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After I Die


Fredrick Hudgin




 
© Copyright 2023 by Fredrick Hudgin



Photo by alex pshenianykov on Unsplash
Photo by alex pshenianykov on Unsplash

After I die, I want my body composted instead of being buried.”

My wife just stared at me without saying a word. . . .

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ands Up! Don't Shoot!






Melissa L. White




 

© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White

Photo by Pablo Lara on Unsplash“Photo by Pablo Lara on Unsplash


It’s summertime in L.A and “June Gloom” is everywhere. This “gloom” is a Southern California phenomenon where the sky stays overcast and gray with little or no sunshine until the afternoon hours, and it usually lasts the entire month of June. I button up my jacket and try to remember when it was this cool during the summertime. As I leave my office and head out across the UCLA campus to grab some lunch, I notice the crowd gathering on the plaza near the Ackerman Student Union. I don’t have much time to eat and make it back to teach my 1:00 class, so this crowd annoys me, until I get close enough to read the signs.

It’s a student demonstration, protesting the shooting death of an unarmed black man in Hollywood last week, at the hands of an LAPD officer. I stop and listen to the speaker on the podium, as she extolls the atrocities. . . .


The Sea Witch




William Wayne Weems




© 2023 by William Wayne Weems



  
Photo of Lock Two, courtesy of the author.
Photo of Lock Two, courtesy of the author..  

“The Sea Witch” burned down in the mid-1970s. (My guess: 1976). Last I looked, its stone chimney was still standing. A brief history as I remember it:

Some 160 years ago The US Army Corps of Engineers began constructing a series of “flow over” dams to keep the Cumberland River navigable by commercial vessels during low water periods. Each ultimately had its own water navigation lock….the one off Pennington Bend Road was called “Lock Two”. (That dam and lock were blown up in 1962, leaving the old lock operator’s house as the centerpiece of a Metro Nashville Park). . . .

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The Pearce's Pennington Bend Camp







William Wayne Weems




© 2023 by William Wayne Weems



  
Photo courtesy of the author.
Katherine Pierce with baby Missy and friend.  Photo courtesy of the author.

. . . .In 1956 I shared an experience at the Pearce family’s riverfront house (which they called a “Camp”) on Pennington Bend Road in Nashville. Despite its rustic, “log cabin” type construction, the “Camp” was easily three times the size of the average early 1950’s suburban home. At the North end of the  Pearce property was an enclosed two-car garage (soon to be occupied by a 1957 Chevrolet “Nomad” station wagon. Still, my beating heart).  At the South end of the Pearce property there was a brick barbecue pit larger than most Nashville restaurant installations. The entire river side was a screened dining area, backed up by an industrial kitchen, tableware, and a 75 person set of “Fiestaware” dishes, etc. . . .

Tio Abuelo's House on Daisy Avenue





Trisha Simone


 
© Copyright 2023 by Trisha Simone



Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

I didn’t make it to the funeral. I told everyone that I couldn’t miss more school. The truth is that there was no money. I had used every cent on my credit cards for the flight home when he was in the hospital. Last-minute tickets are expensive. I hadn’t bothered with new clothes and didn’t need a hotel. But all my shoes were worn out, so I bought black pumps, sneakers, and a pair of flats. . . .


Paris 2023




Maisie Twitchell


 
© Copyright 2023 by Maisie Twitchell




Image by oudeopa from Pixabay
Image by oudeopa from Pixabay

See you tomorrow morning,” Sonya said to me every night before heading up the stairs to her dorm. Each July, École des Roches holds a French second language summer camp. École des Roches had a very specific schedule. A schedule that many at the school considered extremely boring and hated. I agreed to some extent, while going to a summer camp in France, a 21:45 curfew and 21:30 phone hand-in was not my first choice, but it wasn’t horrible. I enjoyed the schedule, it could be strict, but it was part of the experience as many of the students that were going to the summer camp were going to get a feel for the schedule and campus for when they started there in the fall. . . .

Zanzibar




Lisa Thorell


 
© Copyright 2023 by Lisa Rhorell




Photo by <a href="https://pixnio.com/fauna-animals/crabs-and-lobsters/coconut-crab">Beauregard Laura, USFWS</a> on <a href="https://pixnio.com/">Pixnio</a>
Photo by Beauregard Laura,USFWS, at Pixnio. 

"Do you think it's safe for a feminist to travel to an Islamic region of the world?" I ask my husband who has traveled to over 135 countries.

"Sure. If it's 'you' you are talking about." Paul says. . . .

Ramblers




Kristen Britt

 
© Copyright 2023 by Kristen Britt





Kenilworth Castle--Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Kenilworth Castle--Graphic courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

. . . .I arrived in Kenilworth in the middle of August. It was hot and I had been traveling for months already. Four days earlier, I had been biking around The Hague and struggling with the Dutch language, but arriving back in England felt calming. My return to London had been nice and when I finally got off the train in this market town I breathed in deeply. After nearly a month in cities, I was ready to be back in the countryside. . . .


The River's Way




Michael Theroux

 
© Copyright 2023 by Michael Theroux





Photo by jeffeson Deshommes: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-riding-on-inflatable-raft-13017112/
Photo by jeffeson Deshommes at Pexels.

The vermillion dye of a Mae West life jacket manages to stand the most incredible attempts to defeat its vibrancy. After thirty-some-odd trips down the Grand, this one shown like a California poppy … not exactly what I had in mind, attempting to appear the ‘old hand’ on this mid-summer co-ed run. . . .

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The Most Wonderful City In The World




Nina E. Woody

 
© Copyright 2023 by Nina E. Woody





Image by Майя from Pixabay
Image by Майя from Pixabay

Many years ago when I went to Helsinki, Finland, I thought it was the most wonderful city in the world. Making a return visit 30 years later, I was excited to see if it was as I remembered it. . . .

Love In The Air At Juhu





Elizabeth V. Koshy


 

© Copyright 2023 by Elizabeth V. Koshy




Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

It is raining hard when we reach Juhu Chowpatty. We walk around the little shops selling kulfis, faloodas, ice golas, momos, noodles, bhelpuri, shev puri, paanipuri, chaat, misal, pav bhaji, potato twisters and a feast of other mouth-watering treats, flummoxed by the sheer variety. . . .

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The Last 48 Hours





Debra Jo Myers

 
© Copyright 2023 by Debra Jo Myers



 
Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

You may even wonder why this is the travel story I remember better than any other. I haven’t had the luxury of doing a lot of traveling or road tripping, but I have had many great adventures. This one started out that way. . . .

Love Is The Count







Etsegenet Reta



 
© Copyright 2023 by Etsegenet Reta

 

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

An embryo was stretching her hands and legs and a mother asks a father to touch her tummy. He touches it and tells his wife it feels weird. There I was a crying baby coming out of my mother womb. Has been incubated for days at the countries big hospital was ready to go home with my family. Every now and then they take my naked baby pictures. . . .

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The Lost Valley and the Lost White Tribe




Sonja Brown

 
© Copyright 2023 by Sonja Brown





Photo courtesy of the author
My father, Andrew, was on a visit to his home in the 1960s.
Photo courtesy of the author.

Something inside me yearned for a lost place, an emerald green valley, lush and secluded, secretive, peaceful, and unreachable. Such a valley is a place in the Northern Drakensberg, and it is called The Lost Valley. That is where I traveled earlier this year.
 
Have you heard of The White Tribe? They lived in extremely primitive circumstances in the mountains of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa up until the mid-1950s. Their history stretches back 150 years. This is an old story that has survived a few generations in our South African family. . . .

A Healing Tale






Kelly Maida



 
© Copyright 2023 by Kelly Maida


Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

I think It was two years ago when a sweet ginger came into my life. He is a beautiful stray cat. I like to call him orange kitty or Bob. Others in the neighborhood just call him Bob. He is like a person. The kind that everyone wants to be around. He is like Norm from Cheers. Where everyone knows your name. The whole neighborhood looks out for him. . . .

Seville




Gareth Oliver


 
© Copyright 2023 by Gareth Oliver




Photo by Joan Oger on Unsplash
Plaza de Espańa, Photo by Joan Oger on Unsplash

What should I expect from Seville?

When I first visited Barcelona, it was clear that it was a very distinct city to Madrid. The prominent aspect is that Catalan sounds different, even to a person with a very limited understanding of Spanish. As you spend time in Barcelona it becomes apparent that the culture and history of Barcelona and the wider Catalan area make it a very different city to Madrid. I was thrilled to be discovering Seville as I find Spain intoxicating. Would it compare more to Madrid or Barcelona? . . .

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A Train From Brussels



Sarah Thomas


 


© Copyright 2023 by Sarah Thomas



Photo by Anh Tuan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-waiting-on-bus-stop-during-nighttime-10901975/
Photo by Anh Tuan at Pexels.

My time at the Van B. family home as the au pair was over. The children were ready for bed and lined up to say goodbye. Their mother would not be driving me the ten minutes to the bus stop. No, the housekeeper Yvonne and her husband the groundskeeper, Izaak, they would drive me. It hurt my eighteen-year-old feelings that Frau Van B. would not drive me, but it really was more fitting for it to be Izaak and Yvonne.  . . .

The Biltmore






Evee Ashba

 
© Copyright 2023 by Evee Ashba




Photo by Cody Dueitt on Unsplash
Photo by Cody Dueitt on Unsplash

I am young, only fifteen. I have only recently figured out that memories have significance. That they are meaningful. I will tell you I have not traveled very far. I have not crossed many state borders. But, the trips I have been on have been fun. I would say the most recent and eventful trip was when I went to the Biltmore. The Biltmore is a beautiful mansion and was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II and was completed in 1895. . . .

Never Give Up





David G. Murray



 
© Copyright 2023 by David G. Murray

 

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/flight-sky-earth-space-2166/
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

One of the biggest most awful lies ever told the whole world for those who are hearing is that Deaf people are dumb.
Annie O’Malley was born deaf to hearing parents who loved her, and both learned to sign. At ten years old with curly brown hair and blue eyes, she was a bright adventurous active child who loved doing things like any other child though her balance wasn’t the greatest, still she learned to ride a bike, roller skate and even ice-skate after a long while. . . .

The Journalist







Lola R. Moore



 
© Copyright 2023 by Lola R. Moore

 

Photo by kychan on Unsplash
Photo by kychan on Unsplash

 The journalist always smelled of bitter tea and tobacco because he never was doing fewer than two things at once. He liked music in a minor key so he could think and long books with short chapters to keep himself from thinking too much. He adored leather shoes with leather laces and despised yellow cabs with yellow drivers and he tried to quit smoking much too often to consider himself determined. . . .

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Fishing Off Galveston Island





Melissa L. White




 

© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White

Photo by Harold B. White.
Photo by Harold B. White.


It was Miranda’s tenth birthday, and she didn’t suspect a thing. Her dad, Teddy, pulled her aside as she was raking up the grass clippings after he’d finished mowing the lawn.

“Go inside and wash up,” said Teddy. “I want you to go with me to Home Depot and help me pick out some new cabinet knobs for your bathroom.”. . .

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He Blew Off The Top Of His Head


Henry Lansing Woodward
 
© Copyright 2023 by Henry Lansing Woodward


Photo by Max Kleinen on Unsplash
Photo by Max Kleinen on Unsplash
Because I was kneeling on the couch above his face and behind his head, and because the entire skull cap was gone, “the top of his head,” I could see directly into this boy’s now wide-open brain cavity. . . .

Summer of Transformation: My Journey to Volunteer in Mozambique





Subodh Thallada

 
© Copyright 2023 by Subodh Thallada




Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

My journey to Mozambique as a Service Delivery System Officer with the United Nations was nothing short of an extraordinary adventure, filled with challenges, personal growth, and unforgettable experiences. The summer of 2023 marked the beginning of a transformative chapter in my life, one that would test my limits, strengthen my resolve, and broaden my horizons in ways I could never have imagined. . . .

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An Amazon Star In My Room





Li Ruan

 
© Copyright 2023 by Li Ruan




Photo by Georges Biard courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Georges Biard courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

New York City’s cold winds blew my husband and me toward the Southern Hemisphere. Peru’s sunny summer welcomed us as refugees from the chilly north. Our wanderlust in this captivating nation wove into an enduring album that still sings and shines, even more than a decade later. . . .

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A Taste of Rome - Do As The Romans Do





Li Ruan

 
© Copyright 2023 by Li Ruan




Photo by Davey Gravy on Unsplash
Photo by Davey Gravy on Unsplash

Seven years after my first wow-effect visit to Rome, the Eternal City charmed me back with its timeless allure. Unexpectedly, it provided the unique, ideal stage for me to embrace the age-old wisdom: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”. . .

Polynesian Adventure: Reminiscing the Best Memories of My Vacation





Yvonne Pipkin


 
© Copyright 2023 by Yvonne Pipkin



Photo by the author.
Photo by the author

If you wanted to vacation on an island in the South Pacific, which island would you pick to visit? Would it be: Tahiti, Figi, Tonga, or Cook Islands? , , ,

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The Enchanted Overalls






Karen Radford Treanor 

 

© Copyright 2023  by Karen Radford Treanor

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of the author.

In which Umnegetfu acquires a new pair of overalls for more than twice the usual price, and A young Peae Corps family finds out more about witchcraft than they really wanted to know. . . .

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  Suspicion








Annie Leung

 
© Copyright 2023 by Annie Leung




Photo courtesy of MartinStr at Pixabay
Photo courtesy of MartinStr at Pixabay.

On the airplane, I closed my eyes and reflected on my trip, feeling foggy. The absolute stillness of the desert, the smiling girl with a missing tooth, and the darkish bloodthe fragmented memory came to mind. . . .

Rediscovering The Jewish and Christian Past In Worms, Germany




 

Norma Felsenthal Gerber


 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Norma Felsenthal Gerber



Painting by Emile Delperée (1850-1896) at Wikimedia Commons.
Painting by Emile Delperée (1850-1896) at Wikimedia Commons.

In my travels I have felt drawn to visit places in Europe where Jewish people once lived. As a child I grew up with my parents’ sense of loss. They were forced to leave Germany in 1936 to escape Nazi persecution. I have visited their former hometowns. I have also explored the ghetto of Venice, the Jewish quarter of Vienna near Freud’s home, the area near Rembrandt’s home in Amsterdam and the Jewish section of Prague. . . .

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Between Trains
A Reminiscence of Travels in My Youth



 

Norma Felsenthal Gerber


 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Norma Felsenthal Gerber



Photo by Patrick Janicek at Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Patrick Janicek at Wikimedia Commons.

. . . .The train was waiting but there were hundreds of people on it. Faces, like beheaded flowers, stuck out of every open window. I approached the nearest open doorway, lugged my heavy suitcase aboard and mounted the steps after it. That was as far as I got. The entryway and aisles were crammed with travelers and suitcases. I retreated down the steps and headed for the next available car. . . .

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Rising From The Ashes





Marcia McGreevy Lewis

 


© Copyright 2023 byMarcia McGreevy Lewis



Photo by Ann Richard at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Ann Richard at Wikimedia Commons.

I had trepidation this year. I’ve been going to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, for 33 years and was fearful that this brilliant event was about to become a desperate failure. My group of twelve faithful attendees didn’t consider attending during COVID, and the festival shared our concerns by shutting down, perhaps permanently. . . .

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Cacophony of Business




Jayanath Tharanga

 
© Copyright 2023 by Jayanath Tharanga




Photo by Marcin Konsek at Wikimedia Commons.
Photo by Marcin Konsek at Wikimedia Commons.

It was an unforgettable journey I went to a land of happenings with my family and my cousin’s way back in 2017. We had been thinking about exploring Thailand and the day came in June. Going to the airport to board a flight with my family would stay in my mind forever. . . .

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Trekking In The Himalayas




Anon Blogger*

 
© Copyright 2023 by Anon Blogger




Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@esenes?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Sudip Shrestha</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/4EzKXEtdQj8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
Photo by Sudip Shrestha on Unsplash

The mountains always called out to me, their peaks reaching towards the heavens, beckoning me to explore their untamed beauty. No other mountain range held the same allure as the Himalayas. It was a place of raw wilderness, where towering peaks kissed the sky and rugged landscapes stretched as far as the eye could see. The mere thought of embarking on a trekking trip through this enchanting region filled my heart with excitement and anticipation. . . .

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Rescuing Hope
A Tale of Unwavering Love and Second Chance



Asima Yasin



 
© Copyright 2023 by
Asima Yasin


Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/keziaschen-17507269/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5554526">kezia</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=5554526">Pixabay</a>
Image by kezia from Pixabay

In the midst of a scorching afternoon, the relentless sun bore down on my modest village home as I knelt in prayer. But amidst the tranquility of my sacred moment, a desperate cry pierced the air, disrupting the stillness of the day. It was a cry so intense, so filled with urgency, that it seemed as though a tiny soul was reaching out, imploring someone, anyone, for salvation. . . .

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Beyond The Balcony

Melissa L. White


 
© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White

Photo by Melissa L. White.
Photo by Melissa L. White.

All she wants right now is to escape this blinding anxiety, this crushing panic attack. But Annalynne Mason never stops to consider what she will experience on the way down, from the moment she leaps off her apartment’s balcony, and her life flashes instantly before her eyes while she falls six stories to the pavement below—she spends her final seconds reliving these interconnected and pivotal fragments of her life— until at last the welcomed darkness greets her upon impact. Ah, beautiful silence. Emptiness. Peace. . . .

Jim





Michele Dickson




 
© Copyright 2023 by Michele Dickson




Photo of the author.
Photo of the author.

The trees waved in the wind as I fretted about being discovered and told to leave. I came to this retreat knowing why I was here, to accomplish this feat of letting go. , , ,

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Princesses Kill Their Own Dragons





Lindsey Stratte

 
© Copyright 2023 by Lindsey Stratte




Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.
To this day, my father can’t believe he did it–he left me in a back alleyway. In a foreign country. By myself.

Of course, I’m the one who persuaded him it was a good idea. I waved goodbye and shouldered my pack, turned around and found the first arrow on the Camino de Santiago. . . .

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Lost and Found: Ladakh's Hidden Gems on Wheels with Friends




Rakesh Tiwari


 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Rakesh Tiwari



Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@aaronphs?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Aaron Thomas</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/0aNUp-RV-Pk?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
Photo of Pangong Lake by Aaron Thomas on Unsplash.

. . . .Traveling is the best way to stay in touch with friends and discover the local treasures. With regards to travels in India, barely any nations can match the amazing magnificence and experience of Ladakh. Situated in the furthest north of India, this country locale is home to the absolute most gorgeous and more unfamiliar streets. . . .

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The Firefighter





Henry Lansing Woodward


 
© Copyright 2023 by Henry Lansing Woodward


IImage by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ronaldplett-5139674/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7692839">Ronald Plett</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7692839">Pixabay</a>
Image by Ronald Plett from Pixabay

. . . .The Silver Sage was on fire on a hot, dry day outside Reno, near Pyramid Lake on the Paiute Indian Reservation. A strong wind was driving it at about twenty to thirty miles per hour and preventing containment. . . .

The Georgian Fluke




Leslie Cieplechowicz 


 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Leslie Cieplechowicz




Photo of Gelati Monastery by Herbert Frank on Wikimedia Commons.
Photo of Gelati Monastery by Herbert Frank on Wikimedia Commons.
As my dusty, white Kira rolled into the small village, a group of men chatting and lolling on the crumbling stone fence grew quiet and all fixated their eyes on me. I keep my gaze forward, glancing at the Google map, now froze on my iPhone screen due to no service. The villagers were not used to seeing woman traveling alone, much less an American woman and in many parts of country of Georgia, whose roots extend deep into tradition, I was sometimes looked at with suspicion and contempt. I also was not a native speaker, so I was quite a stranger in a strange and beautiful land. . . .

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The Razorblade Lady





Henry Lansing Woodward


 
© Copyright 2023 by Henry Lansing Woodward


Photo by Bartłomiej Balicki on Unsplash
Photo by Bartłomiej Balicki on Unsplash
This lady did things correctly.  She cut from one side of her wrists to the other and made very deep cuts.  Because of this, she successfully cut both arteries in both wrists. . . .

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A Stinky Situation





Sara Etgen-Baker



 
© Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker

<a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-ai-image/modern-hospital-machinery-illuminates-blue-mri-scanner-generated-by-ai_47186683.htm#query=mri%20machine&position=35&from_view=search&track=ais">Image By vecstock</a>
Image By vecstock at Freepix.
I share this true story to commiserate with my cohorts—those folks, who like me, have survived extreme humiliation. We’re a group of individuals who regularly trigger embarrassing situations that would otherwise traumatize a normal person. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Let me begin at the beginning. . . .

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Sadie Hawkins Dance





Melissa L. White




 
© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White

Photo by  Yoann Siloine on Unsplash"
Photo by  Yoann Siloine on Unsplash

The flash from the Polaroid makes me blink. I wonder how many times my dad has taken my picture. A thousand? Ten thousand? Once a day for my entire life so far would be close to five and a half thousand. I’ve heard of faraway tribes who believe the camera steals their soul. I blink again, wondering how it feels to have your soul stolen. Brightly colored dots float up all around me. Am I somehow emptier inside, less soulful, than other fifteen-year-old girls whose fathers aren’t such camera fanatics? . . .

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All For Nothing?






Robert Flournoy




 
© Copyright 2023 by Robert Flournoy   
 

Photo by Stephanie McCabe on Unsplash

Tomorrow, Friday, my husband returns from Afghanistan. He has been gone for a year. We have been through this twice before. Iraq both times. He is an Army reserve NCO, with a mission critical specialization, so his deployments have been relentlessly predictable. In the process, he has lost his civilian job, missed critical time raising his children, and almost our home, since the army pays him so much less than the management job he had before 9/11. . . .

My Halle Family




Galya Bacheva


 
© Copyright 2023 by Galya Bacheva




Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.
I grew up in a communist country, so what we knew of the world was not much. It was apparently divided into the “good people” on our side of the Iron Curtain and the “bad” ones beyond it. But we did not know much even about the “good people”, because travel outside our country was not considered necessary. Patriotism would not allow for it, naturally. What was at home had to suffice. One needed a really important reason to go to another country. . . .

Past The Use-By-Date?






Karen Radford Treanor 

 

© Copyright 2023  by Karen Radford Treanor

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

Just before the whole world’s door was slammed shut in our faces, we were at the recycling shop in Huonville, Tasmania. The shop is run by the local council, and it’s filled with odd glassware, old furniture, used books, pots without lids and lids without pots, and et cetera. We were poking around in search of something we needed, such as an undiscovered Sheraton sideboard....

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Mopsy and the Chocolate Cake





Melissa L. White




 
© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White

Photo by Will Nchols on Unsplash.
Photo by Will Nchols on Unsplash.

Eighteen months after the Coronavirus first invaded the U.S., Jack Whitcomb kissed his wife goodbye at the front door as she left for work, then he grabbed his son’s muddy tennis shoes off the “Welcome” mat and shut the door behind him. After losing his job during the economic downturn in the early stages of the pandemic, he had evolved into the role of “homemaker.” Now that he was fully vaccinated, he hoped to return to the workforce and start fresh next year so, 2022 would mark a resurrection for him, of sorts. . . .

The Halloween Outhouse Episode


James Osborne





 

© Copyright 2023 by James Osborne



Photo by Shawn Ford courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo

by Steve: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-deer-eating-grass-397850/
Poto by Shawn Ford courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo

by Steve: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-deer-eating-grass-397850/

The fathers in our remote farming community were beginning to hate Halloween with a passion. That’s the night when local teenagers would sneak out and topple neighborhood outhouses. Their pranks meant the rest of us had to wait the next morning, often under great pressure, you understand, while our fathers returned the outhouses to upright. . . .

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Global Pain



Aravindan Sumaithangi Sambasivam



 
© Copyright 2023 by Aravindan Sumathangi Sambasivam



Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash
Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash

. . . .Death itself is not be observed as negative word. It can be boon or curse depending upon. Hence the death or demise is to be monitored or at least should be noticed by us in order to ascertain the same is growing in the form of boon or curse. The awareness on the age of death and the mode is to be highlighted globally in order to avoid losses of precious lives due to human being’s carelessness. . . .

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Trifled Timing for a Triad's Timbre




Raydene Nash

 
© Copyright 2023 by Raydene Nash




Photo property of the author.
Photo property of the author.

Since prior to my second marriage, neither the emerald shaded Vikker River nor its choice Vikker Valley had been entered by me. Years back in the summer of 2006, Lori invited me to camp for a couple of nights with her across Vikker lake, entered by Vikker River. . . .

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My Brother Ashvini





Aparna Hulithala


 
© Copyright 2023 by Aparna Hulithala



Image by Suren from Pixabay
Image by Suren from Pixabay
It is my great pleasure to write about my brother. It is a  story of India too.  It is the story of our culture.  My brother showed how one should lead life on this beautiful earth. One should not be a  burden to the environment.  Man should use only minimum resources.  life is always beautiful if we abide by the rules set by Vedas.  Life is an opportunity to  reach God.  These types of ideals helped my brother to build his life and the people around him. . . .

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Crossing Over 






Giles Ryan

 
© Copyright 2023 by Giles Ryan



Photo by Guillaume Groult on Unsplash
Photo by Guillaume Groult on Unsplash

Someone asked, was crossing the Pyrenees now much harder than ten years ago, and the answer is, certainly yes! Napoleon’s way is much harder than Charlemagne’s. But then I realize the question isn’t about mountain passes, it’s about my age. . . .

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The Commencement





Kelsey Hoevel


 
© Copyright 2023 by Kelsey Hoevel



Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash
Photo by MD Duran on Unsplash

I didn’t expect to be crying on my graduation day, and I certainly didn’t expect my mom to tell me she wouldn’t show up to the ceremony just an hour beforehand, but here I am, crying on the floor of my pink bedroom. My back is to my mirror, which is begging to be cleaned. I’m in eighth grade – for today, anyway. . . .

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River House





Kaley Cole


 
© Copyright 2023 by Kaley Cole



Photo by Neža Dolmo on Unsplash
Photo by Neža Dolmo on Unsplash

I wanted a house to die in,” my grandma told me one summer as we were sitting at the kitchen table, discussing renovations to her two-story house in Dunnellon, Florida. “One with enough rooms for the family to mourn alone or come together,” she elaborated. And, with its high wood-lined ceilings and museum-like rooms full of mismatched antiques, the house was certainly large enough to accommodate her five children and nine grandchildren. But, it was the stunning view from the back porch of the spring-fed Rainbow River that made it a beautiful and dramatic backdrop. . . .

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Best Teacher Ever
The Story of  Andrew Jackson Crider




Thom Webb


 
© Copyright 2023 by Thom Webb


Barbara (Vaughn) and Jack Crider.  Photo courtesy of the author.
Barbara (Vaughn) and Jack Crider.  Photo courtesy of the author.
On an early summer day many years ago, the morning began as usual for most of the residents of the little community of German, Kentucky. The entire country was now deeply in the grip of the Great Depression, and anyone lucky enough to have a job during that time went to work thankfully that morning. Most of them went to the coal mines. . . .

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The Monster Who Raised Me





Sonya Marie Meservey


 
© Copyright 2023 by Sonya Marie Meservey



Photo by Colin Davis on Unsplash
Photo by Colin Davis on Unsplash

I came into this world on February 7th, 1991. I don’t remember it, of course. Though I have heard stories. Tales of a borderline blizzard in Brooklyn. They had difficulties getting my mother to the hospital. Traffic, snow, you name it. I was nearly born in the backseat of a taxi cab. She was watching a soap opera in the delivery room; could not miss some made up character’s wedding. I was born addicted to cocaine, like my older sister before me. . . .

A Mother's Story





Nicole Corey


 
© Copyright 2023 by Nicole Corey



Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash
Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

I’ve been waiting thirty-four years for someone to ask me, “What’s it like to be the mother of a mentally ill son?” But so far no one has. . . .

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Goals and Gavels





Haseeb Haider

 
© Copyright 2023 by Haseeb Haider



Photo courtesy of Wikimidia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimidia Commons.

. . . .I joined my high school's mock trial club at the insistence of my friend, Josh, on account of his vehement desire for a girlfriend, which he honestly wouldn't shut up about. . . .

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Fifteen Miles in Big Bend




Esther Yumi Ko

 
© Copyright 2023 by Esther Yumi Ko




Photo by Faith D on Unsplash
Photo by Faith D on Unsplash

"Do you think I can do a fifteen-mile hike through desert mountains?" I ask a friend who spends his summers as a hiking guide in Wyoming.
"Short answer is yes," he replies, "but..."

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Traveling With Mother






Karen Radford Treanor 

 

© Copyright 2023  by Karen Radford Treanor

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

My mother was an inveterate armchair traveler, but rarely left the small country town in which her husband had stashed her while he went off to do his bit to ensure the settling of enemy hash in 1944. . . .

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An Archive of Rich Memories: A Portrait of my Dadu from Past for the Present and Future 





Sripriya Singh


 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Sripriya Singh



Photo by Dinis Bazgutdinov on Unsplash
Photo by Dinis Bazgutdinov on Unsplash
29th September 1938, Uttar Pradesh, India. A small house in village Saunjini. Inside the house, a woman holding a newborn baby – her sixth child and the fourth son. In the garden stand the women of the village, eagerly waiting to see the newest family member. . . .

The Dragon Tree


James Osborne





 

© Copyright 2023 by James Osborne



Photo by Steve at Pexels.
Photo
by Steve: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-deer-eating-grass-397850/
Photo by Stev at Pexels.
Photo
by Steve: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-deer-eating-grass-397850/

My fingers tapped impatiently on the oilcloth covering the kitchen table. A huge thunderstorm was coming our way. My older sister, Nancy, and I both knew it. But there she sat on the other side of the table absorbed in a book, as usual. . . .

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Breaking The Mold

   

Martha Harnly

© Copyright 2023 by Martha Harnly 

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.
My grandmother, Ora Buel Leopard Smith, tirelessly traced her ancestors. She found birth, marriage, death records, and the family names in history books (and kept copies of the book pages!) as far back as thirteen generations. Her eldest daughter, my mother, Eleanor Allin Smith Harnly added to it, typing notes and making multiple trips to the genealogical library at Salt Lake City, devoting days to reading microfiche. In her late eighties, my mother was infirm, spending most of her time in a chair. I craved to hear her intelligent, witty, and educated mind. I asked her to review her family tree. . . .

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Becoming Arabella
A Journey of Self-Discovery




Carol Scott


 
© Copyright 2023 by Carol Scott


Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

This is a biography of my best friend, Arabella. We’ve known each other for over a decade, having met in high school (I lived in the United States for much of my upbringing and left after graduating high school) and kept in touch, occasionally visiting each other. Arabella is transgender and I believe her experiences are a great way for a reader who may not know a trans person to connect with one on a personal level. . . .

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Granddaddy Clark





Michael Mason


 
© Copyright 2023 by Michael Mason



Plowing with a mule.  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Plowing with a mule.  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Watching my grandfather eat his food always fascinated me as a child. At breakfast, my grandmother would set a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and grits in front of him. I would stare as he slowly picked up his fork with a trembling hand, scroop up a fork full of eggs, and painstakingly raise his hand toward the open black hole of his mouth. Some of the egg managed to make it to his lips but most of it tumbled back to his plate. When his food would finally find its way into his mouth he would chew slowly, and his eyes would widen as if he were surprised that the food had reached its intended destination. It was hard work, and I was pulling for him every step of the way. . . .

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One Summer In Vermont





Karen Petersen


 
© Copyright 2023 by Karen Petersen



Image by David from Pixabay
Image by David from Pixabay

The summer after my father died my mother decided to send me away to camp in Vermont for six weeks. It was the late 1960s on eastern Long Island, I was thirteen, and had retreated far into myself out of grief, abject loneliness, and deep loss. . . .

Two Years In Laos


Larry Schwandes



 
© Copyright 2023 by Larry Schwandes


Baha'i World Center in Haifa..  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Baha'i World Center in Haifa..  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
I graduated from college in 1965. The war in Vietnam was going on. I was fortunate. Two circumstances helped me avoid being drafted. The first one was industrial deferments given to Dow Chemical Company employees. This is the company I worked for from 1965 to 1967. Becoming a teacher in 1968 at the age of 25 was the second reason. When one reached the age of 24 a person was no longer “draftable”. So, it may seem strange to volunteer to go to a country involved in the war. But at the age of 29 and wanting to get away from my parents it was time for a new adventure. . . .

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Bangalore - July 2021




Nandini Ganesh

 
© Copyright 2023 by Nandini Ganesh




Sunrise at Madiwala Lake. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Sunrise at Madiwala Lake. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

I like small round tables. There's a continuity to the conversation and an intimacy to the gathering when the table is circular, unlike the square or rectangular ones which create rigid corners. And what better to have on a table than pizza? We ate our way through an assortment of toppings on fine dough. . . .

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Emancipation Day Celebration
Reflection on the evil, brutality and inhumanity of Slavery of Africans and Enlightening the present generation



Winston Donald



   
© Copyright 2023 by Winston Donald


Photo courrtesy of the author.
Photo courrtesy of the author.

August 1, 2023 was the celebration of the abolishment of slavery in the Caribbean Colonies. Black people everywhere can rejoice because of this event and all in the African diaspora can celebrate with those in the Caribbean. However, there is now a movement in North America and to an extent in Britain to discredit the evil of slavery - a shift by white nationalists, conservatives and white supremacists in the United States and Britain to deny that slavery was evil, brutal and inhumane. . . .

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Cat in the Corner




Abbie Creed




 
© Copyright 2023 by Abbie Creed



Bridgette Kitty and Dan.  Photo from the author.
Bridgette Kitty and Dan.  Photo from the author.

In the wee hours of the morning my son was awakened by his dog barking his head off. He was certain that according to the bark, it must have been a dangerous intruder entering his backyard. He quickly donned a pair of shoes and proceeded out back to see what all the commotion was about. He followed the dog to his garage where he had trapped a critter coiled up in the far corner. After getting a heavy pair of work gloves, he lifted the ferocious kitten out from among the debris ridden hiding place. The poor baby was frightened and defending herself with all her might. . . .

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Twilight Between Aspiration and Despair





Melissa L. White




 
© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White




Copyright 1999, Melissa L. White.  (previously published: UCLA Literary Journal: THE BEAT 2022 – March 9, 2022 – Photograph “Twilight Between” page 17)
Photo © copyright 1999, Melissa L. White

Marilyn Muro Blackstone sat down on a stump at twilight, gazing out at Crater Lake near the Oregon–California border with Mount Shasta looming in the distance. She focused her camera, catching the waning daylight at just the right angle between the encroaching dark clouds and the silver surface of the lake. Bingo! She knew this photo was a winner. Satisfied with the day’s shoot and especially this last series of shots at the lake, she packed her gear and prepared to head back to her cabin. . . .

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A Slice Of Life In New York City


   


William Flores


 
© Copyright 2023 by William Flores



Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash
The American social and economic landscape of the 1950’s through the 1970’s was more advantageous for so-called “minorities”on a whole then it is today. It provided greater opportunities for Black and Latino families to achieve the American dream without the interference of big government, and its welfare State. The following is a small part of my life story, a Latino kid brought up in New York City during a time in America when the quality of public education was great, and employment opportunities plentiful. . . .

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Hastings, New Zealand
An Insignificant Town in an Insignficant Country




Richard Ansell


 
© Copyright 2023 by Richard Ansell



Photo of the author in 1963.
Photo of the author in 1963.

With cat-like tread, I was patrolling on foot the back alleys of the Hastings city retail shops looking for anyone who maybe was there with nefarious intentions. It was my first night shift and so far quite uneventful. There was a suggestion of fog in the air but faint light filtered eerily from a distant security lamp casting shadows over untidy rubbish bins and their scattered contents - like a stage setting from Cats without the orchestrations. Rounding a corner a man about 20ish was walking towards me and didn’t seem bothered meeting a policeman in uniform.  Even stopped to talk.  He said he had seen off someone at the nearby railway station and was taking a shortcut.   I did hear a train at the station a few minutes earlier so his explanation didn’t raise my suspicions.  . . .

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Sixty-One





Parick Shannon


 
© Copyright 2023 by Patrick Shannon





Denton High School, Denton High School, fight on for your fame.

Show the world your qualities and hoist your noble name, Rah-Rah-Rah...

Denton High School, Denton High School, spread your colors far.

True sons and daughters were from Denton High, Rah-Rah!”

Illustration provided by the author.
Illustration  provided by the author.

In January 1979, three Eastern Montana boys and I were playing foosball at 8-Ball Billiards in Missoula. While slapping away at the hardened sphere, a heated discussion ensued. Who was the better Montana Class C basketball player at that time? Junior Doug Selvig from Outlook or my childhood friend, senior Doug Pemberton from Denton. . . .

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The Keeper of Youth







Melissa L. White



 
© Copyright 2023 by Melissa L. White


Photo property of the author.
Photo property of the author.

Alan Weisman stood at the window observing the anthill beneath him. New York City, seen from any number of penthouses he had owned over the past decade, frequently reminded him of ants. Workers. Drones. A colony of social insects scurrying around in their frenzied, methodical missions. . . .

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Life of a Stool


Abbie Creed




 
© Copyright 2023 by Abbie Creed



Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

My life in Louisville, Kentucky began in the warehouse of the Belknap Company where Mike and Ruth Creed were employed. They were a young couple who became engaged and were happily married while being employed there. It seems that employees received a nice discount on anything they purchased from the company. What a blessing! . . .

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Remaining Light





Pola Shreiber


 
© Copyright 2023 by Pola Shreiber



Palace_Square,_Coat_of_arms_of_Russia,_Saint_Petersburg,_Russia.  Courtesy of Wilimedia Commons.
Palace Square, Coat of arms of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia.  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

I came from a different world, a forgone era dismantled brick by brick and condemned unanimously by humanity—Soviet Russia. And yet, Russia was the world of my childhood and my youth, the world that formed me.

I grew up in St. Petersburg, a majestic city built at the dawn of the 18th century by the Russian tsar Peter the Great and situated in the delta of river Neva. Exquisite architecture adorned the streets. Numerous bridges were cast over the waterways; like long elegant fingers, they held the city in their grasp. . . .

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Seven Days To Sunday





Denise Boivin-Iassogna


 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Denise Boivin-Iassogna



Photo by Diego Lozano on Unsplash
Photo by Diego Lozano on Unsplash

. . . .The final march toward the grave should force us to slow down. Take notice. A soul’s passing is as meaningful as its entrance into this world. The Egyptians understood this. They erected massive pyramids to commemorate the dead. The Variana Buddhists believe in the transmigration of the soul and leave the exposed body high on a Mongolian mountain for nature to take its course. The Hindus have elaborate rituals involving the adorning of a corpse with garlands of flowers, scattering the ashes over a sacred river. If you ever want to witness death as a celebration, just attend an Irish wake. . . .

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Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair





Abigail Hagler


 
© Copyright 2023 by Abigail Hagler



Image by Hebi B. from Pixabay
Image by Hebi B. from Pixabay

My mother had three younger sisters: Regine, Margaret and Rita, in descending order of age. And a brother, too, Jeremy. Because she had helped raise and watch them grow she knew and loved each one. She wanted me to know and love them, too, but that was not to be. . . .

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Kenny Pye





Daniel Windever


 
© Copyright 2023 by Daniel Windever



Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

I was sitting on the roof of the shed in my back garden, it was a favourite place of mine as from up there I could look over all the back yards as far as the flats on Clamley Road. It was from this vantage place on high I would watch a lad of my age playing alone three backyards down and one back. Summer was coming, the days warm and filled with birdsongs. He had set up a cricket pitch and was dressed in cricket gear. . . .

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She'll Take Them Up On A Tray





Marcia McGreevy Lewis

 


© Copyright 2023 byMarcia McGreevy Lewis




Photo property of the author.
Photo property of the author..

. . . .A friend sent me this article which says: The verbal abuse from rude customers got so bad, the owners of a restaurant on Cape Cod closed for part of the day to treat its employees to a “day of kindness.” Ramping up from zero to 60 post-pandemic, the restaurant wasn’t able to take a breakfast order because it wasn’t open yet. An indignant customer berated an employee, making her cry. That led the restaurant owners to shut down. The local restaurant association expressed its solidarity with the shuttered restaurant by starting a “Please Be Kind” campaign. . . .

Toothache





George R. Frost


 
© Copyright 2023 by George R. Frost



Photo courtesy of Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/business-care-clean-clinic-208474/
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

Two days before I was to report to basic training, otherwise known as bootcamp, at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, I broke a tooth eating ice cream. You heard that right, ice cream, but the ice cream had pecans in it. I bit down and half my molar broke off. Painful enough, but the nerve hung down making breathing a very painful process. . . .

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My Hero Is My Dad





Lydia Seales-Fuller


 
© Copyright 2023 by Lydia Seales-Fuller



Photo of Lydia and her dad.
Photo of Luydia and her dad

I chose to speak about my father. He deserves to be the focus of a discussion about heroes and worthy men. This manuscript contains reasons why my father is my hero. As you read, I hope you agree with me that he was a one-of-a-kind person. . . .

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P-38-E-1943



Thomas Turman


 
© Copyright 2023 by Thomas Turman




Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Lockheed P-38 Lightning.  Photographed at the Spitfire 60th Anniversary Airshow, Duxford, 1996.  Photo courtesy
of Wikimedia Commons.

My dad, Gardner Wilson, Kelly Johnson and Jerry Roland are having a quick breakfast at 4:30 a.m., standing at the counter in our small Southern California kitchen. Sleepy but excited, I am watching. Late last night, I was told I would go to work with my father but not why so early. . . .

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Learning To Swim Without Lane Lines







Leigh M. O'Brien


 
© Copyright 2023 by Leigh M. O'Brien



Photo by Marcus Ng on Unsplash
Photo by Marcus Ng on Unsplash

I stood, legs shaking, heart pounding, toes gripping the edge of the tall diving board. I waited and waited and waited – until I could wait no more. Finally, eyes shut tight, I threw myself off the end into the deep, dark, unknowable pool below. I shot to the surface hours later as my daughter fought her way into the world, and I became a mother for the first time. . . .

The Bully





John Howell


 
© Copyright 2023 by John Howell



Image by Victoria_Regen from Pixabay
Image by Victoria_Regen from Pixabay

I don’t remember his name. That’s the most terrible thing: that I have even excised from my famously selective memory what his name was. He was a little boy whose family had the fair cabin two doors down from ours at the Neshoba County Fair. The Fair was the major event of the summer for me as a child, next to Christmas the major event of the year. It was the last gasp of summer before school started back again. . . .

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Just A Girl In 1972





Sherri J. Bale


 
© Copyright 2023 by Sherri J. Bale



Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

Physics terrified me. It was only the really smart kids who took physics in high school. But I knew I needed a well-rounded transcript for my college applications because I planned to be a scientist. I was one of only three girls in the physics class. I studied hard, spending more time on physics than any other course in my senior year. . . .

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Playing Hooky




Gloria Mesa



 
© Copyright 2023 by Gloria Mesa

 

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash
Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

When I was a little girl being homeschooled meant answering the queries of well-intentioned adult strangers who questioned with good reason why I was out playing, or shopping, during the hours when most other kids my age were in school. I would explain that I received my education at home. My mother worked with me on my studies, and I tended to be finished early on in the day. I wasn’t playing hooky. . . .

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This Is For My Coach






Robert Flournoy


 
© Copyright 2023 by Robert Flournoy   
 

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

In August of 1957, the call went out to all ten year olds in the neighborhood that a little league football team was being formed to be a part of an already established league. New housing developments were springing up all over El Paso, Texas (popping up in every town in the nation, actually), and with each one came new sports teams for the baby boomers whose parents were moving in. I was ecstatic, beside myself. . . .

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Snakes at a Mahjong Game





Irvin Sam Schonfeld


 
© Copyright 2023 by Irvin Sam Schonfeld



Image by NIDEO&amp;NICS Hokkaido from Pixabay
Image by NIDEO&amp;NICS Hokkaido from Pixabay

Our adventures in The Lots on each side of the Projects continued. Joel and I persisted in collecting snakes. We looked in rock piles. We looked in the tall grass growing near the swamp. The two of us were successful locating snakes, then grabbing them up. We transported our quarry back to our building alive in the brown paper bags our mothers ordinarily stuffed with sandwiches. . . .

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Cauchemar





Irvin Sam Schonfeld


 
© Copyright 2023 by Irvin Sam Schonfeld



Bĺstads riots, 1968. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Bĺstads riots, 1968.  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The movie ended with Zorba and Basil dancing the sirtaki on a beach in Crete, the spirited Greek having just taught the uptight Englishman how to let loose. It was late when I exited the movie theater in the Quartier Latin. Unexpectedly, tear gas cannisters exploded at my feet. It was Quatorze Juillet, 1968, the French National Day, the day that commemorates the storming of the Bastille. It was difficult to breathe. The exiting moviegoers quickly dispersed in different directions. I ran to a side street to get air fresh enough to breathe. The police were chasing down the young demonstrators who tried to revive the massive anti-government protests that had peaked in May. . . .

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Clarksonville Baptist Church
185 Years of Hope, Community development, Education and Spiritual Service by Missionaries founded Clarksonville Baptist Church, Jamaica


Winston Donald
Secretary Jamaica Fellowship of Independent Baptist Churches

   
© Copyright 2023 by Winston Donald


Photo courrtesy of the author.
Photo courrtesy of the author.

On Sunday August 6, 2023 Clarksonville Baptist Church celebrates a momentous occasion, 185 years of dedicated service to the people of Clarksonville, St. Ann and its environs and by far to Jamaica . A church service for the celebration will begin at 10: 00 a.m. . . .

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Teacher Field Trip To Ireland



Samantha Leigh Miller



 
© Copyright 2023 by Samantha Leigh Miller



Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

I went to Ireland to learn about the writers of the past, but I brought home an experience to share with my students worth so much more. There is a reason Ireland is home to the literary greats. It is an island landscape that fuels the imagination, with a people who burn to tell its stories. In fact, storytelling is such a part of the culture I found in Ireland, that it’s impossible to sort the stories apart from the places and the people. . . .

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Bottlenose Dolphins 


Maureen Moynihan


 
© Copyright 2023 by Maureen Moynihan




Photo by Jonas Von Werne on Upsplash.
Photo by Jonas Von Werne on Upsplash.
Mae was my first roommate. At 91 she set off the smoke detectors by trying to sneak a butt in the bathroom, feigning hearing loss as she puffed away in the midst of a blaring fire alarm. I loved her instantly.
Cut the crap, Mae. I know you can hear me.”, . .

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The Puppeteer and His Marionettes





Sara Etgen-Baker



 
© Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker

Photo by Miguel Alcântara on Unsplash
Photo by Miguel Alcântara on Unsplash

. . . .There was a freezing chill in the December air. Rosy cheeked, Grammy and I stood in line outside the theater stomping our feet to keep warm; pulling our woolen hats over reddened ears; and tightening our scarves around our necks. At noon, the theater door finally opened, and a black-caped man announced, “Welcome to Le Theatre de Marionette.” . . .

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A Tribute to the Cigar Box, Cigars, and the Men Who Smoked Them





Sara Etgen-Baker



 
© Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker

Photo from the author.
Photo from the author.

Cigar boxes are no longer a part of childhood. But once upon a time, cigar boxes were as common as 1943 steel pennies. For children of my generation, a cigar box wasn’t about the processed, aromatic tobacco leaves our father’s smoked, but rather about creativity. . . .

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Together Again 






Giles Ryan

 
© Copyright 2023 by Giles Ryan



Hans Holbein, portrait of Henry VIII,1536
Hans Holbein, portrait of Henry VIII,1536
Juan de Flanders. portrait of a young girl, 1496
Juan de Flanders. portrait of a young girl, 1496

This has happened before and now it happens again. A visit to a museum which was originally a private collection leads to something wholly unexpected. Three years ago, it was the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, where I saw Ghirlandaio’s Portrait of a Young Woman and thought, how did this come to be here in Lisbon and not in Rome or Florence, or somewhere in Italy, or perhaps in the Louvre? And now, visiting the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, I find myself wondering the same thing, and this time it’s a painting I would expect to find at the National Portrait Gallery in London. . . .

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My Cousin Obed






Ezra Azra


.


 
© Copyright 2023 by Ezra Azra

Reading Tea Leaves by Harry Herman Roseland, 1906, oil on canvas - New Britain Museum of American Art. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Reading Tea Leaves by Harry Herman Roseland, 1906, oil on canvas - New Britain Museum of American Art. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

On one occasion Obed's mother yelled at him, "Every hair on your head contains a thousand lies!" He was about thirteen years old at the time. There were other adult family members there, in the backyard. All were shocked. After yelling at her son, her firstborn child, auntie Ruth stormed away back to her home, a few blocks away. . . .

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The Walls Speak of Purgatory







Sadia Reza



 
© Copyright 2023 by Sadia Reza

 

Image by liatit from Pixabay
Image by liatit from Pixabay

We all thought of her as 'the woman with the dead husband'. She lived upstairs above us, yet I would never meet her. It happened before she’d moved here – she found him hanging from the ceiling, a rope around his neck. He’d served in Afghanistan, I heard. Bits and pieces of her story I gathered from various figures, the landlord, my husband’s family. Yes, she had struggled, the poor woman, everyone thought; what a tragic story, very sad. So long as she paid the rent. . . .

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A New View On Old Things

 

Ellie S. Thomas   
 

© Copyright 2023 by  Ellie S. Thomas

 
 

Icon of Jesus among the doctors from Wikimedia Commons.
Icon - Jesus among the doctors from Wikimedia Commons..

The Holy Land was not a large place but to the wandering Jews who desired a settled home, it looked pretty good. Ancient Israel was composed of Galilee, Samaria, and - Judah, the land of the Jews, which had once been a province of Persia. The history was a confused recital of Greek, Roman, and various other conquests and the country had been held by the Romans for the last hundred years. . . .

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Jump--Jump!




Pamella Laird



 
© Copyright 2023 by Pamella Laird

Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-fixing-dress-on-girl-1676133/
Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy at Pexels.

I’m not ‘a fly on the wall. I’m the vicar, so you are hearing this from an on-the-spot, reliable witness. Through Sophie I’ve heard telling bits of her wedding plans. We all knew this would be the fun wedding of the year—with her infectious laughter and mass of auburn curls—Sophie’s that sort of girl. I’ve seen enough brides walk up our aisle I’m now an authority on weddings. . . .

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Technical Excellence





Angela Townsend


 
© Copyright 2023 by Angela Townsend



Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash
Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash

Mr. van Auken trusted me.
This would have been instantly apparent to wiser eyes, but I was, what — eleven? And when you are eleven, you are warned early and often about Mr. van Auken. . . .

Bipolar In Uniform





Annette Vermette


 
© Copyright 2023 by Annette Vermette



Photo by Edward Eyer at Pexels.
Photo by Edward Eyer  at Pexels.

In the present day, Terrance is doing well. To his family and loved ones who have witnessed the many episodes of mania in the last thirty years, some are clinging to the behaviours they saw back then, and some are proud of his current state and relate to him as such. . . .

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Balausa and Pip's Wand:
The Battle with the Funks






Adilbek Raiymbek Didaruly



 
© Copyright 2023 by 
Adilbek Raiymbek Didaruly

 
Image by Katja from Pixabay
Image by Katja from Pixabay

Once in a quiet village named Zhikovo there lived a girl named Balausa. Balausa was an inquisitive and dreamy girl who was always looking for adventures around her. She woke up every morning with a smile on her face, ready to go to her little fantasy world. . . .

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Lily and the Wizard







Abhinash Shah



 
© Copyright 2023 by Abhinash Shah

 

Image by Katja from Pixabay
Image by Katja from Pixabay
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
Image by Dorothe from Pixabay.

 Once upon a time, there was a small town nestled in a valley surrounded by towering mountains.
The town was known for its vibrant community and picturesque scenery. One day, a stranger arrived in the town, claiming to be a wizard. The townspeople were skeptical, but the stranger proved his powers by performing a series of incredible feats.

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Where Have All The Lunchboxes Gone?





Sara Etgen-Baker



 
© Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker

Photo from the author.
Photo from the author.

As August draws to a close, school buses are back on the roads, blackboard rails have chalk dust in them again, and back-to-school shopping is pretty much wrapped up. But as I walked the aisles of notebooks, pencils, and backpacks last week, there was one item that seemed to be missing. I'm talking, of course, about the metal lunchbox. . . .

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When Handkerchiefs Were Fashionable





Sara Etgen-Baker



 
© Copyright 2023 by Sara Etgen-Baker

Embroidered handkerchief. Photo from the author.
Embroidered handkerchief.  Photo from the author.

. . . .Whenever Mother napped on the couch, I did as most curious little girls are prone to do. I sneaked into my parents’ bedroom, sat down on the upholstered bench in front of Mother’s mirrored dressing table where I quietly riffled through her dressing table drawers fascinated with all her ladylike things: her pink Spoolies, her cherry red lipstick, her powdered compact, her scented sachets, and her ‘hankies.’. . .

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The Invitation








James L. Cowles



  
© Copyright 2023 by James L. Cowles
 
Image by Jorge Barahona from Pixabay
Image by Jorge Barahona from Pixabay

    He had ridden this trail many times, but he couldn't remember the name of the little town the cowboy had told him about.

    It must be another one of those damn gold rush towns," he thought. “They have cropped up all over creation since 1850. Calefornee is full of ‘em, and I bet this here one is jest another one that’ll probably go ‘bout as quick as it come. . . .

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Diary of a Survivor


Abbie Creed



 
© Copyright 2023 by Abbie Creed

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

This is about my husband, Dan, and his life changing event that caused our whole family to go into survival mode. He was the love of our lives, a wonderful father and role model as well as my friend and mentor. He spent 25 years in a wheelchair, unable to work, but his strong faith and that of our family, taught us many new life lessons and gave us a strong sense of the importance of family and friends. . . .

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A Wish Come True



Abbie Creed


 
© Copyright 2023 by Abbie Creed



Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

This is a childhood memory of a Christmas I remember so vividly. It took place during the second World War, when my father was seriously ill, three of my five brothers were in the military stationed overseas, and children were experiencing frequent air raid drills. It was a scary time in our history but for one little girl, Santa Claus became real! . . .

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The Red Letter Dishes



Abbie Creed


 
© Copyright 2023 by Abbie Creed

Photo courtesy of the author.
Photo courtesy of the author.

This is a wonderful story of a Christmas gift surprise that became a life long tradition in our family but in the lives of others who have been recipients of a copycat gift. Some went as wedding gifts, others as Christmas gifts to friends. Believing in the importance of family traditions I set out to keep the story of the original dishes alive. . . .

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