Prosperity

A while back, one of my brothers made an error at work, which cost a client a bunch of money.
They leveled accusations, pointed fingers, ranted and raved, filed a lawsuit and after a failed attempt to settle the dispute, ended up in court—a typical insurance company battle.
Oh well, stuff happens.
On the one hand, I take [...]

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Just show up.
Some days I wake up plain dog-tired.
I lack the customary zest and zeal that characterizes most mornings, for no apparent cause or reason.
If I had my druthers, I’d like nothing better than to roll back over and cozy up to my favorite pillow.
Instead, I drag the ol’ carcass into the kitchen to hunt [...]

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The sun cast a sweeping glint over the crests of quiet morning waves.  It was 6 A.M. in Montego Bay.  Caribbean waters lapped the beach with rhythmic gentility.  “Flap, woosh. Flap, woosh.”
Armed with snorkels and masks, we took to the water.  Laird liked to wear fins.  I chose to swim without them, part of my [...]

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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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The man plopped down on his chair, defeated.
His father’s maxims bit his ears and nagged him like tired Christmas jingles.
“No pain, no gain. No guts, no glory. No risk no reward. Gotta’ pay to play. You never know until you try.”
On and on.
He sat, dazed, in a semi-trance, half-comatose, half numb, with tinges of remorse and disappointment punctuated by [...]

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High gray clouds drift across the sky, dark and menacing, pregnant with the impending flood.
The tide rips and turns, a dangerous undertow covered by a deceptive friendly froth.
Out on the sea, weaving its way through the Caribbean islands lurks the monster, sucking strength from the depths, building her roar.
Which way will she turn?
Where will 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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A recent study of a group of people over the age of 100 queried the participants as to what they might do differently if they had their lives to live over again.
Amidst a number of varied answers, three emerged as common to most, and certainly unveil a universal perspective:
Number one: I would risk more.
Number two: [...]

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“ That’s because Johnny’s a TFB,” Ted said to his new friend James. The two met the week before and became instant buddies.
“ Huh? A what?” James seemed confused.
“ A TFB—a trust fund baby. His grandfather invented some drill bit for offshore oil exploration that just about every company uses.” Ted paused. ”They made a [...]

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