All I heard were screams. I didn't want to enter the rickety barn, but I could not ignore the anguish that I heard inside. I searched my pockets for a weapon. Nothing but keys. I clutched the longest one between my fingers and slowly opened the rickety barn door. Stepping inside, I discovered that the screams were coming from the back of the barn. I didn't see an obvious "bad guy," so I raced forward.
The screams were coming from underneath a large pile of hay! I quickly dug through to real the face of a 10-year-old boy. I dragged...
There's only one country in this world. You would think that would be a recipe for peace. But haven't you ever heard of civil war?
No matter how much people try to stay united, some people will insist on being divided. It's just human nature. We don't conform. We rebel. So instead of focusing on similarities, some people have to classify themselves based on their differences.
That was the premise behind the first meeting of the PBS (Proud Bald Society). The members of the fledgling group filled the park, their heads shining in the mid-morning sun. Romulus Jones, their president,...
Friday is supposed to be a day to look forward to - TGIF, right?
Sammy had been dreading Friday all week because he had to go to the dentist. He wasn't afraid of cavities or drilling. He just didn't like his dentist, and there was only one in town.
Sammy walked into the office, waited his turn and took his place in the dentist chair. A new dentist entered the office. He looked like he was fresh out of dental school. Indeed, he had a fresh idea.
"In order for you to understand dental health better, we're going to switch....
The kids huddled around the tiny bundt cake, sipping juice from their plastic cups.
A lone candle burned at the center of the cake. The kids were trying to figure out how they were going to get a decent piece of cake.
"Don't forget to sing! Happy birthday to you ..." Tommy's mom began.
The kids sang half-heartedly. When they finished. Billy grabbed the cake and broke off a piece for himself. The other kids did the same, and everyone got a piece ... except the birthday boy.
His eyes filled with tears. The doorbell rang.
It was the pizza...
The young woman stood in the garden, clutching a bunch of dead flowers.
"This place needs a LOT of work," she thought.
Looking around, she began to formulate a vision for what the garden could become.
She pictured family and friends sitting around the table, enjoying a Fourth of July barbecue. She would need to make room for a grill. Kids would need a place to play as well.
"I can't do all of this by myself," she thought.
Then she realized that she's been trying to do too many things by herself. Maybe that's why she was alone at...
Every morning, the No. 7 bus drives down Cherry Lane. The kids waiting for the bus get splashed by a puddle whenever it rains. A homeless man sees it happen every day that it rains.
One rainy spring morning, the homeless man had enough. He walked right out in front of the bus before it could reach the corner.
The driver stepped out of the bus in a rage.
"Are you crazy? What are you doing?"
"Something. I'm doing something."
He raced around the bus driver and hopped into the driver's seat. He maneuvered the bus around the driver and...
My eight-year-old brother couldn't sleep. He had watched a scary movie, and its main character was invading his thoughts.
"Is Dracula here?" he asked.
"No, he's back home in Transylvania," I assured him.
"Maybe he's visiting!"
In order to distract him and help him get to sleep, I came up with an idea.
"Let's make a mixtape of songs that will keep Dracula from visiting us."
I serenaded my brother with tunes that sent Dracula to all sorts of locations. The bloodthirsty count sailed away to Key Largo. He visited "Aruba, Jamaica ..." and the other exotic locations in the...