flamingo136

Just a brief acknowledgement......your words have reached out over more than 50 years to not only remind me of similar paths taken, but deeply buried truths that are timeless forever. This story has triggered past fears and tears; I thank you for helping me confront and retire all the negative baggage from my own youth......Mike

The premise of this has me curious......I'll withhold any presumptions for now; but I do have a question. Does the placement of this story in the Hoschton/Braselton area have any significance? I live only a few miles from this very real location....ever heard of Winder?......................lol, Mike

I still can't get over how easily you "offed" Taylan......GRRRRRRR But I will continue.....life goes on; as they say..............GRRRRRRR again ............Mike

How could you?.............Mike

Thanks Sean.......I needed to experience this chapter................Mike

Incredibly touching chapter...........Thank you..............Mike

So beautifully written.......simple and honest

WREN...................SOOOO HAPPY LOVE THIS ......ALL THE BITS....................MIKE

RE-reading the series.....again

And just like that,you have pulled me deep in to Kevin's tortured soul......Powerfully written in such a disjointed manner.................Mike

I'm in😅.......Mike

Gary, As usual, your words have been expertly been chosen and used to transport us to a different time and place, to convey past guilt, regret, anger and most importantly....love. With surgical precision you have crafted one of the most detailed works that I have ever read. It is an honor to be able to witness the sometimes harsh and gritty reality of the lives of these characters and to celebrate the joy they find with each other.............Truly remarkable...................Mike

We should all be this lucky.........excellent chapter.................💓Mike

You have a canny ability to connect on an intimate personal, almost a cellular level, and for that I am truly grateful......Thank you for sharing your heart with us all my friend..................Mike

I am so honored to be reading this story.......it is beautifully written.........makes me happy, sad, horny, thankful, hopeful, did I mention horny?............... Mike

You're killing me.......I hate cliffies..................Mike

Gary, I like many many others have been through some tough times, rough issues and bleak futures......but the present state of the country and the entire planet seems overwhelming for my mind to make sense of it.....A feeling of hopelessness is something that I have fought throughout my life; I think hopelessness is winning....AND, I for once don't have a backup plan.....can't even come up with something...anything that will make a difference............. I've always liked the lyric......."better to burn out than fade away"............It now is so more special to me...........Mike

Thanks Gary, I needed this Mike

I may be wrong, but in my humble opinion, sometimes a kiss is more intimate than the actual coupling of genitals. I am a complete pushover for a great set of lips....let's not even start on the tongue....................Mike

Mourning the loss of someone dear, whether by death, or a relationship failing can have long term effects that we can't always recognize, address and process. Crippling darkness has been my friend.....a refuge from reality, a barrier to keep others safely at a distance.......quiet, yet deafening in its overwhelming insistence. Sometimes, just a sentence read can send me back to that time, in remembrance of much darker times..........I have learned, hopefully, to accept the past, live for the present, and plan for the future...........Thank you Gary for sharing your words, I celebrate my journey and wish others the love and support needed to get through life's landmines...................Mike

Wish I had been there to witness ......truly the Holy Spirit is alive...........Mike

Happy Birthday Gary.......This is what life is all about.....memories.......I really needed to remember that lesson this week......Thank you, my friend.................Mike

tim, I so relate to the mood of this piece.....I don't see it as a sad or melancholy at all....just truth and fact........I get this vibe, almost at a cellular level............Mike

... Sorry! Ahh, shit. I was hoping I wouldn't cry this time, but... talking to you always makes me miss you even more. It's our birthday again. Nineteen this year. And... yeah. It just isn't the same if we're not sharing it. I hate birthdays, Jase. I hate them. I just want them to stop. I won't even tell my new friends in the city when our birthday is, because... well, I know they care, but... when people say happy birthday, all I do is get sad. It's not a celebration anymore. You and I splitting a cupcake at midnight... and then you always let me eat the whole thing like a fatass... that was the only celebration I ever wanted. Without you, birthdays... just... ugh, no. I don't like them. I only have one because... well, I suppose it's for Mum. This sounds so familiar to me.......I haven't celebrated a birthday since I was 9 years old.......how could I................Thanks for the tears...........Matt tells me to shut up too........................Mike

As a surviving twin, I can only smile with the memories of the countless conversations that I've had with my Matt.......it has been almost 54 years since he died; but time has no power in reducing my destruction of his loss. Thanks for expressing the chaotic ramblings that ring so clear to me..................Mike