Given my short attention span, my stories are typically no more than a page or two. Given the fact that English was never one of my better subjects in school, combined with the fact that I am typing challenged, starting out, writing all too often was far more frustrating than rewarding.
But, given my stubbornness and my refusal to give up easily, my grasp of the English language has improved – at least a teensy bit. My typing skills, not so much. Admittedly, Google search has become my number one writing companion. I am constantly checking the spelling of one word after another and I am constantly broadening my vocabulary by looking for synonyms to the words I use all too often. Yes, I know that there are programs that can do that for me (such as AI) but I am old school and it is much too late for me to change. Besides, the Google searches often result in a rabbit hole or two that would have otherwise gone unexplored.
Admittedly, for the most part, these short stories are a coping mechanism that I have relied upon for years. Often times, when I find myself struggling with one of life’s many challenges, I recall the classic psychoanalyst line: “How does that make you feel?” And my mind, never lacking a response, begins chunking out snippets of wisdom collected over the past seventy-five years or so. While these short stories are meant to provide me with a bit of solace, hopefully you too are able to glean a small respite of well-being.