Tim Hobson

Doubt creeps in, and we wonder if we'll ever see clearly. The truth is sometimes so much like fantasy that we hesitate to believe it.

You’re saying countless people have died believing a lie. Sad, but so true. Even 50 years later, I choke up when I think of friends who died, and then I think of how many more have died in all the wars since then. To quote a folk song that is etched into my memory, "When will they ever learn?"

The pactrids almost seem... humane! It strikes me that, once someone is declared an enemy, we strip them of their humanity.

"Better to be a traitor than take part in the wrong side of the war." How sad but true. I recently wrote about the American War in Vietnam. As the thing wore one, many of us realized it was pointless and probably wrong in the first place. Constant reminders of the "red menace" of Communism were sadly enough to keep our country sending young men to their deaths. Then, when it ended, nothing that was feared happened. The war-torn country went back to being united, and the people gradually, though painfully, merged. Today, it is a favorite vacation spot for Americans. They are far more forgiving than I believe we would be.

It's hard to hate someone when you're physically close to them for a time. I think the two of them are struggling to resist the temptation to forget that they are sworn enemies.

What a great beginning! I'm glad it's a slow week, so I can binge read to catch up.

To mix metaphors: poetry was never my cup of tea, and here I am with my face buried in the fountain!

My mother lay in her bed for three days, black and blue from the latest beating and catatonic to shut out the pain and grief. Our father gathered us children and threatened to do the same to us if we told anyone. Then he left forever. We went to school, came home, made our own meals, and cried by our mother's bedside. One day, as we got off the school bus, we saw her sitting on the front stoop, smoking a cigarette. The next day, she met with an attorney and filed for divorce. The oldest, I told her she had waited too long, and that I wished I had killed him. She said she couldn't have lived with that. The money ran out quickly. We ended up losing our house, and we kids went our own ways in life, finding homes with friends and lovers. That was the reality of my "Happy Days." And yet, they helped make me who I am today--a loving husband and a champion of women and children who are abused. Please support The Trevor Project or volunteer to help in some way.

As I watched and delighted in the progress made over most of my life, I began to worry about those who were being left behind. I wish progress had been brought about in a way that didn't ignore or reject those who were not ready. We were like unthinking children, making new friends and casting aside loyal ones we no longer wanted. It became inevitable that they would react with anger that would lead to violence. Let me be clear: progress is necessary and a good thing, but how it is introduced is just as important, and humanity seems to always forget that in the rush to make all things new. Sooner or later, we pay the price for that uncaring attitude.

Diversity is what ensures that everything works out just right And ignoring or destroying diversity ensures that everything is all f**ked up! All created things are precious, and all people are beloved. We are stewards of creation and of one another, and we are massively failing in that duty. The consequences are already becoming painfully apparent. We must demand change and then we must BE the change!

Who, lacking the desire or ability to see beyond differences, respond in their ignorance with rejection or hatred or violence, are to be pitied because they can't or don't or won't see the beauty of diversity. Who, in power pander to and stir up the weak and ignorant, drawing their strength from the weakness and hate of others, are undeniably evil.

I'm looking forward to reading this magnum opus!😀

This didn't turn out the way I thought it was supposed to. I guess either the instructions were not clear enough, or some responders didn't read them (or we're just all used to writing stories from beginning to end!). As I understood the exercise, this story was meant to be written backwards. The prompt was the last words of the story, and each writer was supposed to take the story backward, so that the exercise ends with the opening words of the story. That clearly didn't happen, so we have kind of a twist, where the story starts out going backward and then reverses, and it has no actual beginning!

I joined GA three years ago today!

I guess I didn't know how this works. I thought we were group-writing a story backward from the end. If my addition didn't make sense, it's because it represented what happened right before Valkyrie's snippet.

Zelt's hands shook as he stared at the telegram that had just been delivered. "Your father has had a heart attack. Come at once." He didn't know whether to smile or frown. His last conversation with his father had ended with a threat, and he didn't trust the old bastard. "Oh, what the hell. If I don't show up and he dies, they'll all think I had something to do with it--not that I wouldn't be glad if I did." He checked his watch and saw that he had only thirty minutes to catch the last train of the day. Grabbing his coat and hat, he dashed out of his apartment building and hailed the first cab that came by.

Just found your romance story. Not my usual cup of tea, but I find I'm hooked. Great writing always draws me in.

Delightful, tasty snippets, both left me wanting "the rest of the story." I didn't see the prompt, but I'll keep an eye out for future ones. It looks like fun!

Thanks for the great story, @JJQuinn, and welcome to the party!

I'm loving how this story is moving forward. Keep 'em coming!

I have a photo gallery of the characters and places in my story. Is there a way to post it or link to it from the story itself or the comments section?

Wow--another blast from the past @drsawzall! I bought all of Steven R. Covey's books, used the Franklin-Covey daily planner for years (first on paper, then online), and even attended a workshop taught by his son Sean, the college quarterback. He had quite an effect on the world of the "knowledge worker" back in 1989, but when he left BYU to run his own company, I think his message became a little too commercial for me. Of course, he was also busy fathering nine children and being grandpa to 55! I guess that's one definition of "highly successful people."

I don't understand how "Views" are counted. In the summary at the top level, there are numbers for Chapters, Words, Views, and Comments. But when I drill down to the Index of Chapters, the number of Views for each chapter add up to only roughly half the number given at the top. What actually counts as a view? Does a reader have to view a certain number of pages of the story to count, or does just peeking count as a view? If a reader comes back to the chapter more than once, is that counted as another unique view?

When will Toby realize they all just want to use him, and they regard him as little more than a sexual plaything? He needs to get is ass (and everything else) back home as fast as he can.