The battle to be heard Imagine wanting to speak so badly but being told to swallow each word. Self-respect and confidence fall to the floor and run away naked to escape the embarrassment of living in a world of forced silence. But, in their hiding place, self-respect and confidence grow…

Things I learned along the way I discovered three things about effective character development, beginning with it’s not impossible. When I started my book project, I became bogged down with how the characters should interact. At first glance, they appeared to be people who would not interact with each other…

There will be sacrifices — I’m writing a book, and it keeps me from writing. Before I became hyper-focused on completing my book project, I wrote for fun. Leaving my words and thoughts on the page or screen meant freedom, not just freedom of mind but freedom of creative expression. It helped me to discover…

A Return to Peace Part 2 — What are you thinking about? What do you mean you don’t know? You are the only one who knows. Either you are unwilling to share it with me or afraid to admit the truth. Which one is it? Both! Where does that leave us? Don’t answer that. We’ve been down…

Lasting childhood memories

Saying goodbye to the big cheese — The thought of you drives me wild. On cold gray days, I imagine struggling close, deep in the bed covers, inhaling your aroma and salivating. Waiting in anticipation. You lay there, a gorgeous temptress, as I prepare to devour you one nibble and bite at a time. My faithful love…

Recovery takes longer than I thought The world got worse every day. Before long, the threat of it crashing down on me kept me in bed. If I was already parallel to the ground, the world’s weight could not hurt me much more. I lay there and watched the world…

Our internal navigation system I wish there were a life navigation system on our phones, tablets, or laptops. That way, we would know when to make decisions that completely change our direction toward living better lives. “Poor decision warning, say no to people pleasing. Press “change” to be rerouted to…

On the ranch… — The serenade of upward and downward inflections of, “Moo,” and the occasional cattle bell awakened me from a restful sleep. The cattle grazed on grass kept green by irrigated water. At the same time, calves played together like carefree puppies chasing their tails. Outside the window, beyond the deck, Ted…