The old man sat quietly in the coffee shop surrounded by young people. He calculated how many years it had been since he was a young man, just beginning to taste life. He decided that if 21 was the right age to begin…
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How we ran into each other that Sunday afternoon was we were both furniture shopping at the Cool Springs Furniture Emporium. I saw her bending down to get a better look at what she referred to as a…
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Stephanie sat quietly in the local coffee shop. She was having a hard time constructing a memo to her boss. The subject matter was simple enough, but she couldn’t concentrate long enough to complete more than a sentence or two before her mind wandered…
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“How many more of these reports do I have to grade?” Jason, a bored 45-year-old English teacher, counted them. “Let’s see, 26 students and 12 are graded, so…
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Steve woke up feeling cold. His 53-year-old bones really felt it. Sometime during the night, his blanket had slipped off the bed. January at the Jersey Shore is usually frigid. He called Jake, his…
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“I’ll have biscuits and gravy, please.” The diner was nearly empty.
Martin looked at Kimberly and said, “We just drove eleven hours straight. The whole trip you’ve been talking about fried chicken, okra and corn bread.”
“It’s too late for a big meal. It’s comfort food, Martin. I’m tired…
Read More…“Oh, how wonderful,” one of the ladies said. “I’m excited for you both.” The other ladies concurred. They were smiling and each one in turn gave us hugs. Another woman said, “You look…
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“Oh! You’re the guy who saved that baby! Last month, right? I saw you on TV. That was bold, man.”
“Yes, I’m the guy. Thank you.” The men didn’t know each other. They’d crossed paths at a raucous house party.
“Were you scared?…
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“My wife loves Christmas,” John said. “According to her there are only two seasons, Christmas and summer.” The man was talking to his friend and co-worker, Joel, while they rode the train home from work. John was the shorter man and still trim. Joel, was tall and portly.
“And that bothers you?” Joel asked...
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Jerry Sikes, 67, took another trip on his four-wheeler from the garage to the dumpster in his old neighbor’s back yard. With some difficulty he heaved trash bags, heavy with memories, that had been orphaned when his neighbors…
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Ellen and Andrew Rohm, a couple in their late-thirties, walked into the Burrito Picante excited and happy…
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Sitting across from each other in the waiting area of the division of motor vehicles, she smiled first. He returned the smile, but looked away, not sure what her smile meant. Long brown hair, hazel eyes, pretty. He was wearing a black T-shirt with the words…
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Officer Brady Andrews, one of two patrolmen in Sandy City, was working the midnight shift one night, sitting in his patrol car. His vehicle was partially hidden behind the…
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“I prefer to drive, if you don’t mind,” Kay said.
“Since when? You never mentioned that before,” Jason asked as he opened the driver’s side door. Kay was standing right behind him.
“I’m sure there are many things I’ve never mentioned before…”
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“…Looks like a good day for fishing,” Stryker said. He was the younger brother by sixteen months. “There’s plenty of Walleye in that lake. It’s a good eating fish.”
Stanley looked at his brother and said, “A lot you know about it. I don’t remember you ever catching…
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…He looked at his ancient windup watch and sighed. He must sit another forty-five minutes in his tiny space with the dark screened, windowed booths on either side of him. Until a few years ago…
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Clark walked over to the reception desk at the reunion and looked for his name tag. For some reason they were arranged in alphabetical order by first name. Since he knew he was the only Clark in his high school graduation class, he quickly found his nametag. But instead of Clark Galle it said…
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Macie was in with the doctor when her cell phone rang. Her phone sat in the crowded waiting room with her husband, Carson. The ringtone actually spoke the words, “Ring-Ring,” repeatedly for six full rings, unless the call was answered sooner. The volume was turned up full….
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Luke Ford sat on a bar stool at the After Hours Bar. He smoked a cigarette, something the bar owner allowed only after regular closing time. He also sold drinks after hours to regulars, illegal …
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As usual Cynthia woke up at ten minutes past five a.m. on Friday morning without the help of her alarm clock. She had turned off the alarm months ago. She didn’t need it. Her body clock never failed. Having showered the night before…
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