Inspiration

I love the sounds of melting snow—plink, plink, ting, ting, ting, a staccato drip on sloped metal roofs, the occasional loud crack of a giant icicle, the bubble and gurgle of the mountain brook as it swells and tumbles over polished rocks on its way to the valley below.
I love to gaze at the majestic [...]

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The crowd cheered as the young man walked across the stage to claim his
award as the company’s top producer.
He accepted the microphone, looked over the audience and faltered, an
obvious, pregnant pause that brought a hush to the room.
I watched him confront his fear, wrestle with the doubt that invariably
creeps in.
It took him a moment to [...]

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Where are you going, little mouse?
I step into the bathroom and spy a tiny friend.
His eyes perched on the side of his head told me that he or she feels afraid, caught in an unfamiliar element.
Briefly startled, I sense a smile growing—a kindred spirit to the energy behind the spooked eyes.
I freeze, unwilling to let [...]

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The woman took a quick peak at her hair as she rushed out of the bathroom. As usual, she would apply her make-up in the car. “Shoes,” she cried out automatically. “Everybody needs shoes.”
She glanced into the kitchen to see her husband buttering the toast they would eat on the road.
“C’mon guys,” she [...]

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As always, Joe made himself busy around the set.
He arrived with the crew and helped in any way he could, ferrying gear, holding doors open, guarding coveted parking spaces.
When catering showed up, he pitched in to arrange the breakfast buffet.
No other actors appeared before their call times.
Only Joe.
The grips, light and sound folk, assistant directors [...]

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Bob rocked back and forth three times in his wheelchair before coming to his feet.
He grabbed the walker with his left arm—the “good one”—and began the 30-foot journey down the sidewalk in front of his house.
I marveled at how much he had improved.
He finally began to walk on his own.
He placed most of his weight [...]

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I am an artist.
Each day I face the artist’s plight.
Will the magic flow?
Will the well still run deep?
At times, I step into the limelight and speak to many people.
I dance with the audience, listen to their unspoken words, and share messages from the heart.
I love my work.
I love the contribution.
I love to touch the lives [...]

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By the third step out the front door a growing bead of sweat gathered just above his eye.
It began its lazy journey downward, around the eyebrow, through the valleys of the cat’s claw and onto the soft skin of the cheek above the beard line.  By that time, other traveling beads joined it, a [...]

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He dragged his left foot behind him as if weighted down by an iron shoe.  The old man shuffled down the aisle.
In his arms, he carried a clipboard full of papers.  He approached the podium, set down his materials, paused, reached inside the pocket of his jacket and pulled out [...]

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I turned into my parents’ driveway in Maryland and parked the car.  Before I could even step out and close the door, Mom flew out of the backyard, gesturing frantically.
“Your father had a breakdown,” she blurted. “Your brother took him to the hospital.  He’s on the sixth floor.  Go.  Go. You need to go [...]

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