An irreverent and at times dark look at life, relationships, the human condition, and religion. Some of the stories are meant to be just light-hearted glimpses into the mistakes many of us and our friends make. I hope you’ll find stories here that will entertain and make you smile. I also hope there might be a few that will give you pause and possibly make you think a little and reflect on your life’s situations and circumstances. Lastly, I hope there are a few that might make you wonder where as a society are we headed?

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This is Abbott Lake at the Peaks of Otter Lodge, which is on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Photo taken circa 1990.

A Few Sample Stories From "Fifty-Five 55-Word Stories"




I'm Now An International Star... Well, Not Exactly!

I was surprised, humbled, and thrilled when I received an email from Mubashir Zaidi, a well-known Pakistani journalist and writer, asking permission to use some of my stories. The cover is his book, Namak Paaray, which is in Urdu and contains a collection of short stories from writers around the globe. The book is named after namak para, a salty crunchy snack popular in Pakistan and India. The short stories could be likened to an intellectual or reading snack.  

Click here to go Mr. Mubashir's Website which is in Urdu, but has some stories in English.

Book Two, Fifty-Six (Plus 6) is Finished. Click on the Book Cover on the Right Side to go to Amazon,,,,,...

Book two is going to be better organized with the stories grouped in categories and, will have a table of contents with all the stories listed. There are also several commentaries. Overall the book will be a lot neater in appearance. It is basically finished except for the editing. Well, it's been basically finished except for the editing for a couple of months. May 16, 2013

Here are a few sample stories from book two.




Two Years He’d Been Obsessed With Her

Had been at the desk across from him.
Couldn’t stop thinking about her, dreamed of her.
“Have a surprise; I’ll be at your place at 7PM.”
Tonight’s the night, why else would she call?
Towel wrapped around him, he opened the door.
She stood holding a cake, surrounded by his co-workers all singing Happy Birthday.

What Goes Around Comes Around

“Believe that?”
“Yes. Universal Law.”
“How do you know?”
“Look around. You see it happen every day. If you’re nice to someone you will be rewarded.”
“Sure?”
“Yes.”
“A year ago I stopped to help a stranded motorist.”
“What happened? “
“He stabbed me and took my car.”
“Oh. You must have bad karma.”

My Kid’s a Computer Whiz!
“What do you mean?”
“At 16 he can work an I-Phone.”
“And?”
“Can really get that X-Box going.”
“OK?”
“Scores high in Kill Them Until They’re Dead combat game.”
“Wow.”
“He can send those sex-text messages.”
“Can he sit down with pencil, paper, and add two numbers?”
“He’s a computer whiz, not a math genius!”



What Really Happened in Garden of Eden?

“Hey, Adam. Taste this.”
“Apple from the snake?”
“Yep.”
“He said not to.”
“It’s good. It’s real good, Baby. Trust me.”
“Yes, it is.”
Voice boomed from above, “Leave the garden and forever be cursed.”
“Wow, nice boobs. What should we do?”
“Heck with him, let’s take off these stupid fig leaves and fool around.”





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My Third Book is Finished.......


 Life, Relationships, Religion, and the Human Condition In
Six Words   
    


Here are some samples. 

There are approximately 288 of these....


Religion

Elvis, the little-known 13th disciple.

His perfect image? Why an appendix?

Where in the hell is this heaven?




Relationships

Great date? Yes, I was alone.

Lust or love? That’s the problem.

First date. Best time to quit!

Guys’re crazy over you know what!

See you again? Sure, $500 please.

Surfboard of romance, headed toward rocks.




The Human Condition      

Magic 8 ball can be wrong.

There’s no antidote for magical thinking.

Elixir of life. Drink cautiously, sparingly.

Is cracked plaster an artistic enhancement?

Looking at life through fogged windows.

For some, implausible, a step up.

Uninformed rarely question or seek evidence.



Superstition, Myths, Pseudoscience, and Such

Truth, can’t be altered or changed.

Chiropractors and churches. No more needed.

Mother Nature is not actually fickled.

Believe anything. Remember, Santa loves you.

Respect your rights, not your beliefs.




NOTE: Yes, I know some of the above stories are "bigger" than the others. I've tried everything to fix it, to no avail. Sorry!