Tears And Laughter

By Joseph J. Mazzella on November 29, 2014 / 5,026 views

I am finding that my eyes are a little more moist these days. I seem to be tearing up from time to time. Now it isn't because I am sad. I am neither depressed nor stressed. Nothing bad has happened to me either. In fact, I find myself smiling and laughing more often too. The simple truth is that while my love and joy have grown over the years, my empathy has grown along with them. When I see an act of love,...

50 Rupees

By Amol A Sharma on November 29, 2014 / 4,565 views

It was Sunday morning. No one around. Streets were empty. Only trees, cars at parking, children playing cricket, but still busy restaurants, I wonder how. I entered the gate of my bank. Gunman was alert and standing at his usual place. I loved the bank staff as on every Sunday I used to visit my bank. Staff was always working seriously and had a no nonsense attitude... each one. My bank was open on Sunday... so I...

A Stupid Mistake

By Jai on November 29, 2014 / 4,895 views

By Jai on November 29, 2014 / 4,895 views

It was a partial cloudy day with little drizzling in the air. I stood at a road side waiting for a cab so I could go to the Railway Station. Everything was going on just the way it was when suddenly I felt a voice beside me; it was a boy with tattered clothes and a face that surely seemed like it was never washed at all. I felt so abhorrent at that moment that I literally tried to pull my self away from that little...

An Unexpected Life Lesson From A Cab Driver

By Chris on November 26, 2014 / 7,297 views

By Chris on November 26, 2014 / 7,297 views

A taxi driver taught me an unforgettable lesson in customer service and satisfaction. I realized that motivational speakers charge hundreds of dollars to share this kind of lessons to corporate staffs. However, it only costs me a $10 cab ride. I had a business trip to Dallas that time so my plan included a fast trip to and from the airport. A neat white cab pulled up and the taxi driver rushed to open the...

This Message Is For You

By Heartshinegirl on November 25, 2014 / 5,554 views

If only the world were a simple place. If only you could know the answers to all the questions in life, then you would feel complete. However, you seek the answers and can't seem to find them all in one place. The more that you seek, the more questions that you have. There are topics in mind that you Google answers to. When you find something interesting it leads to more interesting things. The answer is inside of...

World War 1 Soldier Footlocker Returns To Family

By Rex Lyle on November 23, 2014 / 2,283 views

I found this WW1 footlocker at a local garage sale years ago. It was empty upon inspection at the sale and it sat in my garage. Only when I cleaned it up to use as a display piece in the house did I notice the writing of a soldier's name, Wayland Bliven. It shows the following ever so faintly- SHIP TO: 401 RANDOLPH ST EDGERTON, WIS CO M-128 INF NG USA I was floored when I saw this and started a search for any...

A Green Thumb

By Joseph J. Mazzella on November 22, 2014 / 4,834 views

As a boy I learned so much growing up the way I did. We didn't have very much, yet we were rich in all that mattered. My Mom, Dad, brothers, and I all lived with my Grandma in her ramshackle house built from old shanty cars. It was cold and drafty at times but we could always count on a hot meal made with love to warm our bellies and our hearts. "Nana" had an old root cellar, four different vegetable gardens and a...

The King And The Seashore

By Coach Muller on November 19, 2014 / 14,204 views

By Coach Muller on November 19, 2014 / 14,204 views

There are many times throughout our lives that we sometimes forget the true power and strength of God. We cast our focus on famous or powerful people and shower them adoration, praise, honor and glory. We put them up on a pedestal and view them as people who have all the right answers, the correct decisions, and say the perfect things. It is sort of sad then when we find out how flawed these people are and how...

My Regrets As A 46 Year Old, And Advice To Others At A Crossroad

By John on November 19, 2014 / 9,741 views

By John on November 19, 2014 / 9,741 views

I need to get my life off my chest. About me. I'm a 46 year old banker and I have been living my whole life the opposite of how I wanted. All my dreams, my passion, gone. In a steady 9-7 job. 6 days a week. For 26 years. I repeatedly chose the safe path for everything, which eventually changed who I was. Today I found out my wife has been cheating on me for the last 10 years. My son feels nothing for me. I...

Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life

By Chris on November 18, 2014 / 8,409 views

The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking. If you think it's permanent then it's permanent. If you think you've reached your limits then you have. If you think you'll never get well then you won’t. You have to change your thinking. You need to see everything that's holding you back, every obstacle, every limitation as only temporary....

My Birthday

By Chandler on November 17, 2014 / 1,827 views

By Chandler on November 17, 2014 / 1,827 views

No matter what happens to me I'll never be as old as Star Wars. However, I'm still a quarter century old and today I cross that threshold. 26 is on the downhill side of 30, which sort of freaks me out… I had hoped that by this point in my life people would have started taking me seriously but that's hasn't quite worked out for me. Maybe I've made too many jokes about my height or my lack of hair, either way I...

There Is No Right Or Wrong Path

By Anna on November 17, 2014 / 6,222 views

Life is full of opportunities. The life path we take is a sum of decisions we make. In life, there is no right or wrong choice of path because your decision will only lead you to different opportunities. It doesn't really matter which way you take because you never know what is going to happen anyway. Just be brave and take on the path you've decided and don’t look back. When you feel like going back or...

Today I Was A Friend To Someone

By Mar on November 14, 2014 / 5,971 views

I (19, F) work in an office answering phones at a community college along with another girl who is my age. We make appointments for students to get counseling on classes, help get students to the office where proctored testing takes place, along with answering phones. A young man who is always quiet when he comes in came in to take his proctored test but the proctor was out sick. He ended up making conversation...

Innocence And Wisdom

By Joseph J. Mazzella on November 12, 2014 / 6,652 views

I was walking out of a local library recently when I heard the most wonderful sound in the world. It was children laughing. The Kindergarten class had just gone out for recess on a warm, Autumn afternoon. They were running, shouting, and playing with all the joy inside of them. It was music sweeter than any concert. I stopped to watch and listen to them for awhile. I could feel my smiling lifting, my eyes sparkling,...

Daughter Offers Comfort To Unhappy Peer

By Jonathan on November 10, 2014 / 4,830 views

My not-yet-five-year-old has soccer once a week, loves it, digs right in. Last week there was a new girl who was having an off day in addition to being new. She was intimidated by the girls who are getting good at handling and moving the ball, surviving in a cluster, so she took a break to hang close to mom and dad. My daughter saw how unhappy she was, stopped playing, went over and introduced herself, gave...

One More Time Daddy?

By Coach Muller on November 09, 2014 / 2,219 views

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground. “That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide. “He’s a fine looking boy” the man said. “That’s my daughter on the bike in the white dress.” Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. “What do you say we go, Melissa?” Melissa...

My Dad Always Cheers Me Up

By Erik on November 09, 2014 / 1,742 views

I had my first game of indoor soccer (ever) tonight, and needless to say, it went badly. My team was a "house team" and so we've never played together before. We played a team that pretty much stomped us. I didn't play up to my usual standard, and was pretty bummed. I had skipped a concert with some friends, and a movie night with some others, just for this game. So I was disappointed that I played like a chump....