Stories
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The Funeral of Friendship: A Father’s Military Tale
My mother understood my excitement while holding that old black and white photograph up close. There was my father, standing tall at the foot of his officers tent with hands on his hips, staring intensely at several men who were in the foreground. Each on a bent knee, they were burying something in a small, Continue reading
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The Lake
“Okay, kids,” Mother bellowed enthusiastically. “It’s time to go to the lake. Let’s get packing.” As a child, Mom’s momentous announcement could not have come sooner. The cabin at the lake was the quintessential vacation mecca developed specifically for a child’s imagination, enjoyment and physical restoration. A well-deserved summer vacation at Lake George was my Continue reading
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The Lady in the Flopping Hat
Barreling in through the middle of Minoa, Art started to pump the brakes of his five window Ford Coupe. He couldn’t chance overheating them at this pace. The alley was quickly approaching but something had to be done to slow this behemoth rolling death trap. Bud’s face contorted and grimaced, as he instinctively slammed his Continue reading
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The Battle of Earl
Blasting through the flaps of the tent, I splashed my seven dollars and twenty-five cents onto our makeshift war table. This wasn’t just any war table though. Crafted from the finest scrap plywood and held up with four plastic milk bins, we drew a scaled drawing of the playing field, my parents house, in permanent… Continue reading
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When Negotiations Fail
With twelve years of experience under my belt, I considered myself an extremely adept and formidable negotiator of the highest order. Combined with two other agents, we had nearly forty years of combined training and real-world experience in the art of clandestine operations. Those skills were tested and refined constantly, especially when handling risky, volatile Continue reading
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Unyielding Faith
I have always championed the sentiment that my parents were the epitome of “true and unyielding love”. They say memories become slightly misaligned from the actual truth of the events. That might be true, but if I am guilty of exaggeration, I make no apologies. I take satisfaction knowing that any exaggeration was skewed by Continue reading
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Lost Goodbyes
I was twenty-one when word came from another airman that I was being summoned to the squadron commander. In my gut, I knew why I was being requested. I hastily packed my training books away and quick stepped to the administration wing. Within minutes, I was knocking on the side of the commander’s open door. Continue reading
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To the Left of Mrs. T
The cross-town rivalry between our two schools was an epic event that filled bleachers and the minds of everyone who would lay witness to an epic battle. While the gymnasium resonated with the sound of dribbling basketballs during pre-game warm-ups, people flocked in at an alarming rate. Brother McDonough and Sister Evelyn manned the entrance Continue reading
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Happy Birthday Tommy
On any given day, you could always find Mom perched in her comfy padded chair at the small eat-in kitchen table. Behind her the kitchen window was always wide open; bristling in the sounds and the smells that the day brought forth. It was here that she addressed all matters of importance; the bills, the Continue reading
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They’re Not Bullwinkle
Tooling upwards through a mountain pass in the Adirondack Forest, my 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle struggled as dusk was fast approaching. I was still a good two hours from my final destination. My girlfriend was waiting for me to arrive and we planned a wild and crazy weekend. Not only was I excited to see Continue reading
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The Fence Post and I
Awakening to the frenzied sounds of the Adirondack wildlife, I found myself mumbling in a state of irritable restlessness. My consciousness resisted the temptation but even blanketing my head under the comforter provided no useful benefit in stifling Spring’s orchestrated auditory assault. I was doomed to arise fully against my will. As I tumbled out Continue reading
