The war is over, but the danger still exists. A child soldier is captured, but then through ingenuity and luck, manages to survive and carry on.
The Swim
Returning to a place I loved, spending time with some people I loved, and being able to tick off an item from my bucket list was a satisfying experience. Great moments in life can be as serene as sharing a good cup of coffee.
The Impact of Sitting Volleyball: Part One
When he came to, in a tragic trick of the light, his left thigh slept numb and scarred. But this was no trick. Perhaps looking upon it was like looking upon the hilt of a broken sword – the blade snapped and lost with just a small, jagged shard jutting from the crossguard. For Paul Ledward, everything had changed.
Numbville – Part I of II
Welcome to Numbville – a place where people wind up when they give up.
The Gas Chamber
Going on family outings can be fun as long as you aren’t asphyxiated or thrown around like the balls in a giant pinball machine. Kids these days are missing out on all the fun.
Impresaria: Where do I belong?
Narrow labyrinth paths that fret memories: a homeless woman, I am a mother on a bus, who sees a woman and says to herself, it is my daughter.
A Feckless Friend
Remember those days where your imagination was populated by army men posing as villagers, frogs waited to destroy your sleepy village, and some elbow grease was used to bring it all together? And it all took place outside…in a galaxy far, far away.
The Break Up
Not everyone embraces the journey to adulthood with enthusiasm. Sometimes adulthood needs to take a back seat and wait for the hormones to kick in. Without those much-needed hormones, first kisses can be downright gross.
Stars In My Eyes
The magic of the moment when a child realizes that the planets and the stars are real, not just pictures in story books or drawings in a science text, can profoundly affect her understanding of other life experiences.
Up in Smoke
Part of being a firefighter is knowing that you are helping, but sometimes the only thing you can do is watch while someone’s world goes up in smoke.