True

I Found This True! 

Stories

Here I am narrating a motivational story that I encounter in the session of a motivational speaker in Lucknow. He is also a keynote speaker and a leadership consultant in the same city.

A psychology professor once came into the class with lots of stuff and put all those peripherals on the table. As the class began, he took the empty jar and placed it in the middle of the table without uttering a single word. We all were watching very closely although we didn't want to be seen stupid in front of two hundred people sitting in the seminar. The professor proceeded by filling up the jar with rocks (appears to be about 6 centimeters in the diameter) and asked the attendees, "Is this jar full?" I am in no hurry to give any answers and waited for everyone to respond. They all said, "Yes, it is." I too said in the same chores and agreed that the jar was full. The professor then poured pebbles into the pot and shook it. The stones occupied the spaces in between rocks and asked again, "Is this jar full?" the pebbles that rolled down the spaces between the stones make it appear full. So all said again yeah it was full as compared to the rocks only.

The professor smiled and took sand to pour it down into the jar. The sand took the remaining spaces of pebbles & rocks and filled it. There was no space can be seen in between. He, once more, asked the same question "Is this jar full?" Now even I am confident to say it is full. We all said unanimous, "Yes, it is full".

Explanation of the experiment:

The professor explained everything. He let us imagined life as a jar. The rocks in the research were the essential things in life, such as your family, your wife, your children, and your health. The things that would remain with you even if you lose everything in life are considered as essential things. The pebbles were the other essential things in your life, such as your job, your car, your house, etc. Similarly, the sand is everything else - the small stuff in life. It was now easy to understand that if we put the sand or small things in our life first, there was no time for sure for the things which matter the most. The sand would occupy all the space leaving no space for the pebbles and stones.

You need to pay attention to your family and children more than your job or anything that matters less in your life.

Think about the rocks, and they matter everything else in life is just sand. You can always have time for your job, just set priorities. 

Motivational Stories Have The Ability to Lift us.

People mostly use Motivational Stories to teach and to encourage or to inspire the hopes of the listeners so the listener will use it as a stepping stone and for living a good life used it as an example. A different person has a different attitude, and they affect your emotions differently; some make you cry, or some make you think. Hopefully, some will inspire you and give you the motivation to go for your dreams.

When you are reading these motivational stories, the critical point is that if while reading you get feeling of motivations, where you want to do something then do! If you do not take any action when motivated, nothing is more of a waste than to be inspired. If a story causes you to do something or at least make you believe in yourself a bit more than the story is the motivational story. Hopefully, these Motivational stories will convert your life in some way.

Bringing new individual stories of motivation will make more people realize that it is within them to overcome daily miseries with beneficial attitudes that leave behind the sense of hopelessness and resignation. We also find that while energies are spent addressing specific issues, such as water scarceness and healthcare barriers, more attention will gather more input and solutions to drive more local and international awareness to participate in the efforts.

Also, embedded in our mode of operation is the delivery of all aspects of our work at the highest standard. We believe that we are intrinsically proficient in generating content and communicating it at the most upper thinker, technical, and visual rules that put us at equality with, if not ahead of, what today's conversant and exposed global community demands. By that, we aimed to attract attention not only to our collective motivation but also to our skills, expertise and abandoned prospective.

Inspiring Motivational Stories.

These stories are the stories which inspire us to do something big in our life. These stories to be used to direct the people, to help them out, to give them a better life, a positive attitude, motivational stories are the best way to teach somebody by the leading personality. In this way, we can work towards our goal or target effectively. The story is full of positive attitude, enthusiasm, labor, efforts, and inspiring quotes so that people would love to read of listening to these stories.

A positive attitude is one of the best components of the motivational stories because, without a positive attitude, you can not apply the thoughts and the point which is told to be implemented. The positive attitude can be your weapon in the war of the ideas while we are talking about the motivational stories. The most and important part of these stories is to be bold and brave enough so that people can be motivated by them, which is the main motto of the stories. Will power is the key to the motivational stories; without will power, you can not even think about changes. Will power is the only key to self-realization and implementation of the changes and the positive changes so that you can feel the difference before and after. These stories are all about changing your self with new ideas and theories. And without will power, you can not imagine changing your way of working or thinking.

This is just to make you think that where you are going and where you want to go. People need to know how they have to go. So that they can have an idea about the journey, these stories are to tell you how to travel. Life is a journey and you are the passenger this is up to you that where go and how.

The motivational stories are just an idea to make you rely on how important you are, what power you have, and things you can do, changes you can make in this world as well as in you. These theories are to prepare for the uncertainty of the future, unwanted loss of past, and best utilization of present.   

Find A Way to Live Your Life

Have you ever wished that you could have a millionaire's lifestyle? Imagine a life where you do not have to worry about how you are going to feed yourself or your family. Imagine not wondering how you are going to pay the bills this month because your job only pays minimum wage and you are still behind on last month's rent. I have been in your shoes. I know what it is like to choose which utility is more important this month. I also know what it is like to starve yourself just so your family can eat a little extra for a few nights. Humans are creatures of our own realities but what happens when we turn our fantasies into realities?

First, let me tell you that I am far from being a millionaire living a life of luxury. However, I will tell you that I am living my life doing what I have always dreamed of doing. While it is not as easy as it seems and I still do often have finances on top of my mind, there is nothing else that I would rather be doing. It took many years of ups and downs and more hardships than I'd care to explain but if I can do it, you can too.

Growing up, my issue was that I never knew what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do with my life. We all had teachers and parents that would tell us we have to pick one thing to be our career for the rest of our lives. What if I do not want to do just one thing? What if there are too many careers out there to be able to pick just one? I wanted to learn and try everything until I grew up and realized that it is not as easy to try multiple new endeavors while I have multiple new bills piling up.

From the time I was eighteen until about 5 years ago, I worked in restaurants. For any other service industry professionals, you know all too well that these jobs are plentiful and easily accessible. Most restaurants and hotels and places like that do not require much experience to get started. However, payment is usually not the greatest. I enjoyed working in restaurants because I loved to cook. To me, cooking in a high volume restaurant was kind of a game and a way to show off. I definitely was not making very much money but I had customers coming to the restaurant specifically asking for me to cook their food. If you are not familiar with how chain restaurants work, there is usually a line of anywhere between two to above ten cooks preparing your meal. To have customers ask the name of the cook that prepared their main course and to have those same customers come back and specifically request that specific cook every time is a big deal in the restaurant world.

Restaurants can be tough work environments, especially in the kitchen. It is hot and crowded. In most kitchens, There are not many windows to allow a view of the outside world. Going to work while its daylight and because it's dark by the next time you see the outside world, can play tricks on your mind. I cannot forget that there is a lot of stress associated with cooking in busy restaurants. As cooks, we have to get the food out as quickly as possible while re-cooking food that the servers forgot to ring in or the customer was not satisfied with. This leads to a lot of chaos and yelling amongst co-workers. Even though there is a certain level of comradery, the stress and headaches far outweigh the pay in most cases.

Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated by cars. By the time I was around twenty, I built up the courage to begin working on my own cars. I certainly did not have enough money to pay someone to fix them for me so this was the only option. As I grew into my teenage years and into college I developed a talent for writing. I obtained a degree in English however, there are not many decent job options for writers. At least not where I live.

I was around twenty-five before I finally had enough of the service industry. I will not get into why the last restaurant I worked for did not work out but let's just say they did not treat their employees very well. I quit the restaurant and was left unemployed and with very little money. I did not know what to do but I did know that this would be the perfect opportunity to follow my passions: cars and writing.

At the time, shows about flipping cars had become increasingly popular on the internet and after googling ways to earn money from home I found out that I can write articles and get paid for them online. When I first got started I did not have enough money to purchase a car to resell. I did have a talent that would enable me to very quickly earn an income and save up enough to buy my first flip car over time. Freelance writing is not the best way to get rich quick but it can be a good way to save a few extra bucks if you are willing to put in the work.

It took me about five months of writing before I had saved up my first $1,000 to spend on a car. Keep in mind that I still had bills to pay and needed to feed myself so most of my money from writing went there first. The first car I bought was a 1989 Toyota Corolla GT-S coupe. I paid a total of $450 for the car because while it ran, it had rusted brake lines that needed to be repaired as well as body rust that needed to be cleaned up before I could resell the car.

My mechanical skills are very limited and I have never had any certified mechanical training other than what I see on the internet. What I did have was determination. I kept telling myself that if someone else can do it and make a video doing it, surely I could as well. How hard could it be?

I dumped all of my remaining $650 into tools, parts, paint, and other supplies that I thought I would need to get my Corolla in tip-top shape. I taught myself how to sand and cut the rust out of a body panel and weld in new material. I taught myself how to paint and a lot more about tuning old cars. This was just the beginning. I sold that Corolla a month later for $3,900 and did not even use the total $1,000 from my initial savings.

I took the money I had made and took $1000 out of it for the next car and put the rest in savings. It is now six years later and I continue to use writing as my main source of bill paying which has proven to be working for me. I also get to play with cars as much as I want! I have no formal business training other than a few classes in college. All I did was combine my passion, talent, and determination to enable me to do what I finally decided that I want to do with my life.

Anyone can live their own life as long as they believe that they can. It will not be an easy road to drive down but the hard work will pay off as long as you do not give up. What are you waiting for? Go live your life!

 

Catherine and Her Best Day Ever

 It was wonderful. Everything about the day was wonderful. The sun shone, the birds sang in the trees and the grass was as green as it had ever been. It was going to be the Best day ever. Catherine knew she would win. She won the flower competition every year and this year was no exception. Her roses were better than everyone else's and her violets were stunning.

"I see your garden is as beautiful as ever. Why don't you enter the sewing or baking competition so other people can win a prize?"

"You know I can't sew or bake to save my life, besides why shouldn't I win a prize if I'm good at something?"

"The answer's simple. Nobody enters the competition because you've won every prize for the last ten years."

"So, what's wrong with that?"

It was no use. Everyone had tried to tell her the real reason they never bothered to enter. Apart from her tiresome attitude to winning at all costs, everyone knew she cheated. No one had bothered to tell her they knew she used chemicals that had been prohibited years before she'd entered her first and favorite plant into the competition.

The competition was as fierce as ever, or rather, Catherine was as determined as ever to win. Her plants were stunning and she let everyone know it was the Best day ever. Catherine always had the Best time ever when she showed the judges how healthy her plants were. 

"You cheated again didn't you Catherine?"

"No, I didn't. I admit I cheated the first time; however, I didn't realize the chemicals I'd used were illegal. I soon discovered what I could use and I've never cheated since."

"How do you explain the vast difference between your plants and everyone else's?"

"That's easy. Everyone else needs to work. I don't.

Catherine realized she'd said too much. She knew she'd told them what they'd all wanted to know for years. Her Best day ever would end in tears. I haven't worked in years because I wrote a few books that were successful. I received royalties for them about fifteen years ago.

It was the best day ever after all. Catherine still won all the prizes; however, she was humble and thanked everyone for their efforts which were the last thing anyone thought she'd do

How It Rolled Out

I have never been one for wanting to succeed in life, but that is because I was always told I couldn’t. Growing up in the area where I am from, and being a male you only have two choices: go to jail or die. Since I didn’t want to do either I decided to enroll in college, but only to get away from all the drama in my city; not to become something great. I figured if I get a degree in computers I can easily snag a job as an IT guy and make some easy money. When I first arrived on the college campus it was nothing that I thought it would be. I saw all types of people from all over the world, and from all types of ethnic groups. I mostly stayed to myself since I was always a big loner growing up. I was taught that was the only way to be if you wanted to stay alive. At night I wouldn't be caught outside unless I wanted a death wish so I made sure to be in way before the street lights hit. My first day in my classes was normal for me. They reminded me of high school so it was easy to adapt to. As I left my first class I passed a sign that said Garden of Your Dreams; Come and Make A Wish, but I kept walking paying it no mind. I went to my other classes and then to my dorm room. A few of my roommates asked me if I wanted to go to a party with them, but I wasn’t into any of that, so I politely declined. As I laid on my back looking up at the ceiling I began to wonder what this life had for me. Did I really want to get a degree in IT? Was I going to go back to my hometown to get a job? Or was I going to leave and go as far away as possible to start a new life? Wherever I went I was going to make it count.

I always enjoyed cooking, but I was told a chef makes no money so I decided to do something else; something that made money I guess. The next day I did the same thing: get up, get dressed, and go to all of my classes. They were so boring, yet informative for somebody that enjoyed computers. I walked past that sign again Garden of Your Dreams; Come and Make A Wish, but I kept walking. I did this for like a month, just waking up each day and walking to class like I was a zombie, feeling like the only purpose in my life was to live until I died. Until one day, when I decided to take a reroute to my second class leaving my first. I was beginning to get tired of taking the same route over and over again, doing the same thing every day, so I went a different way and got lost.

I began to look all around me to see if I could find a familiar landmark, but I couldn’t. Where in the world was I? I decided to go into this building and ask for directions, but I spotted a garden. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, but then I began to realize I was in the garden I pass by every day. “Can I help you,” an older lady asked, holding a pot. “I just need some directions that’s all.” She smiled at me and asked me where I was going so I told her. “Oh, so you like computers?” “Not really,” I said. “Then why are you going to a computer class? Is it a freshman course?” “No, my major is in computers.” “But I thought you said you didn’t like computers.” “I don’t,” I said feeling bummed out. She sensed my emotion and decided not to pry, but it was too late. Before I knew it I was pouring my heart out to the old lady like I had known her my entire life. “I never wanted to go to school for computers. I always wanted to be a chef. Cook for people and work in a famous 5-star restaurant, but from where I’m from, you can’t do those types of things and be successful.” “Honey who told you this?” “My mother.” The lady sighed and walked out of the room. I thought she was annoyed with hearing me rant so I turned around to walk out of the door. “Here honey,” she said, handing me a flower pot. “What do I do with this?” “Set it in the sun, water it every day, and make a wish.

Each day that you wake up, believe that you can be whatever you want to be.” I walked away with a flower pot and directions on how to get to where I was trying to go originally. The rest of that semester I did exactly what she told me to do. I woke up, watered my plant, and made a wish. As the plant grew, so did I (mentally). By the end of the semester, I had a sunflower as big as me and I changed my major from IT to culinary arts. I worked hard every day and busted my butt up until I graduated. The day before graduation I entered the flower shop and looked for the little old lady, but couldn’t find her, so I went into the back where she came from and found a garden. I stood there looking at the garden as each plant had a tag on it, yet one seemed to stick out the most to me. I walked up to the tag and it had my name on it. “I grew that for you,” said the old lady as I turned around. “It was supposed to be your graduation gift.” “Why is mine different from the rest?” “Because you inspired me the most. When I first met you, you were broken, but I saw something in you that you didn’t, so I motivated you. The sunflower didn’t help you grow, you helped yourself. All you needed was a push. Now you take your degree and be the best chef you were born to be, and don’t ever underestimate what you can do again.” I smiled at her, grabbed my flower she made me and walked towards the door. I stopped because I remembered why I came in the first place. I pulled out a bag filled with sunflower seeds and set them on her desk. “I brought these for you. You can eat them or grow more, it’s up to you, but ma’am, thank you.” I walked out of the door and across the stage beginning my journey to a new and improved life, all thanks to the little old lady that saw what I didn’t see in myself.  

An Epic Party Night that Changed my Life

It was the summer of 2016 and it was a time to remember. My name is Ian Trent and I’m about to tell you about an epic party night that I will never forget. I live in Tampa Bay down in Florida. It was nearing the end of August and there was a huge beach party being given on St. Pete Beach. I and buds Justin, Keenan, and Jayden were all invited. We even had a few girls that wanted to tag along.

Normally, we wouldn’t let a bunch of females go with us to a party. However, we let them tag along because they were hot. Cadence was a Latina chick with a stacked body. She was truly a snack. Lori was a pretty face brown-eyed brunette with amazing boobs and sexy legs to boot. Ultimately, we invited these two females along as “babe bait”. Two chicks who looked like they did would definitely attract the attention of other females to us. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be coming with us at all.

The party started on a Friday and would last the whole entire weekend until Sunday night. The affair was set to begin at 12 p.m. near the beach area along the strip. It was being sponsored by a group of businesses that wanted to throw an end of the summer party bash before everyone went back to college. I had to work until 5 p.m. that day. I would normally work the 2nd shift at the electronic store where I was employed.

Justin, Jayden, and Keenan had managed to get off for the whole weekend. Anyway, I had packed some clothes in my car. Once work ended, I headed right to the beach. I quickly changed clothes and then hooked up with my friends. It was about 6:30 and the sun was still shining bright. Then about 7, Lori and Cadence showed up and we began to party. The crowd at the beach was starting to grow, the music was blaring, and the people were ready to have fun.

I was running around talking and laughing with people. I danced with a bunch of girls and even walked the strip with my friends and those two hot chicks that came with us. We were on cloud nine that night. I mean, it felt like me and my crew were the best thing at the party. I had a bunch of hot girls running up to us and trying to hit on me and the guys. I got at least 4 numbers when we were out walking the strip. Then I picked up more girls after Cadence danced with me. It was like I was a celebrity or something.

You got to understand something. I wasn’t a loser or anything, but I never really got a bunch of girls either. Up until the night of that epic party, I was just an ordinary dude. Nothing was that great about me. Truthfully, I’m still not all that special. However, that night boosted my popularity for some reason. I mean, at least 2,000 people showed up to that beach event. Since that time, I have been seeing many of those people all over the Tampa area. They must remember me because they have been coming up talking to me. Especially the ladies. That night might not be all that special to my friends, the people who attended the party or to anyone else. But that epic party that took place back in the summer of 2016, was a life-changing event that I will never forget.

 

The Year I Became A Man

Third grade was just like any other year before it. School nights were filled with doing homework and weekends were filled with sporting events. One incident that made third grade different than any other year is that it was the first time that a girl had really gotten me into any trouble and made it so a teacher wrote a note to my mother. In third grade, I became a man.

Let me tell you, there are a million reasons that a teacher would have to write a letter to a student’s parent but I pretty sure that my situation is not a regular occurrence for an eight-year-old. For the first time in my life sex would get me into trouble. Yes, you read that correctly, my eight-year-old self that had not even reached puberty yet was already getting into trouble from sex. What could a third grader possibly know about sex? That’s a good question because I did not know a thing about the subject.

It was raining that day so we had indoor recess. Indoor recess meant that we had to stay in our classrooms and either play board games or color or just sit and talk to our friends. I can remember sitting on the floor and talking to several other boys in my class. I have no idea how the subject was brought up but one of the boys started talking about sex. It most likely had something to do with what he heard from an older sibling or parent or even more probable something he heard on TV. Whatever the case may have been the boy was bragging about how he had sex. He did not go into detail because as a third-grader we didn’t even know what sex really was or how to even perform the act. Since I wanted to be cool and act like I was not the sheltered child that I was I too began talking about my prepubescent sexual encounters.

There was a boy in my class named Kevin. Kevin and I were good friends and I would often go to Kevin's house to ride bikes after school. There was one particular afternoon when Kevin's cousin was over. She was the same age as us and to make a long story short, we were playing Baywatch. Kevin's cousin, Samantha, was drowning and I was the lifeguard that was going to save her. Keep in mind that I was in third grade and had no idea what I was doing but needless to say that day was technically the day I got my first kiss. However, I do not count that as my first kiss because of course, I was in third grade and had no clue what I was doing.

This all happened a few weeks before the conversation I had with the boys at school. If you asked any of my classmates what happened that day, I had sex with Kevin’s cousin. Not literally of course but at the time all that I knew about the topic was that it was just a boy and a girl kissing and hugging and for some reason boys and girls liked to use their tongues while they kiss. I didn’t get it. 

During our indoor recess on that rainy day, after the one boy had finished telling us about his sexual encounter that had no real details, I couldn’t help but tell my story. Of course, I went into great detail about tongue kissing and laying on the floor and made it sound like it was much more than it really was. Can you blame me? For a brief five minutes, I was the man. I had sex with a girl! Whatever that meant. Unfortunately, I was not paying attention to our teacher that was sitting at her desk ten feet away and listening to every word we said.

 

Before recess was over, my teacher called myself and the other boy over to her desk to discuss what we had been talking about. She didn’t make it seem like we were in trouble but rather just asked us what we knew about the topic. I played dumb because, well, I was. I didn’t know anything about intercourse. After that discussion, she sent us back to our seats and began the afternoon lesson.

When the day was over and my mother had come to pick me up from school, she came into the classroom and I was told to wait in the hallway. I must have forgotten the whole conversation I had with my teacher a few hours prior. My mother walked out of that classroom with a very disappointed look on her face. She told me to go over to read what was on a yellow piece of notepad paper she had in her hand. On the piece of paper was a note from my teacher explaining to my mother that I had a conversation with one of the other boys during recess. The note was not long and went something like this:

Today at recess I overheard Patrick and one of the other boys talking about SEX.

Are you telling me it is not normal for eight-year-olds to talk about this subject? Are me and my mom about to have "the talk"? The worst part about it was that my mother then also asked me what I knew about sex. My response was that it was girl stuff. What more could I say? The only other time I had ever heard the word sex other than on TV was overhearing my older sister talk about it on the phone to her friends. My mother didn’t really have a response other than a partially concerned look on her face and that was the end of the conversation. Oh, to have the innocence of a third-grade child. At least I did not get caught tongue-kissing Kevin's cousin.

 

Dragons, Gizzard and Human Villagers

The village was such a peaceful place. As the sun shone and the birds sang, the world listened to the innocence of silence. The thought of ever facing large fire breathing Dragons was something no one ever dared to speak about. They were there or rather Gizzard was there somewhere, just waiting for the chance to engulf the world with his rage. "He's there, I know he is. I can feel his fire on the back of my neck." "No, he's not. You must be imagining things." "I assure you I am not. I tell you, Richard, he's there." "You must be the only person who can see him because I can't and neither can anyone else." Richard's companion was right. Gizzard was curled up behind a bush listening to the conversation without the least intention without slipping away. The more he listened, the more his anger grew until he almost spluttered with rage. Dragons were known for their bad temper, yet Gizzard was different.

He was a kind dragon who wanted to show his human neighbors how much he wanted their friendship. Gizzard knew he would die in a quiet place and his name would be tarnished as generations of villagers feared him. He was all too aware of the tales they told which, many of which simply weren't true. " Why won't they won't listen to us, Izzy? We could help them. We could fight with them. We could save them when they need us. We could be their hero Izzy. You know we could. Please Izzy help me to show them we're different from the others." "Yes, I do. I also know Dragons and humans will never be friends. They will hunt us down until they kill the last one of us. You know that as well as I do." Gizzard stared at Izzy and nodded.

He knew she was right. She always was. Humans would never trust them no matter how much he and Izzy wanted them to. They were, and would always be, the enemy. They had each other, yet sometimes their companionship wasn't enough. No matter how hard he tried, Gizzard couldn't help longing for that magical day when humans would sit on his back and fly away from the dangers below. He would fly above the clouds until they reached the heavens above. They would fly to lands that were still unknown to them and discover their secrets until it was safe to return. They will need us one day. When they do, I will vow and declare I will be there to help them.

Gizzard knew he was mumbling to himself again. He couldn't help it. Mumbling helped him to think. Dragons weren't known for their ability to think in detail, yet some did. Unlike other Dragons, Gizzard was known for his complex mind, at least he was known for it in the dragon world. He was known for his ability to plan everything as well as his gift of predicting unforeseen events. It was strange how he hadn't predicted anything in months. He hadn't seemed the floods or the famine which ravaged the land and its people. No that wasn't quite true. Gizzard had foreseen the numerous deaths in his mind. Unfortunately, he only saw humans on the ground. There were dragons too; however, he hadn't seen his species as well as humans. "What's that?" "What are you talking about Gizzard?" "Please be quiet and listen." "What is it? I can't hear anything. Z" "Can't you hear someone screaming? The sound is faint; however, it is still there." They listened. It wasn't long before they both heard the same scream coming from one of the many mountains in the land. Gizzard took Izzy's right-wing and clung to it as they listened to the long, loud screams until he realized where they came from.

Gizzard let go of his patient friend's wing and told her what they were going to do to save the butcher's daughter. The needed strong chains and a few secret ingredients from their garden to ensure their plan worked. Gizzard couldn't help the excitement which ran through his body. His dream of saving a human had come. "Why do we need these things?" "Come on Izzy think. Who lives on top of the highest mountain in the land?" "No, it couldn't possibly be... I thought he was dead." "So did I, until I heard that beautiful girl scream. Nobody screams unless they hurt themselves or he harms them. I never believed what we were taught. Dragons can save humans and that is just what I plan to do." It almost didn't work. The beautiful maiden almost didn't leave her dark prison. Izzy was keen to leave; however, Gizzard was determined to rescue the girl and she knew it was the right thing to do so she stayed. Just as they were about to leave, Gizzard picked the young maiden up and put her on his back. He dropped the chain onto the hard floor and flew away into the night sky.

The two friends smiled. They knew why he'd dropped them. All they had to do was wait. It was late by the time Gizzard put their new human friend to bed. The Dragons couldn't help gazing at the tiny figure before flying back to their world. It was a long night. The cold floor was colder and harder than ever, yet the two Dragons waited. It was almost morning when they heard a chilling, screeching sound. The noise was deafening as it rang out across the mountains. Even the trees and caves shook in sympathy as the sound interrupted their sleep. They knew humans wouldn't thank them for saving their kind. They probably wouldn't believe the maiden if she tried to tell them about her adventure. It was a dream. It must have been one of the many dreams she'd had. Dragons didn't save humans, or did they? 

Love, Romance and the Best Time Ever

 I knew I was negative. Everyone told me I was the most negative person they knew. I just couldn't help the often unfair, hurtful thoughts which whirled through my head. The sad thing was I was often right. I had an uncanny knack of knowing when something or someone was going to cause trouble. 

"Why can't you enjoy life the way the rest of us do?"

"I'm sorry I can't help it." Your idea of a Best day ever and mine are completely different."

"No they're not. You just don't try hard enough. You prefer to think the worst of life. Your problem is you don't want to be happy."

She was wrong. Anna was always wrong. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to smile and say I had the best day or time ever. No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't say it. I was just a middle-aged woman with little hope of a bright future. I looked at the small, crumpled piece of paper in my hand and sighed. 

"Why the long face? You love him and he loves you."

"No he doesn't. He just feels sorry for me. I don't need his pitty. I don't need anyone's pity. Just; leave me alone."

She left. I knew she would because she always did. I hoped as I always did, she would leave me alone. I looked at the dress I'd bought against my better judgment. It was the last thing I would have bought if I'd been on my own. I couldn't understand why everyone wanted me to go. They knew I hated dancing as well as the typical conversations I was expected to have with people. 

It was late by the time I heard a loud thump on the hard floor. As I looked I saw a tall figure moving towards me. I couldn't help gulping as I stared at the man, for I could see the figure was a man, as he rubbed his shoulders in the darkroom.

"Why didn't you do? I waited for you all night."

"I was too busy, besides it wasn't important."

"Not important, not important. How dare you. I waited all night for you because..."

I didn't care and he knew it. I hoped he would leave me alone. He did. I saw his tall, slender figure disappear into the night. Part of me wanted him to come back, yet I knew he wouldn't which as I reminded myself was for the best. 

'Don't argue, just come with me."

"Why? Why should I?"

"Please for once just come."

I did. I allowed him to take my hand and lead me to where I wasn't sure. I didn't have long to wait. His eyes showed me what his lips had longed to say. There, in front of me, was a picnic mat with everything one could eat. I had the best time in my life. He showed me there was a future if I wanted it.

The Birth of My First Born

I had rather an unusual college experience. At least from my junior year until I graduated, my life was quite different from the typical twenty-one-year-old. My freshman and sophomore years went as planned. I was a member of the soccer team and had recently moved into my off-campus apartment at the beginning of my sophomore year. My roommate was also a member of the soccer team and our apartment quickly became the place to be on a Friday or Saturday night.

At this point, I had been dating my girlfriend for almost a year. We had a healthy relationship although I did not believe that this was going to be the girl that I married. We really started having problems during the fall of our sophomore year. My girlfriend had become increasingly annoyed that I was partying with the soccer team rather than spending time with her. Even though I always invited her to our parties, she would rather stay at her place or hang out with her own friends.

We had broken up just before winter break of our sophomore year and I came home to Maryland for the month-long break. When the break was over, I went back to my college apartment a few days before the start of classes to sort things out in the apartment and get myself organized for the upcoming semester. Shortly after returning to my apartment, my now ex-girlfriend and I began texting back and forth. One thing led to another and we spent a night together before the start of the semester.

We hadn't talked to each other for almost two months after that evening. I woke up on a Saturday, hungover from the night before, to a text message from my ex telling me that we need to talk. I already knew what we needed to talk about. She was pregnant.

At first, I was terrified and uncertain that I would be a good father and certainly did not know anything about taking care of a child. By this time it was nearing the time for summer break to begin and I was to go back to Maryland for the summer. Rather than going home, I stayed with my ex's grandmother. At least that is what I told my parents. What I was really doing was staying with my now pregnant ex-girlfriend. I do not know if it were a result of the hormones but we fought a lot. Even more than usual. It was a difficult time for both of us but this was just the beginning.

The upcoming fall semester was quickly approaching. A week before the start of the semester the soccer team was required to be on campus for training camp. My now pregnant girlfriend or ex-girlfriend if you ask her the story, did not approve of me staying on campus let alone playing soccer. I made it halfway through the season fighting with my girlfriend and clashing the team's new coach before I finally made the decision to quit the team. The day after I quit the team, my son was born.

On October 5, the team was to take a bus to Buffalo for the biggest game of the season. It was a conference game against our biggest rival. My son's due date was October 6. While I realized that about only 5% of babies are born on their due date, the possibility of missing the birth of my son was not an option. On the morning of the 5th, we were supposed to meet in the training room for our team meeting and to prepare for the bus ride. I did not go. I did not let my coach know I was not going either. He was probably happy when he found out from my roommate that I was not a member of the team anymore.

I spent the day of the 5th on the phone talking to members of the team and getting updates via text throughout the game. I had not heard from my son's mother for several days at this point until about 2 AM on the morning of October 6. She sent me a text explaining that she had started contractions and would be heading to the hospital soon. I told her I would meet her there.

If you have never experienced childbirth please take note that it is not for those with a weak stomach. Yes, it is a beautiful thing but it is also gruesome, downright bloody and at times smelly. My ex received an epidural while I was in the delivery room with her. Seeing the doctor place a needle that was several inches long into my ex's back was enough to make me feel faint.

As much as I tried not to look at what was going on down there, I couldn't help but be mesmerized at what the human body was capable of. She was pushing as hard as she could trying to get that baby out. Her face was as red as could be and a mixture of sweat and tears soaked her gown. Before I knew it, I heard a splat hit the floor. Looking down I realized that my ex had paid me back for all of the arguments and partying by shooting a nice healthy turd directly at me that happened to land right on top of my foot. The people that run the birthing classes failed to mention that this is a common occurrence during childbirth.

It took me a moment to gather myself. I was caught halfway between laughing historically and hitting the floor. Luckily the poopy push was the last big push before my son was officially born. The doctor stood there holding my screaming son and asked if I wanted to cut the umbilical cord. I'm sorry, cut the what? My biggest fear was causing more pain to the mother of my child but the doctor assured me she would not feel a thing. He showed me where to cut and instructed me to just do one clean snip through the cord and that is just what I did shortly before completely fainting. I woke up a few minutes later in a hospital bed next to my son and his mother.

  

It Lasted How Long?

I went to a small Catholic college in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. Being that this was a private college, we had to take classes that were called convocation classes. In these classes, we would have to attend certain campus activities, complete a certain number of community service hours, and complete weekly reflections in a journal. Most of the events that we would attend were group events such as college soccer games or a speech presented by one of the department heads. We were also allowed to do our community service projects in groups. I chose to be in a group with Tyne and Katie. Shortly after classes began for the semester, I quickly learned how to not go about finding a long-lasting relationship.

Tyne and I had one other class together so I had already noticed her and made the simple decision to ask her out. I didn't know a single thing about her but we were in college so what did it matter? Before I really got to know Tyne I would kind of just sit in class and admire her, wishing that I could come up with the courage to ask her on a date.

We were sitting in our convocation class listening to our teacher explain what kind of community service projects would be allowed and that projects could be completed in groups of three. Katie sat to my left and Tyne coincidentally sat directly in front of me so our group basically formed itself. That same day we spent the class discussing what we should do for our service project. Tyne's mother does environmental work for the county that our college was in and was sure she could come up with something for us to do.

After the weekend, our group met in class again and Tyne told Katie and me that we could do service work for the county by cleaning up river beds and flood zones. From the start, I knew that I was going to be stuck doing all the work but I was crushing on Tyne, and Katie was pretty cute too.

By this time I was starting to come out of my shell and got more comfortable being around Tyne. I had finally made up my mind as to when I was going to ask her out. However, I still had not worked out how I was going to ask her outlet alone what I was going to say. One day after class, it was probably about four weeks into the semester, the group was preparing to meet for our first few hours of community service the next morning. Tyne had told Katie that she would text her the location as they were both from the area and knew it a lot better than I did. I didn't even have a car.

As I tried to figure out how I was even going to make it to the community service location I found myself walking away from the classroom asking Tyne an abundance of questions that had absolutely nothing to do with our project or the class. I was asking her random things like if she knew of any good places to eat or which building she lived in. I think I was just trying to continue talking to her. I was quickly informed that she lived off-campus several towns over.

Before I knew it I had followed Tyne to the basement of the building with her walking rather quickly as if she were trying to get away from me. I obviously didn't get the hint. She opened the door to go outside towards the parking lot and in a last-ditch effort to hang out with her outside of a school event, I asked her if I could get a ride to community service the next morning.

She stopped and just kind of stood there with her back turned to me for a few moments. I did not mind the view so I patiently stood there admiring. She turned around and told me that she had not planned to drive all the way back up the mountain in the morning before our 8 AM meeting. I am pretty sure I gave her a thumbs up and told her I'd see her in the morning. In my mind, I was torn between being shot down for a ride and trying to figure out how I actually was going to get to our service project.

Before I had completely gone back inside the building, Tyne told me that she would give me a ride on one condition. Since she was not going to drive all the way back to campus in the morning that left the only option of me spending the night at her house. Is this real life?

After learning she lived in her own house by herself, I grew even more interested in her. She asked me if I wanted to stop and get a beer before we get back to her house. I am always up for a few beers and suggested we should pick up some snacks as well. After mutually agreeing on which brand of beer was our favorite, I think we could each feel the mood beginning to lighten. Her house was not big. It was a two-bedroom single-family home in the country with cornfields in the backyard and a view of the mountain out front.

We started the evening in her living room on the couch. Both of us were drinking beer a bit more rapidly than we should have but I think we were both nervous. I know I was. She certainly did not know me very well and here I was about to spend the night in her house and then wake up and spend the whole next day together.

The next morning when we woke up, we were next to each other without clothes on. Hoping that she had forgotten what had happened as much as I did, I got out of bed and put my clothes on. The vibe was not particularly awkward but rather light and comical. I guess whatever I did last night satisfied her.

About an hour later we met with Katie to start our service project. Before we arrived I definitely did not think I would spend the rest of the day being asked if I can make the work last longer and being told that I finished too quickly.

My relationship with Tyne lasted three grueling years and brought us each our first son. While we are no longer together, I like to believe she cherishes these memories as much as I wish I could forget them.

 

Poems

Let The Light In

 

The key to life is not having keys

But to have windows through which everyone sees

Because when you're good you want the light in

You don't need to hide out in the shame of sin

 

Finding your way might to tricky

And also try not to step in something sticky

Wherever life takes you to be glad

It's sure to turn out into something rad.

 

 

Use Your Voice

 

Give yourself a choice

In any given day

Use your own voice

Or just perish away

 

You will find that the former

Is better than staying silent

You will become an informer

Rather than someone who just pays rent

 

Use your vocal cords

Say it out loud and clear

You may even shake the boards

And make the crowds cheer

 

Bluebird

 

Little bluebird on the bench.

Who are you?

Where have you been?

Little cardinal on the swing.

How are you?

I like how you sing.

And little duck over in the pond.

Did you hear the cardinal song?

Did you see the bluebird fly?

When the sun comes.

Did you see it rise?

Bright and glowing.

For all to see.

As bluebirds fly.

And cardinals sing. 

 

 

Messy Love

 

That summer my son was seven

And in his "helping" phase.

It was only ten o'clock and

Already one of those days.

 

The house a wreck, dishes unwashed,

The dog a smelly mess.

I shooed them both outside to give

My overworked brain a rest.

 

But soon I heard a frightening sound -

A crash and a splash outside.

And before I could even make a move,

The door swung open wide.

 

Both boy and beast were drenched 

In soap and water, head to toe.

"I'm helping, mom!'" he grinned,

"Rocky's clean and good to go!"

 

I tried to breathe as the mutt

Shook soapy water on the wall.

Both tracked in mud, still playing

With a dirty, slimy ball.

 

Just as I nearly blew my top,

He piped up again once more

"Just want to help you, mommy,

That's what best friends are for!"

 

As he stood there with a smile,

Dripping all over the floor,

I knew within my heart of hearts

That I could not love him more.

 

 

The Unexpected Flow

 

Like the blowing wind, we drift along.

                                                         Sometimes weak and sometimes strong.

 

                                                             Never knowing what lies ahead  

                                                               it's up to us to forward tread.

 

                                                           Yet, no matter what obstacles are in our path,

                                                             we're the ones in charge of today's dance.

 

                                                             Instead of envisioning future dilemmas,

                                                           I'd rather envision the world through rose-colored glasses.

 

COVID-19 Pandemic Inspiration

 

The COVID-19 has spread globally,
The economy is on it knees,
But our health remains our first priority.  

Nothing is permanent and COVID-19 isn't an exemption,
Doesn't matter how long it takes,
A solution will be found, indeed a permanent one.

Let prepare for worst and hope for best,
 We shall overcome this pandemic,
Our daily routine shall be back to normal.
Our economies will grow back,
Let's remain hopeful and safe.

 

Content

 

I take comfort up in the trees.

And I take comfort staring at the sea.

With toes buried in the sand.

Cool summer fabric.

Give me your hand.

We can run from here.

 

 

I take comfort in the bright moon.

And I take comfort in honey tea at noon.

I take comfort in our dancing.

This luminous romancing.

And my steadfast prancing.

Pining for more.

 

Je adores, and late-night Smores.

Laughing together.

Now shut the door.

And the nightgown you wore.

I take comfort in the way you sing.

And all of these things.

And all of these dreams.

These dreams that remind me of you. 

 

 

You Must Be Willing To Grow

 

To be part of the show,

You must be willing to grow.

To reach the stage,

You need to age.

Sitting still,

You get ill.

You must move,

You must groove.

Your life is more,

Than memories you store.

It's time to live,

And a time to give.

To be part of the show,

You must be willing to grow.

 

Enough

 

It's often enough to be.

To get dressed.

And brush your hair.

It's often enough to pretend to care.

And try to smile.

 

Mile by mile, day by day.

It's often enough to just be OK.

Just OK with your dinner.

And OK with your job.

And it's often enough to leave a few dishes.

And to count on your wishes.

And do wells.

 

It's often enough to take a shower.

Reaching down deep.

Trying to grasp the power.

And some feigned resemblance.

Of the pretenses.

That begins to dictate.

When it's just OK. 

 

 

And it's often enough to act real tough.

With your hands around a mug.

Finding a song you haven't sung.

Falling, holding onto the last rung.

It's often enough.

It really is very much.

To choose to wake up.

And it really is OK.

To try today.

Just to be. 

 

Memories to Cherish Forever

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always had a fascination with the royal family. I can’t exactly pinpoint what exactly it is that I love so much about the royal family, but I will say that the sparkling crowns and the endless tea parties probably have a lot to do with my draw to the family. Thinking about all of this got me to thinking about one of the best times of my life.

 

My parents have always known that I have been an admirer of the royal family, and he would often indulge me and my obsession. I would invite him to numerous tea parties in my playhouse when I was a kid. He would somehow manage to squeeze his body into one of the child-sized chairs which sat underneath my table. He would sit there and wait patiently while I prepared my invisible tea and poured it from the pot into my pristine white teapot. I would set the table and layout my pretend cookies, scones, and crumpets on my little white platter. Daddy and I would sit there for hours and talk about whatever came to mind.

 

When Prince Charles announced his engagement to Lady Dianna Spencer, I was ecstatic. I could hardly contain myself, as I was 12 years of age and I had never seen a royal wedding. When the day of the wedding came, I just assumed that I would spend my day in front of the television watching the fairy tale nuptials alone, but my dad had other plans. 

 

My father woke me up around 5 am so that I could get myself ready to watch the festivities. I couldn't understand why daddy sent me into the bathroom to take a shower and told me to do my hair. But when I finally made it back to my room, my mom was standing there holding the most beautiful blue organza dress I had ever seen. My mom helped me put on my new dress and fixed my hair in a beautiful updo. 

 

When we walked into the living room, my parents had a small tiara waiting for me. My dad placed it on my head and proclaimed that I was his princess for the day. My parents had gone to David’s Bakery and purchased some scones, cake squares, cookies and tea for me to enjoy throughout the day. I felt super special as we sat anxiously waiting for the wedding to begin while eating off of my parent’s wedding china.

 

The wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Dianna was magical, but spending those special moments with my parents was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I had one of the best times of my life on that day, because my parents took the time to think about what they could do to make watching the royal wedding special, and they made it happen. I know that most people think that they have the best parents in the world, but the memories they gave me from this special is just one of the ways they’ve proven that they really are.  

My Best Friend Escape

 

 Wanik was an interesting place to grow up. I used to love to explore the area outside in my free time. I was the type of person who didn't want to live in a small town. I went to the city and loved it there. 

      So I spent most of my time studying so I could find a profession that would allow me to make it out. I really didn't want to be one of those people waitressing at the only bar in town. I had a cousin that did that and all she could do after her shifts is complain her feet hurt and tell me to get an education.

       However, I couldn't study all the time. The books were good and all but I liked the outdoors too. It felt so free there. I could adventure outdoors and forget I was even in the world at all.

      Wanik was a place that had a lot of unexplored wildlife. Thankfully, it was almost hot like a desert so there were no bears. One day I decided to be really brave and explore an area I hadn't before. I was planning on making a map of it.

      So there I was lurking around and I spotted a cave. There was a smell of smoke coming from it. It wasn't a lot of smoke, but it was a little. I went in and jumped.

       I saw this dragon there. It had wings and a long neck. There it was though peacefully napping by a fire. I figured that it must be a fire breathing dragon at this rate.

       I touched the dragon and it startled. I was very tame. I started to pet it. I just felt drawn to it. It was as though it was my pet and it was here in Wanik for me.

       I had summoned this ride in my dreams almost. My dragon could fly just like in the movies. Well, I wanted to do more than just stay in the cave. The next time I went back, I brought some raw meat. This helped to lure the dragon out.

     It turns out that training dragons are just like training dogs. They really like to get treats and they'll do more if you teach them with Pavlov's conditioning. 

       My dragon had to be named. I named him Escape. For me, my dragon was my escape from reality. I didn't have a lot of friends in Wanik because they didn't think like me. They liked to gossip and exclude people. They were rude and pretty much laughed in your face.

       I never clicked with the type of people that I felt were like this. I wanted to be around docile and adventurous people, just like Escape. One day, I got on Escape and he started flying. 

      It was the most fun I'd ever had. When summer hit, I told my Mom that I was going to a friend's house for a few days. Really, I was adventuring with Escape. I wanted Escape to fly me to a large city. I wanted to look around and take pictures, so I brought my camera.

     The escape took me because I trained to Escape how to fly. I was riding the magical waves of adventure in the clouds now on my way to New York.

     When I got there, I did take a lot of pictures. I went to Central Park and even went to a Broadway show. I stayed in a hotel with some money I had saved. Escape waited patiently on the outskirts of the city at a designated location.

      I knew Escape would always help me. Later when I went to college, Escape followed me. We found him a new cave. I went to visit him often. He saved me a lot of money on airfare. 

       I think I also helped Escape get away from Wanik. He was all alone there. He had no interaction. I let Escape in and Escape let me in. We had a bond that was like that between any other owner and pet. It was just a magical connection. Escape helped me realize that the city was nice, but it was nothing without a good friend. 

The Dragons Stone

"Why don't you go ask them? You have a cooler name than me, surely they'll listen to you." Scarlet said. She looked at me and her scales glowed with the sun.

"I don't think my name will make anyone listen to me. It doesn't make me special. Besides, your name is a literal color, and mine is just random letters thrown together TRYING to sound cool." I told her. She didn't say anything, she just stared off at the guards with her wings pointed down. There were 13 of them. All training for their time guarding the fence. They learned how to do flying whirlwinds, and how to kick their hind feet into the chest of another dragon. There was only one guard at the fence a day, they had to be good. I mean if not, what types of dangers would we be exposed to? If the stone was stolen, what type of power would we still possess, if any? 

"Avok, What's happening?" Scarlet asked me. She seemed to grow frantic as she inched forward and then backward. I jumped out of my head and paid attention. The guards were yelling, point towards the fence. An alarm sounded and Scarlet shrieked, shrinking back even further. 

"Scarlet let's go!" I nudged her with my shoulder and ran. I flapped my wings, intending to tell her it'd take less time to fly home, but when I turned around she was gone. "Scarlet!" I roared. I looked around and there was no sign of her anywhere. I was worried she might've gotten lost in a crowd, or trampled by the guards. 

I flapped my wings again and brought myself into the air. People were rushing home, pushing one another. Dirt was being kicked up which fogged my view. I flew to her cave, swerving around every person that got in my way being careful not to hit them. They are panicked, pushing them would set them off I'm sure. 

    When I got to her cave, for the first time since we were younger, their rocks were piled. An entranceway was no longer visible. Scarlet's family was the most inviting family in our village. They constantly went out of their way and welcomed people into their home for dinner, or donated to other families that didn't have what they did. But there was no sign of that generosity here. Fear was radiating off of the rocks now, and the world within them was closed off.

    I roared. From within, Scarlet roared back. She was safe in her cave. I nodded even though she couldn't see me. I guess it was more to myself rather than Scarlet. I turned to fly again but stopped when I saw a light in the sky. Turquoise, bright, and round. It was a stone. Someone had stolen the stone. I couldn't make out who the dragon was from here, I could only make out the color. He was black, and his scales didn't glow as Scarlet's or mine did. The sun did not shine on him at all. The guards were flying after him, but somehow he was faster than them. 

        The stone. It held great power. Without it in its correct place, all power withers. It couldn't be the reason he was faster, could it? I watched closely as the guards tried to catch up to him, occasionally using the tactics they'd learned in training hoping it'd speed them up. I switched my gaze to the dragon that stole the stone. He held the stone in his talons, and smoke began to rise off his flesh. The stone was burning him, but he didn't care. He pushed on anyway. 

    I didn't gain my powers yet, and I always thought about what I'd be capable of when I did get them. Now my hope begins to wither just as the guards magic is, and they begin to fall. One by one, they all grew too tired. 

The rocks behind me began to move.

"Avok, thank goodness you're still here, something's wrong with my mother!" She cried.

"I know Scarlet. Something is wrong with everyone that possesses power from the stone. The stone isn't in its correct place and it's causing their powers to die out. The guards have fallen." I turn to look at her. Her eyes are shifting everywhere except for the sky. She didn't want any part of it. She just wanted her mother back, healthy, and strong. 

    "What happens now? Is everything just lost? We were fine before, everything was good and now nothing will be the same!" Her voice cracked and I looked at her. I watched her for a minute as she sobbed, and then the answer came to me. I know what needs to happen now.

    "I go up there is what happens now, Scarlet. Only people with power are growing weak. Those without powers are completely fine. I'd be able to catch up to him and get the stone, but I won't be able to do it on my own. I need you to distract him." She just looked at me. Tears streaming down her face. "Are you okay to do that?" I asked her. Her eyes, once sad, turned cold. She stood up straight with her wings out. 

    "Yes, I'm okay to do that." She said. She flew off without me. She had somehow already formulated a plan. I smiled. She was sensitive but fierce. I flew off in the opposite direction. She would distract him from one side, I'd come up on the other side. We had figured out without saying anything at all. I could see her flapping her wings at him, never giving him a chance to strike back. I flew up behind him and struck him in the back with one of my wings. He roared and the stone fell. Scarlet kept striking him as I dove to catch the stone. 

    I caught it on one of my wings. Although the moment was surely riveting to its full extent, the pain was almost unbearable. I wondered how the dragon had held the stone for so long while it was burning him. I had to get back past the fence and put it back in its place. I flew faster. Occasionally turning around to see if Scarlet was still at it with him. She wasn't. She was flying behind me. He had fallen.

    When I got the fence, the stone dragon was standing in front of it. Stumbling on his feet. His eyes widened for a moment when he saw me coming close. I lifted my wing up farter to signal that I've got the stone. He opened the fence. 

   When I saw the box in which the stone fits, it was as if the entire world fell away. I was on the ground now, walking towards it. I let the stone slip off my wing into my hand and I could no longer feel it burning me. I wasn't even sure it still was. I placed the stone in the middle of the box. It fit perfectly. A large gust of wind blew through the village so hard, I felt it in my bones. But then it was gone. Everything had fallen back in place.

    I could hear scarlet roar along with many other dragons. We had done it. The stone is back. The power will only continue to grow. I smile as I look up, in the mirror I can see that my eyes are glowing green. I tilt my head towards the mirror, and I pick it up without touching it at all. 

    I run out of the fence to meet Scarlet. My eyes must've still been glowing green because she looked like she was ready to pounce. I shook my head and looked at her.

    "My powers. I got them." I told her. She smiled and let out the biggest roar she could muster. 

    "The stone rewarded you, young one." The stone dragon told me. "You brought it home, and you deserve all the thanks in the world. Thank you." He nodded at me before flying off. 

Scarlet landed beside me and I glanced at her. Her scales glowed with the sun, and her smile was big.

    "Hey Scarlet, I think I'm ready to go ask the guards now."  

The Scourge of the Dragon

 

We could not have imagined that it would it happen. A deadly pestilence has come upon the world. Millions of people have been infected by this scourge and everyone is dying all around us. The plague is bad but something more forbidding looms in this chaos. This thing comes to haunt our city during the nighttime.

I am from the kingdom of Burringham which lies in the realm of Angleland. We are of the Saxon race and I am monk at the Abby of Westburrow. For the past year we have been isolated away from the masses because of the plague. The plague infects people and they don’t know that they have it until they are near death. Once a man becomes infected, they will immediately show symptoms and then die. Some die suddenly and others could die within a few days. Most die with a few hours after getting sick.

Everyone is locked into their homes and afraid to come out. The streets are bare, the buildings are abandoned, and many more people are losing their lives to starvation and other illnesses. However, we have another problem. There is something that keeps treading its repulsive presence in our land. It is a beast that roams the night air turning the whole countryside into a fiery form of hell.

We of the Abby of Westburrow believe that this unnatural creature was released by the wicked warlocks of the East. The Druids that reside in the north have always indulged in dark magic. We honestly believe that one of them unleashed a hellish monster from one of their rituals. They worship the ancient dark lord that we abhor. They are the ones who let loose this menacing soul-destroying demon upon our realm.

The knights of Burringham have been fighting against this thing in the darkness. When the sun sets, the cries of this creature can be heard for miles around. Remember, no one is out roaming the streets at night, except the king’s soldiers. Quite a few of them have been slaughtered. Some have been found with their flesh burned clean from their bones. Others have been found half eaten. One chap was even found alive, but his stomach and private parts were eaten out of their place. He died shortly after being discovered.  

Everyone who has saw this creature believes it to be a dragon. I know, dragons are not real. They are supposed to be stuff of legend and myths. But if this dragon is a fake, then why is it killing the lives of people. Farmers are waking up to their fields being burned and their animals are found maimed along the roads and out in the woods. Homes have been destroyed with fires and the bodies of people have littered the countryside of Angleland.

As I said earlier, the knights of Burringham are out in the countryside. They are actively trying to track the night beast the harms the land. However, they are being smitten with the plague. At least 4 of the knights have wasted away because of the plague. The knights of Burringham feel inadequate against the creature of the night. They too see it but how can they confront something that strikes like an invisible hawk and reigns down fire like a wild storm.

We at the Abby of Westburrow now pray every day to drive back the terror of the night. We somehow believe that the dragon is connected to this pestilence, but we can’t prove it. I am at a crossroads. I know that I can personally stop this demon through the power of my faith. I want to end this nightmare. I will now ride with a regiment of 15 knights from Burringham. We will travel to the land of the Druids.

For 3 days we have been riding through the ravaged lands of Angleland. We are now outside of the city of Crameworth near the borders of the Druid’s lands. We rest during the day and travel mainly by night. It’s fall. The night comes early, and the air is cool. It is close to turning dark and I am examining the land.

The border areas look rife with destruction and mayhem. There are roaming scavengers who look more subhuman than normal people. They are starving because the plague forces food away from their homes. Some have even taken to cannibalism. They eat roaming souls that are unfortunate enough to pass through their lands. They tried to consume us but the knights of Burringham slain these sorry souls. They are fortunate to be released from the madness of consuming human flesh. It is an abominable thing that no one should experience.

It has been 2 weeks and we have only seen the tail end of this fiery monster. We are now nearing the village of Shadows. It lies on the edge of the Druid kingdom. This place has been frequently hit by the dragon. A few of the brave souls that dare to venture out during the nighttime tell us that it comes often to feed on the human sacrifices offered by the Druids in the area.

Then one night, we finally get what we desired. We have an encounter with the dreaded beast that has been causing us great pain. In the village of Shadows, we encounter the Druids. What we monks have expected all along has been true. They have summoned this creature from the dark realm to claim the souls of men. The beast has brought the pestilence. The knights have forced the Druids to tell us about the creature. It uses the pestilence to help send souls into the dark realm.

The dragon returned to the village of Shadows for its nightly meal of man flesh. However, it was given a meal of steel, iron, wood, and death. It tried to cook us alive with its powerful flame. The knights held it off but at a great cost. I have prayed that this day would come. The day the dragon would be defeated. Now that the dragon is dead, the plague died with it and the land is healing itself. Now, I watch the realm of Angleland once again to ensure that no other evil will destroy it.

What Is Keywebco and Who Is Roger?

 

 

“The best results come from people working together to learn…because everyone has different viewpoints, experience, and ideas.” - Roger Keyserling

 

Who Is the Man Behind Keywebco?

I'm Roger Keyserling and my life’s story began in NYC back in 1966 with limited sight at birth. I really don’t remember much of NYC since I was just a small child when I lived there. I have, however, been back there numerous times, so the majority of my memories of the Big Apple are from later in life.

 

About My Family

My mother and father worked for the Federal Jobs division of the Social Security Administration until they retired. My sister is a graduate of Trinity University of San Antonio, TX. I really enjoyed living so close to her when I was working there. Now, she’s working for Social Services in New Orleans. To this day, my parents are very active in a variety of projects. In fact, my father was recently a special guest on a radio show.

 

My Many Likes

Music:

I like classical music, i.e. Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky.

I also like numerous types of contemporary music.

Books:

I like reading mainly topics involving astrophysics and science.

I especially like reading research documents.

Movies:

I like movies like Star Wars but also appreciate classic dramas and historical fiction.

Television:

I have a special love for classic cartoons in black and white like Felix the Cat, Betty Boop, and Popeye. In fact, I even named my dog Betty Boop.

 

Coast-to-Coast Moves

After attending kindergarten in New York, my family moved back to my mother's hometown of Odessa, Missouri. I ended up being one year younger than the other students in first grade. That was OK though since I was really busy both at school and with outside activities. My school activities included band, debate, drama, journalism, and photography. I was already an enterprising young man and sold cards, jewelry, Merlite jewelry, and seeds, Burpee seeds, during study hall.

My after school activities included being a member of Eagle Scouts, going on Explorer hikes, being a member of the Kansas City Ballet for a short time, attending the Kathy and Rick Murphy Dance Studio, and being a member of Youth Community Betterment. I also went on a Mid-America Orchestra Group European tour where I played with clarinet, the oboe, and the saxophone.

 

In 1984, I graduated from High School and then attended Northwest Missouri State University as a psychology major. After that, I decided to opt-in to a Missouri Department of Mental Health training program to start working in state facilities. I graduated after working at Saint Joseph State Hospital with multiple licenses. I continued on at St. Joseph’s for several years. Since then, the hospital has been converted to a prison. They do, however, still have a museum filled with memorabilia from when it was a state facility. It’s called the Glore Psychiatric Museum. Please note that some exhibits may not be suitable for young children.

 

I moved to Orlando for a short period of time and then to San Diego, CA. I worked there at the Shelby Fine Arts Gallery and sold limited edition lithographs. Today, the name has been changed to The Aristocrat Gallery. One of my favorite jobs was working in thrift stores where I bought boots, coats, dresses, gowns, and all kinds of clothing and resold them. I would also purchase knickknacks and other items that I sold at flea markets. One memorable thrift store where I worked was Family Thrift Stores.

 

I later moved to Kansas City, MO, and worked at the Revco Drug Company. At the same time, I also sold art and furniture privately in consignment shops. Next, I moved to San Antonio, TX, and took several corporate jobs, working at a number of small companies where the jobs were good, although quite varied. I moved to Tampa for a short time to work at a variety of other corporate jobs and also helped a close friend to set up a new business.

 

One day, I received a call from an old friend who lived in San Antonio. He and I both loved collecting vintage cars and the two of us often visited an Austin classic car club. At the time, I was driving a Lincoln Mark 3 and his family had a large local car dealership. He suggested that we could start a vintage limo service and I liked the idea so much that right away I moved back to San Antonio. Unfortunately, the idea wasn’t successful and I ended up working at several other jobs. During that time, I also kept buying and selling merchandise but not online as of yet.

 

Major Changes in San Antonio

For starters, I founded Keyhole Production Studios, which actually started as a strip-a-gram company but not for long. The “performers” involved weren’t quite used to working for a non-trashy business like mine. In addition, I rapidly learned how much they were paying in commissions, while dealing with scheduling issues, etc. On the other side of the coin were bar and club owners as well as special events. The people involved were continually upset about the unprofessional operations in the business.

So, I devised a method for doing real professional shows and my company became an instant hit with everyone due to the professional choreography, lighting, pyrotechnics, sets, theme costumes, and so much more. My prior experience in the theater was a big help and I was able to assist the set technicians with tasks like setting up backdrops. And, all my years of reselling items like clothing, I knew exactly how to go about taking care of the costumes. In addition, I had plenty of contacts for getting them custom made. One other advantage was that I had the innate ability to attract all of the top performers from all over the state of Texas as well as from out-of-state. With my company, not only were they no longer getting gouged by their promoters but they also didn’t have any of the other issues that they had to deal with before with other companies.

 

On the other side of the equation, the club-owners started flocking to me and booking shows. Since I was both creative and organized, I only had to do a few shows that included good choreography and performances, great lighting, and nice music. Before long, my company had 150 employees as well as shows and tours booked in more than 26 states but mainly in Louisiana and Texas.

Everything was going well for several fantastic years and I was really happy. The money that I was making meant to do everything with my business that I wanted, including marketing and growing rapidly. I had even landed a major contract where I would be touring just about every state in the country. I was making plenty of money and had a beautiful home.

I also had a beautiful 300ZX Nissan, which I loved. However, one night while at a gas station, a crook showed up, shot me, and stole my car. The bullet to my neck resulted in my dying three times and then coming back. For a very long time, I was completely out of commission and couldn’t breathe without tubes. Eventually, I healed and could finally breathe unassisted but bye-bye wealth.

 

There was a valuable lesson to be learned from being shot. Not only did I lose my wealth, died several times, and was incapacitated for quite a while but I also discovered that my business was so complex that it required my complete attention and really couldn't be handled by anyone else. And, when you add to that the fact that I was so young and had not properly planned the business to run without me, it was the downfall of my company.

Without proper medical coverage, all of those medical expenses had to be paid, and, believe me, it was a lot. So, the lesson is to make sure you always have adequate insurance coverage as well as a backup plan for keeping your company running if something happens to you.

 

To this date, I suffer from PTSD but am getting it under control. It was so bad at first that I stayed at home in San Antonio for a year following the shooting incident. Then, my grandmother became very sick and needed home care, so I packed up and moved back to Missouri so that I could care for her. She passed away unfortunately and I moved from her house to a 70-acre farm on the highway. I was on disability for a while but it didn’t take long to discover that I couldn’t survive on that and not working or doing anything was no good. So, I moved from that 70-acre farm to a 60-acre farm, which is where I live now and also where I have my business as well as a herd of cattle.

 

Keywebco

In 2012, I started Keywebco on eBay although I didn’t know anything about ECommerce or eBay. Or. Our original products were Barbie dolls, other new toys, and pre-owned clothing, and our sales grew. Then I discovered a number of opportunities for growing the business. Our niche included a wide range of products, fast service, and lots of inventory numbers. Basically eBay shoppers could find anything they might be looking for. Social Media Marketing became the key to my business success. Before long, I became an authority on Internet marketing and selling online, speaking at a variety of events and eCom conventions. I have even started and run six marketing groups and 25 Facebook business pages as well as multiple stores on a number of platforms.

Now I do not use Facebook, LOL

My current projects include blogging, vlogs, building websites, and publishing. I am also now selling on my own websites and several others. My keywebco.net and keywebco.com sites have more to offer each and every day, like using video chat and much more. From our blogs, where everything you could ever possibly want to know about can probably be found (topics from A to Z) to our Keywebco App, which is absolutely free and user-friendly, you can find a wealth of subjects, apps, and help all in one place. And, the Keywebco App will work on any device (even PCs) and offers you everything in one app.

 

Keywebco features include:

 

Get a website

You need to hire the best Website developers. We are known to offer the best website development serves. There are several aspects involved in website development. For example, you would like to have graphics for the website and several navigations. Ensure you get a high-quality website that will make you accomplish your given needs online. The website we will design for you will help you in the following ways:

 

Cost-Effective marketing

You need to look for a way you can market your e-commerce platform affordably. You need a website that ranks high in search engines. As the best experts in the field, we will help you come up with a website that will easily attract new customers. People from all ways of life would like to take several measures to ensure they have a professional website. There is no need to worry about how to get started. Our experts are dedicated to offering you the best website design. We will take into consideration several factors after which we will ensure we avail of the best website design services. We have helped people from all walks of life get top quality websites. Work with us and we will make it easy for you to have the best website.

 

Wider Demographic Reach

The website we will design for your company will work perfectly in reaching a wide demographic. Remember the website will represent your online presence. You need to let other people know about the services and products you offer. The best way to go about it involves getting the best experts to carry out website design services. Our experts will ensure we design for you a high-quality website that you can use to accomplish several services. We have taken several factors into consideration to ensure we avail to you the best website that will target your specific audience.

 

Creating Business Credibility

Your online business will be more successful if you can make people know you are credible. Many potential buyers would like to research more about the business they are about to deal with online. With a website we will design for you, we will ensure we provide all the necessary information customers need so that they can trust your business and start doing business. We have managed to work with many businesses in creating high-quality websites. The business website we will create for you will look professional so that we can make many people trust your brand and do business. From our research, several businesses we have helped create websites have achieved great success. You need to try our services for the best results.

 

Around-The-Clock Availability

You need to have a website that is available all-round the clock. There is no need to worry about how you can take advantage of people ready to do business online at odd hours. We know the right steps to take so that your website will be available online to serve people at any given time. You need to choose the right website host and have a reliable website so that you can remain online for most of the time. Our experts are dedicated to making life easy for you. You can count on our experts to help you create a professional website that will be online most of the time.

 

Consumer Convenience

People are looking for ways they can easily do business. You need to have an e-commerce website where you will easily interact with the customers. The website we will create for you will be very reliable. For instance, our experts will take into consideration several factors to ensure we avail of a top-quality website that will work perfectly to allow you to enjoy the best performance.

 

Increased Sales

You need to make efforts and ensure the sales increase in your business. There is no need to worry, our experts will work on your website design and ensure we avail a top-loading website that will make many people do business with you. Remember the website should be safe and reliable at all times. Our experts will work with determination and ensure your website will remain safe for the potential buyers to easily do business with you. Try to make your customers happy by making it easy for them to do business with you. We are here to help you realize the best results. Each time we work on a website design project we have helped the owners achieve great success. Our rates are very fair and we will help you realize the best results.

 

Get a blog

Apart from a website, you may need a personal blog where you will get to share ideas with other people. Blogs are very necessary for celebrities and influencers who are looking for platforms where they can impact the sociality positively. There is no worry, we can help you come up with a reliable blog. Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy after you let us help you with the blog development:

 

Express Yourself and Share Your Passions

You may like to share tips about an issue in society in a professional way. In such a case, you will have to do it on your blog. Our experts will take necessary measures and ensure we design for you a blog that will serve your given needs. We have taken time to ensure we avail of a top-quality blog that will serve you perfectly. We have been working hard to assure you the best blog for a wide range of applications. Your blog should also fast to assure you of great performance. We have experts who work with a high level of experience to assure you great performance.

 

Share Your Knowledge

A blog will make it easy to share your knowledge with other people. Our experts have been working hard to assure you the best experience. You can work with us at any given time and we will assure you the best blog design. Each blog we design we ensure it meets the intended purpose. For example, you may like to have a blog that can help you achieve certain needs. We start by knowing about your given needs before we start the blog development.

 

Refine Your Writing Skills

You may like to improve your writing skills by writing on your blog. There is no worry. We have experts who are ready to make for you a blog where you will get to enjoy the best experience as you write about what you love. A personal blog can be a great way to practice writing what you love. We have helped people from all walks of life achieve great success in their personal blogs.

 

Here are some more of the services we can provide. Be Sure To Use Our Menu and Look Below The Footer For More!

 

Make Money Online

You can use a blog to earn money online. For example, if you would like to make money in the process, then you need to work with experts who will guide you on how to make a professional blog. We work with determination to allow you to come up with a reliable blog you can apply to accomplish different tasks in your life. The blogs will also help you in building your professional network, earn more exposure, and become an authority in your industry.

 

Get SEO Boost

After designing a website you would like to make it rank high. Our experts know the right tactics we can apply to help you rank your blog or website high in google search pages. There are several SEO tactics you can apply. We adhere to safe practices so that we can help you rank high in search engines without the worry about penalties. There are several people we have helped and in most cases, most of them have achieved great success. We work hard to assure you several benefits through our SEO services. Here are some of the reasons why you need to try our SEO services:

 

Better User Experience

With our SEO tactics, we will work on both on-page and off-page tactics so that we can help you achieve the best results. The high-quality services we offer are aimed at making it easy for you to realize the best user experience. People landing on your page will easily navigate. You need to have a website that is easy to use. Our tactics are aimed at making it easy for you to realize the best experience.

 

Source of Leads

The SEO services we offer will be a source for the lead on your website or blog. The experts will check your website based on several ranking factors after which we will work to fix different uses on the website so that we can make it easy for your website to rank high. There are several steps that we have taken and we have managed to achieve great success in our ranking efforts. You will achieve the best experience after you decide to work with us.

 

Higher Close Rates

There are several factors you need to check out so that you can increase close rates on your business website. There is no doubt about how to go about it. We have experts who will utilize the latest technology to help you realize the best results. In the search engine optimization services we offer, we are dedicated to asking it easy for our customers to realize the best services ever. Our SEO experts work hard to assure you a high conversion rate.

 

Builds Brand Credibility

When people search about the services you offer and your site appears on top of search engines you will make them trust your services. We have taken the necessary measures to ensure we assure you the best SEO services that will contribute towards improving your brand credibility. There are several sites we have been hired to carry out the SEO services. In most of them, we have managed to assure them great results. You need to work with us and we will help you realize the best results in your SEO services.

 

Helps Establish Brand Awareness

Your brand should be known so that potential buyers will prefer it over others. There are several steps you need to check out so that you can improve the brand. Our experts will develop a professional website after which we will proceed to implement the best practices on your site so that we can make many people trust your site.

Enjoy our free pages loaded with content

You may like to learn a new skill in digital marketing services. Our experts share information on our free loaded pages. You can take advantage of free content and start building your site. The content on the pages is professionally created to serve the purpose. You can work with us and we will ensure we offer you the best services possible. We are dedicated to making things easy for you as far as website management is concerned.

 

Use our free apps and guides

There are those who would like to develop apps. Our free pages and guides will play a great role in offering you the necessary introduction to the development of the app. We are here to assure you the best experience if you can work with us. We are here to assure you the best experience in digital marketing.

Watch us live daily on YouTube

You need to get the latest information. Our YouTube videos will keep on updating you using the latest technology. You can work with us and we will help you get the right information in your learning process. Our videos are developed and made by Keywebco.

 

歡迎使用Keywebco全球業務解決方案

bienvenue aux solutions commerciales mondiales de Keywebco

добро пожаловать в глобальные бизнес-решения Keywebco

bienvenido a las soluciones de negocios globales de Keywebco

مرحبا بكم في Keywebco حلول الأعمال العالمية

bem-vindo às soluções de negócios globais da Keywebco

Willkommen bei den globalen Geschäftslösungen von Keywebco

καλώς ήλθατε στις παγκόσμιες επιχειρηματικές λύσεις της Keywebco

Impressum

Texte: Roger Keyserling
Bildmaterialien: Roger Keyserling via Pixabay
Cover: Roger Keyserling
Lektorat: Roger Keyserling
Satz: Roger Keyserling
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 04.05.2020

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