henry Lansing Woodward © Copyright 2023 by Henry Lansing Woodward |
 Photo by Mikhail Nilov at Pexels. |
We
had just discharged our last patient, the man with the shotgun wound,
and were still parked in the ambulance parking area in front of the
double doors leading into the emergency room. After each
transport (not all dispatches result in a patient or a transport of a
patient), there is always some cleaning and restocking. The
four things always needing to be done, besides re-stocking, were to
wipe down the gurney, change the linens, wipe all surfaces and mop
the floor. Always. . . .
|
The Elevator Game The Story of Two Brothers at University Henry Lansing Woodward © Copyright 2023 by Henry Lansing Woodward |
 Photo by Jason Dent on Unsplash |
It
was a little past midnight when the alarm went off. The call
was at Juniper Hall on the campus of the University of Nevada in
Reno. We responded CODE
THREE
lights
and sirens, and because we were close to the University, we arrived
at the scene about four minutes after receiving the dispatch. . . .
Ocean City Took My Breath AwayTerry Mulcahy © Copyright 2022 by Terry Mulcahy |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
Stopped
breathing. Just like that.
The ocean had been cold. Much colder than I'd expected from a warm
Spring day. It was early in the beach season. The winter had been
harsh. Cold currents still flowed past the shore where my parents had
dragged all of us kids. . . .
Dead DogsSam DeLeo © Copyright 2021 by Sam DeLeo |
 Image by Jana from Pixabay |
When
I was young, my first stepfather returned from a trip to the
countryside with bad news. He was driving down a dirt road when our
Siberian Husky jumped out of our GMC Jimmy and died under its wheels.
He never learned what made the dog jump. . . .
The Stolen BrideMilton Cust © Copyright 2022 by Milton Cust |
 Photo by Jaye Haych on Unsplash |
“I’m going to raise me a whole passel of cattle, horses
and kids, but not necessarily in that order.” Len James started
bragging from the moment he arrived in Riviere Que Barre.
He was a young bachelor who arrived in the small community to claim a homestead in 1933. It was the heart of the great depression and most people in the area had nothing but the clothes on their back and the will to carry on until things got better. . . .
More...Brando's Lost Movie Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra |
 Image by Michelle Raponi from Pixabay . |
In
the 1970s, the Students' Representative Council at the University of
Windsor, Ontario, Canada, had a policy of inviting famous Movie Stars
to speak informally with students for an hour-or-so. Attendance at
these engagements was free to the general public, as well. . . .
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Laura James at Pexels. |
Two
financially wealthy doctors opened a clinic in the poverty-stricken
ghetto where I lived when I was a child. They had to be wealthy
because their medical services, including the medicines they
dispensed, were free. The services had to be free because not enough
people in that ghetto could afford to pay. . . .
Me Too, To My Everlasting Shame Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons |
In the 1960s there was a petition circulated on the campus of the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, against Mrs Fatima Meer, a professor in the Department of Sociology.
Mrs Meer was tenured, with a Master of Arts degree. The petitioners demanded her dismissal from the University. It had come to light that Mrs Meer was in an incestuous marriage with her first cousin and had adult children in the marriage. . . .
The Things We Do Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash |
Comeuppance Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Image by Sergei Tokmakov, Esq. https://Terms.Law from Pixabay |
One
dictionary definition of comeuppance is 'just deserts.' In other
words, justice by non-sentient natural processes; not by the
enforcement of human-devised legality. . . .
Our Father Will Not Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash |
King
James Bible. "Amnon took hold of his half-sister, Tamar, and
said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she said unto him, I
pray thee, Amnon, speak unto king David our father, for he will not
withhold me from thee."
. . .
Radio and Human TouchChaitanyamoi Chetia © Copyright 2021 by Chaitanyamoi Chetia |
 Image by Miran Lesnik from Pixabay |
Sanju
was cleaning the table, dusting the chair, and listening to the radio
news; after sometime, he stood on the top of a cupboard and scrubbed
the ceiling and the blades of the ceiling fan. He amplified the
volume of the radio when he heard that a massive blowout occurred
from an oil well in his home state. . . .
A Season To RememberFreda Wooten © Copyright 2022 by Freda Wooten |
 Photo courtesy of Pixabay.. |
Winter
2020,Harman Hollow
Something sinister surrounded us that snowy December night. Tom and I were sipping hot cocoa by a dancing camp fire when the eeriness first began. We had been giggling, recalling how opening day of rifle season had gone. We had hunted Tom's property that day for the first time together. . . .
Something sinister surrounded us that snowy December night. Tom and I were sipping hot cocoa by a dancing camp fire when the eeriness first began. We had been giggling, recalling how opening day of rifle season had gone. We had hunted Tom's property that day for the first time together. . . .
Crossing Into Ghana--1967Thomas Turman © Copyright 2022 by Thomas Turman |
 Photo by John Onaeko on Unsplash |
John, his wife Joan
and I sped along the dirt road to the border between Togo and Ghana
to get there before the Togo soldiers would bring down the gate at
sundown. The gate, a stripped tree wrapped in red tape, pinned at
one end and resting on a box on the other, was already across the
rutted road. Next to the pinned end was a barefoot kid in
shorts holding an AK-47. . . .
More...
Hornets to the Rescue Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Gilmer Diaz Estela at Pexels. |
I
was fifteen years old. I worked part-time for mister Hackner, grocery
store owner. Others like me worked at the same job. On Saturdays and
Sundays only; the other days were school days. Mister Hackner did not
hire school-age persons on school days. He declared he did not wish
to interfere with one's school education. . . .
My Gum Tree Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Photo by Trac Vu at Pexels. |
I
claimed it as mine because of the three gigantic trees in our yard at
my Grandparents' home in our Village, the gum tree was the one that
only I climbed. All of us Grandchildren climbed the mango tree and
the avocado tree. . . .
Adventures on the River Ezra Azra . © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Image by dae jeung kim from Pixabay |
The
word Umtwalume, or, Mtwalume, is the name of a tall tree that grows
on the banks of a river in Zululand. The Zulus named the river after
the tree. The Umtwalume river is one of many rivers flowing
eastwards across the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, into the Indian
ocean. . . .
Bluebottles To The Rescue Ezra Azra Photo by Marat Gilyadzinoy on Unsplash. © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 |
Code ThreeOne Day In The Life of a ParamedicHenry Lancing Woodward © Copyright 2022 by Henry Lancing Woodward |
 Image by Oskars Zvejs from Pixabay |
As
a Paramedic, I chose to work for private ambulance companies. My
company was subcontracted to provide 911 emergency responses to the
general population, so we performed the same duties as the
Firefighter Paramedics. We, however, had a whole different pay
scale. There were no overtime, medical, or 401K retirement benefits,
and we were paid about eight dollars an hour. We were very underpaid
for the responsibilities of our job. . . .
When I Was Young YesterdayLew Goddard Photos courtesy of the author. © Copyright 202 by Lew Goddard |
 Lew's high school photo, age 17 | 
Lew's most recent photo, age 86
|
My wife and I are the elderly that people refer to on TV, in books and on the telephone. Numerous memories quite often come to mind and this story is meant to tell you readers some of these in our much younger days.
I will tell you about my experiences since my spouse has her own. But this is my story for your enjoyment. At least, I hope that you enjoy it. . . .
Will The Real Santa Please Stand Up?Deon Matzen © Copyright 2022 by Deon Matzen |
 Photo by Mike Arney on Unsplash |
Charlotte is my sister-in-law. Not her real name. She is a single lady who has worked a number of various jobs during her lifetime. During the times of Covid, she was furloughed and without employment. When she was not taken back to the firm where she had worked, she decided to apply for her social security and move on to a life of retirement. Now she had more time on her hands.
Quite a few years ago while she was still working, Charlotte took on a part time job as “auntie” to two boys when they were quite small. She would make sure they got off to school on time with their lunches, looking in decent form for the day. When they returned home she would provide a snack and help them do their homework, staying until one of the parents returned home. . . .
A Whale of a Story Ezra Azra © Copyright 2022 by Ezra Azra |
 Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay. |
His
nickname was Golly; his official name was Cyril. His family lived on
the same road as my family, in our village of Clairwood. He attended
the same school as me. He was in standard six when I was in standard
one.
After
he graduated from school in the 1960's, Golly got a job as a sailor
on a whaler boat out of the City of Durban. The whaler boat had a
crew of five men, including the captain. . . .
More...
The KilalaTerry Mulcahy © Copyright 2020 by Terry Mulcahy |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
When my father died in 1987, I inherited
his two cats,
Charlie and Chrissy. He named them after characters in the TV show
Charlie’s Angels. I had them for a long time. About 1996,
Chrissy died of stomach or liver problems one day while I was
working. I buried her in the yard where I lived at the time. I marked
it with some bricks. The veterinarian had wanted to take her up to a
hospital in Santa Fe for very expensive treatments and follow-up
drugs, but I didn’t have that kind of money. The other cat,
Charlie, lived much longer. After I married my second wife, I took
Charlie with me and established him in my wife’s house. I hated
to move and leave Chrissy there. She was dead and buried, but still I
grieved for her. Charlie lived with us for many years. . . .
Breaking Down CarnivalsTerry Mulcahy © Copyright 2020 by Terry Mulcahy |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
Sometimes you immerse yourself in something
and you
may not understand what it is until you back up and look at it from a
distant perspective. And, yes, that’s my lead-in to a story, a
story about joining a carnival.
Now, first off, a carnival is not a circus.
No live
animals, no rings, no ringmaster or clowns. But both a circus and a
carnival have a vibrance in the air, a cacophony of sound, bright
lights and garish colors. Both have children. Each child has a
candy-apple blush on their cheeks and a dripping swirly cone. . . .
When Is A Kiss Not A KissFredrick Hudgin © Copyright 2022 by Fredrick Hudgin |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
I
taught my first data processing officer course at the Army Institute
of Administration at Fort Harrison, Indiana, after being a second
lieutenant for all six months. My class of 29 officers varied in rank
from second lieutenant up to lieutenant colonel. We were a few days
into their introduction to the COBOL computer programming language.
Many of the young officers already had computer programming while in
college. Those young men and women charged ahead with energy and easy
success. The older officers struggled. . . .
Get Them OFF!Fredrick Hudgin © Copyright 2022 by Fredrick Hudgin Winner 2022 Biographical Story |
 Photo by Manjari Singh on Pexels. |
The
car drove by slowly, an elderly female driver staring at me as she
negotiated the turn in front of my parents’ house. I realized I
was stark naked, standing outside in a Princeton suburb, taking a
shower from the end of a garden hose. . . .
|
A Moving Experience
James L. Cowles © Copyright 2022 by James L. Cowles |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
I'm
sure many of you have had a moving experience
in your lifetime. Many of these seem to come when a person has aged,
when ones life finds us celebrating birthdays in our sixth decade,
and beyond. This certainly fits with me, and this recent
experience. . . .
|
Valerie Byron
© Copyright 2022 by Valerie Byron
|
Photo courtesy of the author. |
Today
started out pretty well for me. It's Sunday, December 23rd and for
once I don't have to worry about preparing for Christmas. My
daughter has offered to cook the meal in her new house, and my son,
Nick, and his partner, Lee, will be joining us, as well as my
husband, Bill. I didn't even bother putting up a tree this year. Didn't
really seem worth the bother, especially since I had thrown
away my artificial tree from last year in the trash by mistake. Of
course, that's par for the course. . . .
| Brotherly
Love Noah Xia © Copyright 2022 by Noah Xia |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
He’s
short, cute and as sweet as chocolate cake. My brother is my best
friend, and he’s been with me for almost six years. Since the
day he was born, I have adored him and taken care of him. However,
that doesn’t mean we didn’t have any bumps on the trip.
. . .
| First Love Robert Flournoy © Copyright 2022 by Robert Flournoy |
 |
Lying
in bed with a broken leg, I would look out my second story window at
the kids getting off the school buses on the street behind
my apartment building. I first saw Carole as a brief flash of scarf
covered beauty as she hastened into her own building. . . .
| Remembrance Day, November 11, 2022 Karen Radford Treanor
© Copyright 2022 by Karen Radford Treanor
|
 Photo by Brett Sayles at Pexels. |
It's
Remembrance Day in Australia; Veteran's Day for some folks elsewhere.
Few now alive have any memory of the First World War and its terrible
cost, and a rapidly decreasing number have memories of the Second
World War. It's not just the soldiers who fought who should be
remembered. I think of my mother who, greatly pregnant, battled
through a gaggle of geese to climb a fire tower to watch the
skies for enemy planes which never came, but that doesn't diminish
her offering. . . .
You Are Not Lost!You Are Right Where You Are Supposed To Be!Kelly Maida © Copyright 2022 by Kelly Maida
|
 Photo of the author. |
I
wrote this from feelings recently of being lost in life and not knowing
my direction or who I was. But with some counseling and self discovery,
I am learning that everything is unfolding as it is supposed to. . . .
Wherever We GoRianna Chhabra © Copyright 2022 by Rianna Chhabra |
 Photo by beast brothers: at Pexels. |
In
the month of early October, I suddenly found myself growing up. I had
been attending classes all week, working on the side, and cooking
three meals a day without once having fully realized how big of a
shift my journey from childhood to adolescence to this “new
adult” phase had been. . . .
Twelve DaysJudith Nakken © Copyright 2022 by Judith Nakken |
 Photo by Brandon on Unsplash |
“Tell
him I’ve already hoisted the damned flag!” Mike groused
over the top of yesterday’s Post-Intelligencer, only halfway
through the headline article about the Cuban missile crisis. Geraldine
stretched the black phone’s kinky cord. He didn’t
want to fight this early in the morning on the eleventh sober day, so
he reached a trembling hand for the receiver, spoke to his
brother-in-law. . . .
The Magnificent Tiger At PenchNayona Nag © Copyright 2022 by Nayona Nag |
 Photo by Waldemar Brandt at Pexels. |
In
2019, I, Nayona Nag, a quiet 11-year-old girl, wrote the story of
Collarwali in my “Tiger Diaries.” Collarwali was the
queen of Pench Tiger Reserve - situated in the interiors of Madhya
Pradesh, India. She had achieved the milestone of giving birth
to 29 tiger cubs. . . .
Coming Together With PandemicGomathi Sridevi © Copyright 2022 by Gomathi Sridevi |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
The
year 2020 was filled with an unexpected guest named Covid19. Many
people's dreams, plans, and wishes crashed down with the arrival of
the Corona Virus. It's strange that how a tiny thing could do severe
damage to lives.
As they say, a small ant can kill an elephant. . . .
As they say, a small ant can kill an elephant. . . .
The JourneyOkparaoyibo Chukwuma Paul © Copyright 2022 by Okparaoyibo Chukwuma Paul |
 Auchi Polytechnic School.. Photo by the author. |
“No,
that is a girl’s chores!” father said with authority and
I just laughed.
Mum sometimes refers to Dad as an archaic man, who don’t know that things has changed, but whether that is true or not, it is none of my business as long as it keeps me from helping mother in the kitchen or sweeping around the house. . . .
Mum sometimes refers to Dad as an archaic man, who don’t know that things has changed, but whether that is true or not, it is none of my business as long as it keeps me from helping mother in the kitchen or sweeping around the house. . . .
UnderstandingMartina Preston © Copyright 2022 by Martina Preston |
 Image by Franck Barske from Pixabay |
Row
upon row of white headstones pierce the grass in front of me. The
white crosses gleam in the early July sunlight, and it’s almost
hard to look at them without my eyes watering. I know it’d be
perfectly fine if it looks like I’m crying, but I don’t
feel like it. . . .
Into The Less Known MalapeMartin Nyondo © Copyright 2022 by Martin Nyondo |
 Photo of Malape Pillars courtesy of the author. |
Even
though the sun was way past its overhead mark and was diving into its
expansive, western horizon, the sweltering blanket of the heat
swathed Liwonde township, melting both my mental and physical
strength. I had trekked all the way from Zomba city, some fifty
kilometers away, to visit a place that I had heard and read and seen
many a time in the media. A place wrapped in secrecy and mystery. . . .
A Day to Remember: Of Coins and a Clear ConscienceSharanya Sivasathiyanathan © Copyright 2022 by Sharanya Sivasathiyanathan |
 Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash |
From
the moment my words were developed to become fully-fledged,
autonomous thoughts, I realized that my older sister and I could
never
share
the same ideas. Playing the “devil’s advocate” grew
to become a common occurrence in our household, and it was ingrained
in my very thinking that anything I could use to identify with my
personality, within my control, would be different from those of my
sister. . . .
Travel Solo, Not Alone: Part 2Peru and BeyondHilary Bryn Thomas © Copyright 2021 by Hilary Bryn Thomas
|
 Hilary's journals, guidebook, and maps. Photo by Hilary |
In
this essay, Hilary Bryn Thomas captures memories of the second part
of a journey she took fifty years ago, traveling from Canada to
Argentina by land and a little by sea The first part can be found at
http://www.storyhouse.org/hilaryt.html.
She traveled solo, but not alone. . . .
|
My Experience at Alabama Reagan Perry © Copyright 2022 by Reagam Perry |
 Photo by Jimmy Conover on Unsplash |
Have
you ever been to a place that you’ve never been before? I went
to Alabama for a football game on October 7, 2022 with my parents. It
was a long 8 hours of a Friday, but it was so worth it. . . .
It's Time To Put Teruel In The Spotlight\\Mari Zipes Wallace © Copyright 2022 by Mari Zipes Wallace |
 Image by meipakk from Pixabay |
How
would you feel if you were told that your town didn’t exist? Confused?
Lost? Angry?
Well, that’s been the plight of Teruel, a city in Aragon in eastern Spain. It’s the capital city of the Province of Teruel - with the smallest population of any provincial capital in the country - and without a direct railway or road link to the Spanish capital, Madrid. . . .
Well, that’s been the plight of Teruel, a city in Aragon in eastern Spain. It’s the capital city of the Province of Teruel - with the smallest population of any provincial capital in the country - and without a direct railway or road link to the Spanish capital, Madrid. . . .
Frantic Drive to Ohio for a Doomed Marriage ProposalJoseph O'Brien © Copyright 2022 by Joseph O'Brien |
 Photo by Luke Yanko on Pexels. |
I
graduated from Bakersfield Junior College in California in 1963 with
an Associate of Arts degree as an Electronic Technician. I had been
in the Navy, stationed at Charleston South Carolina, when I was
accepted at Bakersfield and received an early (two weeks) out in
order to attend school. Even with the early out I had to get to
Bakersfield for an entrance exam pronto. . . .
Nine Years to FreedomTeal M. Gaylord © Copyright 2022 by Teal M. Gaylord |
 Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash |
The
American birthright based on “liberty and justice for all,”
is unique in this world. As an American my appreciation of this
birthright began with an experience I had as a teenager when I
experienced what life looked like under Soviet occupied Eastern
Europe. . . .
More...
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Chasing Fire
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Draped
in a swirl of saffron yellow, a young woman climbed delicately down
the cobbled steps from Fira town in Santorini, in search of the
perfect lookout over the Aegean. The long train of her gown followed
behind her, along with a sharply dressed young man and their
photographer. . . .
Best Vacation EverBobbi Ali © Copyright 2022 by Bobbi Ali |
 Photo property of the author. |
When
I moved to China over seven years ago, I anticipated staying only
maybe two years. After I arrived, I fell in love with China, but
still resolved to visit home every year. Now, my experiences this
past summer have tested this love greatly and I see so many things
through a jaded, bitter perspective. . . .
Beyond That DoorKiel Lerio © Copyright 2022 by Kiel Lerio |
 Image by Andreas from Pixabay |
It
was a year ago that we had planned an outing to relax and enjoy
ourselves after so many years just cooped up in our house. A summer
vacation to the hometown of our beloved nanny who still lives with us
until today. It was just our used-to-be-nanny for about 20+ years,
her 4-year-old child, my sister, and I who travelled. . . .
| Spring, Paris, and Cemetaries Kathryn Murdock
© Copyright 2022 by Kathryn Murdock
|
 Photo by Fabrice Nerfin on Unsplash. |
What
Is it about Paris? Each time I go there it again irritates,
infuriates and enchants me. I take it in small doses as one does at
the Louvre. For the most part I am content with the museums,
croissants and duck. Paris in part has become a cliché. A
parody of itself. A tune played over and over. . . .
More...
MagnanimousIshaokanyie Otogbo © Copyright 2022 by Ishaokanyie Otogbo |
 Image by thomasberghuis0 from Pixabay |
I
woke up with a start and realized I was sweating profusely. Both my
bedsheet and pillowcase were drenched in sweat and my trembling trunk
was evidence that I was gripped with fear. I sighed. I hissed and
heaved. I was relieved when I came to consciousness and realized that
it was a mere dream. I wasn’t surprised because my mind had
been troubled for almost eight years since the current president
ascended the headship of the political stable. He came with so much
hopes and promises. But it all turned out a pipe dream. Things had
cascaded from bad to worse and had continued to nosedive unabated. . . .
Appalachian Glow Worms
|
 Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
The
night was of a substance that left me longing for the indoorsThe rain
had been falling for hours, and the soil below my feet was beginning
to slip and wash into the small streams that charted canyons into the
leaves of the hillside. As I stepped out of my vehicle, the heels of
my boots squelched into the orange clay, sinking me inches below my
friends waiting on the solid rocks nearby. For a moment, as the skies
opened up in a further torrent of showers, we all considered heading
back, and returning to our homes for a warmer night of nature
documentaries and fall apple cider. . . .
A Mother's Travels Across AustraliaBeata Stasak © Copyright 2022 by Beata Stasak |
 Photo by Wallula from Pixabay |
It
was a few years since my grown children had left our little farmhouse
in Western Australia, following their careers and dreams. Our annual
Christmas gatherings had been disrupted by Covid, so when the winter
school holidays approached and the harvest was nearing completion, I
packed my bag to venture out to their new homes. . . .
We All Deserve A BreakYmgy Gardose Aton © Copyright 2022 by Ymgy Gardose Aton |
 Photo courtesy of the author. |
As
a working female,
I have been on the verge of having a “me-time”. I wanted
to have my time alone. So I thought of doing my first domestic solo
travel without thinking of all the hectic schedules in my workplace
and taking care of my family at the same time. . . .
A Middle Eastern Road TripElizabeth Wahba © Copyright 2022 by Elizabeth Wahba |
 Photo courtesy of Pexels. |
For
three months I had been reeling at the cultural differences of the
Middle East. Moving from rural Pennsylvania to the bustling,
ever-changing cityscape of Bahrain was whiplash-inducing. One change
that I was excited about was the concept of Eid, the two separate
fall breaks from work and school that fall after Ramadan. These would
each be a blessed two-week break away from the overwhelming life of
learning new cultures at a British school as the only American. . . .
My TravelsChristine Law © Copyright 2022 by Christine Law |
 Photo by Omar Prestwich on Unsplash |
Its funny how life plans out? I can remember traveling to Switzerland, flowers growing in the streets of Lucerne along the
pavements, with snow on the mountains. At twenty- two to be in such a climate didn’t seem real. On the trip there were
many interesting people to talk to. Trying to hide my shyness I tried to be friendly to everyone on the coach. . . .
More...
Dramamine and My Siren Song of the RoadTom Sodergren © Copyright 2022 by Tom Sodergren |
 Photo courtesy of Jenny Uhling at Pexels. |
My
parents grew up during the Great Depression and the lessons they
learned became instincts which dictated how my family lived in the
mid century. . . . After the
Depression and War years, my parents had powerful instincts to never
waste money. Ever. On anything. On me. . . .
French Pressed Coffee in MoroccoCherylle Winacott © Copyright 2022 by Cherylle Winacott |
 Photo courtesy of Los Muertos Crew on Pexels. |
A
French press
coffee in the morning delivered to me tableside, and my server even
presses it down for me. Lord kill me now, I will die in blissful
coffee heaven. Just thinking about this brings joy to my heart, I am
shallow that way. This was in Marrakech Morocco at our five-star
hotel, a delight I will not soon forget. . . .
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