Category Archives: Writing

Paul Taylor was just another face walking down the busy New York City sidewalk.  It was Saturday, December 31, 2011 — New Year’s Eve — and he was leaving his midtown Manhattan office building.  There was no rest for the … Continue reading →

2011 brought us natural disasters. 2011 brought us economic challenges. 2011 brought us a buffet of bad news. But it also brought us a chance to change. And once you realize that change is the grit that polishes stones into … Continue reading →

It was New Year’s Eve at St. Mercy’s Memorial Hospital, but no one on the Intensive Care Unit floor felt like celebrating.  It had been a stressful night; three patients decided 2011 would be their last year on Earth.  ICU … Continue reading →

One of the first things I discovered when I moved to Central Mississippi was Yazoo Clay.  It’s soil so expansive that it destroys both buildings and roads alike.  Add moisture and it expands.  Dry it out and it contracts.  A … Continue reading →

2011 strutted down the red carpet to the massive auditorium. Cameras flashed hungrily at the celebrities heading toward the gold-plated door. There, every year since the beginning of time, was the “The Once-A-Year Best Year Awards Program”. 2011 looked into … Continue reading →

Lightning bounced between the gloomy clouds, illuminating the gray countryside below.  The periodic flashes also revealed a dark, moss-covered castle perched on a rocky mountain. Inside its thick, impenetrable walls was a cold stone interior with hundreds of rooms and … Continue reading →

The gray sky matched the elderly man’s gray overcoat. Bundled against the cutting north wind, he walked quietly along the giant outdoor shopping mall’s main sidewalk.  Shoppers bustled in and out of the stores, making the world look like a … Continue reading →

The office Holiday party had ended and the pity party had begun. Charlie Turner sat in the high-rise office building, sulking. Everyone else had gotten Christmas Eve afternoon off. But not Charlie. Oh no. The mountain of paper on his … Continue reading →

The festive lights of Canton, Mississippi’s square burned through the gloom of the falling mist.  It was late Christmas Eve and most of the residents had gone to bed. They hoped for a visit from the North Pole’s most famous … Continue reading →

Franklin Scrooge sat in his corner office. The New York skyline came alive as night fell. Twinkling lights set against the canvas of dark buildings painted on an orange sunset. It was Christmas Eve evening, and he was working overtime. … Continue reading →