“A beautiful day rarely lets itself be spoiled by trouble,” were the words posted on Paulo’s dive hut in Barranquilla. I walked the last two miles and finally I could see the tip of Baru. Now that I was beyond the lights of the resorts it was desolate, and I saw the two men in relief against the last light of the horizon.
Petroleum
There are two small drawbacks to writing this blog. First, I commit to too many things and, by necessity, I commit to them in writing. I recently stated my intention on this blog, that is to say, pledged publicly and permanently, to write a series of stories based on my eldest son’s dreams. But this…
The House by Chinese Tracks
“Can we stay and play in the leaves, daddy?” asked Seen-Hung, hands clasped behind his back, balancing on one foot. He peered brightly into the eyes of the man standing before him, a man who was not his father. Peng opened his mouth, but was beaten to the punch. “Only for a little while,” Seen-Hung…
To Dream Like a Child
O to dream like a child! My wife has often told me that her dreams border on a reenactment of real life. And nothing luxurious either (not that there is much in the vein of luxury to draw on). If you were given your druthers to choose a memory from the subconscious to dream about,…
Saving Chicago
Dammit, why am I always late? This one wasn’t my fault at all, but I will concede that it is a trend. After 20 hours of checkpoints - national, state, civic, militia - I was at least in the right city. By the time I arrived at my actual destination, James Nelson wasn’t at his…
Optimism
Most people think of me as a pessimist. I don’t think that’s quite fair. I prefer to think of myself more like Batman: a contingency plan for every eventual bad situation. Perhaps that I think of them as eventual is what makes it pessimism. Of course not every bad thing that can happen will happen,…
Mum’s Allergic to the Sun
“I love you so much Hailey.” “I love you too GG!” she said, throwing her arms around her grandmother and planting a kiss on her cheek that lingered. Linda lit up just like she always did when her grandkids were there. “Come on sweetie, let’s go get ready for the game. Say goodbye,” Greg said…
I Should Have Kept My Big Mouth Shut
If you’re only vaguely familiar with Bible stories and it’s been a while since your last Sunday School class you won’t likely remember much more than Noah’s Ark and anything you saw in The Prince of Egypt. If you are a more mid-level observer of the Christian faith, you may be familiar with the only…
An Allegory
Years ago a relative of mine died and left me an inheritance. A note with it read: “Tend to this to get what is best, that which you love.” The executor went on to explain that some money had been put in a trust for me. I could put money into the account if I…
Until Proven Guilty
The moderator indicated that there was only 10 minutes left in the debate and Emerson hadn’t made his much anticipated announcement yet. “I will now cede the floor to each candidate for 5 minutes for closing remarks,” said the man sitting at the centre podium with his back to the audience. “Mr. Cates, as the…
Fishy Thoughts 