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  • Jason Stadtlander

A Thirst Quenched
A Thirst Quenched 2560 1678 Jason Stadtlander

The thirst, the endless, desiccated thirst
The pain of the heart, arid and unquenched, not beating
Void of that camaraderie that it requires
The loneliness that fills the void is like air within a canyon
It is space filled but without substance
The depth of isolation that can be reached by no other means than seclusion
No emotions for oneself and empty within
It is not depression as much as a missing piece of an incomplete puzzle

Then there falls that first drop of rain
That sight of her beauty
Eyes that stare back with an impossible warmth
A connection
Another drop
A link
Another drop, another drop
The contours of the puzzle piece perfectly shaped
Another drop, another drop, another drop
Each, space, each thought, ideal

Now a trickle, it gently flows, slowly to every dry tributary
Drop after drop after drop
A trickle becomes a stream
The intellect, the conversation, the humor
A stream gains momentum as it flows gently from one branch to another
The hands, delicate hands, the touch
A stream becomes a shallow river feeding point after point
A beat
A small devil smiling at me.

The lips, those precious lips, delicate and smooth
Another beat
The voice, soft, accented, beautiful
Another beat, Another beat
The flow becomes stronger a gush as the river flows faster
Beat, Beat, Beat, Beat
Her thoughts fascinate me, Her movements mesmerize me

I am alive
  • Jason Stadtlander

Final Moments – Step Back
Final Moments – Step Back 620 310 Jason Stadtlander

Michael lay with his head on the soft, down pillow as he watched his wife’s chest. The rhythmic rise and fall of her bosom under the old, cotton nightgown. This ancient familiar warmth had given him the strength to start his day for the last sixty-six years. His eyes moved down toward her legs, which were covered under the white knitted blanket. Her old hands with skin now so thin that the form of every vein, ligament, and bone shown through them as they lay upon the cover. He could hear birds outside the open window but did not want to look toward it, did not want to take his eyes from the view before him. Slowly, he turned his head upward and looked at her face, asleep, so peaceful.

Her white hair flowed down and around the edges of her face, framing it in ethereal beauty. Her flawless skin made her appear twenty years younger, despite the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. When she smiled, the lines disappeared, and the room was filled with light.
She wasn’t smiling now, just sleeping, softly sleeping.

He thought back to last week as they sat at dinner when she smiled at him before she passed out, and the pain struck him.

Step back, it was her birthday as she blew out the candles with the number “88” on the cake.

Step back, the boat ride on Lake Erie with their grandson and two great-grandchildren. Michael held Beth’s hand and sat as the wind blew their white hair, filled with the smell of the lake.

Step back, their fiftieth anniversary as they sat at the restaurant, surrounded by friends and family. So many people that had touched their lives over the years together, standing tall despite the odds.

Step back, in the shade of the trees, as they walked through the park, pushing their grandson in his stroller, autumn freshly fallen and the leaves blowing in small vortices around them.

Step back, the nightmare he had awoken to, his daughter, Jennie dying in a car accident as she drove along the coast. But it wasn’t a dream, it was a memory. Beth had held him as he cried, and in turn, he had cradled her as she cried, her sobs shaking his shoulder.
Step back, their grandson had come into the world, and Beth sat in the hospital room chair holding the newborn baby boy, his soft, perfect skin, and an entire life before him.

Step back, Jennie was walking down the aisle and Michael, as nervous as the day that he lifted his own bride’s veil years ago – gave Jennie’s hand to her new husband, Robert.

Step back, Jennie introduced Robert to her mother and father on the front porch as Michael stood with his shotgun in hand, always the dramatic flair. Robert had taken one look at the gun and stepped back. Beth then grabbed the gun from Michael and pumped the gun, opening the chamber and showing it was not loaded but merely a scare tactic.

Step back, Jennie handed a hand-made ornament that she had created for her father in second grade. Her long golden hair cascading down her shoulders as she smiled with great anticipation as he opened the tissue wrapped ornament.

Step back, Beth handed Michael their newborn daughter. He took the swaddled baby and gently cradling it in his arms, feeling alien to the idea of holding a child. “She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” He had said. “Next to you, of course.” He had quickly added.
Step back, Michael adjusted his bowtie. So nervous, that his hands were shaking. He had been madly in love with Beth since he was 17, and now, here he stood in the room adjacent to the sanctuary, about to take her hand in marriage. “Dear God, please help me to follow your guidance. Help me to protect and love her for the rest of my life.”

At the altar, he had lifted her veil and kissed her. Beth had whispered in his ear, “Will you love me for the rest of my life?” to which he had replied, “For all of your life and a day, my love.”

Back in the present, the warm bedclothes wrapped Michael in a cocoon of warmth, yet a chill ran up his spine. He reached his hand out and touched Beth’s face. She opened her bright blue eyes and looked at him, a flash of sorrow in her eyes as she felt her body failing her. Beth looked into her husband’s eyes, “It’s time.” She said.

Michael nodded and petted her hair. “Shh, I know. It’s okay.” He whispered.

“Will you love me for the rest of my life?” she asked, as she had asked thousands of times over their years together. He shook his head gently as a single tear streamed down his face, and his lips trembled.

“No. I’ll love you for the rest of mine, and a day.” He replied and wrapped his arms around her as she took her last breath.
Michael lay there for an hour, unable to move, just holding Beth in his arms, sobbing.
  • Jason Stadtlander

Jack & Elaine – The Bracelet
Jack & Elaine – The Bracelet 1024 609 Jason Stadtlander

A newspaper slapped the door and landed on the porch with the normal thud. Elaine turned her bike around and headed down the driveway in the cool early morning toward the next house. Thud—the next newspaper landed squarely where she threw it. She had a saddlebag over her, the front was half full of newspapers and the back had yet to be emptied, weighing heavily on her.

Elaine had gotten the newspaper route five months ago to earn some extra money and she had saved up enough for the iPod touch she had been wanting. She was also planning to do some shoveling once the snow started to fall. At the moment she was finding great joy in the crisp late fall air. There was no snow on the ground yet, but the smell of winter was abundant. 

Looking toward the next house, she failed to see the skateboard ramp that a child had left along the sidewalk, and her bike’s front tire caught the lip on the side of the ramp. Elaine was thrust over the handlebars so fast she didn’t have time to think. She put her hand out to catch her fall but landed hard on her shoulder and her head slammed into the ramp. Despite the protection of her helmet, Elaine’s vision began to blur and she could feel herself losing consciousness. Just before she passed out, she saw a woman walking toward her in a long dress or nightgown. The woman had long dark hair and reached out for her just as Elaine’s vision filled with white and she went unconscious.

As awareness returned, Elaine heard sirens in the distance. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw a man looking down at her; there was a bright light on the ceiling above. She tried to sit up and look around but couldn’t move her head. She held up her right arm, then her left. Missing from her left arm was the charm bracelet that her mother had given her for her fifth birthday.

“Don’t move. We have your head stabilized for the trip. You’re in an ambulance,” the man said.

Suddenly Elaine’s head hurt badly and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Do you know what happened?” he asked.

“Yeah.  A woman . . . No,” she replied groggily.

“What’s your name?” the man asked.

“Elaine. My name is Elaine. Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is Mark. I’m an EMT. We’re taking you to the hospital. Do you know what day it is?”

“Yeah it’s . . . Tuesday.”

“Good. And the date?” Mark asked.

“December eighth, I think.”

“Good. Just rest.”

“The woman—who was she?”

“I don’t know about a woman. A man called 911.  He saw you lying on the ground outside his house.”

Elaine was taken to the hospital where a few tests were performed and the doctor decided he wanted to monitor her for the day. As she lay, drifting in and out of sleep, her parents sat by her side. They only stepping out at three that afternoon to get a bite to eat downstairs.

Lying there, once again Elaine drifted off to sleep but awoke suddenly to a rustling noise. She opened her eyes to see the woman in a plain white dress she had seen earlier at the accident. She was stepping around the corner of her hospital room door, leaving. Elaine looked down at her bed and noticed her charm bracelet in her closed hand; the same bracelet that had fallen off during her bike accident.

A few seconds later her parents walked through the door. “Who was that?” Elaine asked.

“Who was who? Your father and I have been out in the hall for a few minutes by the nurse station. We didn’t see anyone,” Her mother replied.

“A woman. She was wearing a long dress—she just left.”

“Sweetie, no one has come or gone from your room in the last few minutes that we’ve seen.”

Elaine looked down again at the golden bracelet in her hand. A new charm now hung among the others on the delicate chain—a small heart, the side of which looked like an angel’s wing.
  • Jason Stadtlander

“Where’s The Sports?” – The World on The Knife’s Edge
“Where’s The Sports?” – The World on The Knife’s Edge 1920 1080 Jason Stadtlander

Conflict and competition are in our nature as a species. Going back to our earliest prehistoric survival, the friction between one another has been crucial in many aspects of our history and it is perhaps the primary driving force for what we are as a species.

In the earliest times, we fought one another for mates, for land, and for what we believed was true. Over the millennia this changed to conflict over religious beliefs, power, and monetary gain. As far back as the ancient Greeks, sports became an outlet for this conflict. It gave us a way to compete against each other without the conflict ending in death. Granted, the Romans and several other civilizations still added ‘death’ as an ultimate loss. I would like to believe that in the last few hundred years we have learned to remove the death element to sports – at least intentional death. But, it is a hardcore fact that we need to have someone to dislike, we need to have someone we want to battle. So, over time we have developed the intense rivalries of the NFL (Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers) or FIFA (Scotland and England) or if you really want to get primeval – Chess (Alekhine and Euwe).

Jason, Katerina & Stuart in Montana

Now, my stepfather; Stuart Whitehair (owner of the University of Colorado fan website CU at The Game) will be the first to tell you that I am not a sports fan. Do I enjoy going to a football game or watching my son play soccer? Absolutely! I may not be getting down and dirty talking stats and previous games and who’s going to annihilate who at the next game. But, I enjoy the excitement and the thrill of backing the winning (or losing) team. Whether I want to admit it, it’s in my blood, it’s in your blood. You may love sports, or you may hate it or you may not give a damn either way, but you most likely feel something.

My colleague and decades-long friend Craig loves sports, in fact, he has WEEI Sports radio going in our office every day we are there. Yes, I listen to it a little. Most of the time its background noise and I complain about how much Bill Belichick really sounds like an idiot and doesn’t want to be on the radio anyway, so why does he even do the press conferences. I suppose you can’t lead one of the most winningest teams in NFL history without doing a few press conferences. Have Craig and Stuart converted me? No. However, there is a strong part of me that has wanted to understand sports and understand what drives them to love it so much.

So, here we are in 2020 amid the largest pandemic of modern history, and what is canceled? Sports. My first inclination was “Thank God. Finally, I get a break!” However, as things have developed and after listening to WEEI, finding out that when they don’t have sports – they have nothing to talk about, and after having some discussions with Stuart (who also was a history and political science major) he raised some very good points. Before this all started, here in the United States were already a nation deeply divided politically and on top of that, we have a lot of very passionate rivalry with cities with regards to sports and politics.

Here are some of Stuart’s thoughts (from his site):

“I’m not going to go all political here. I don’t want the website to deteriorate into mud-slinging rants. I am grateful to those of you who have posted comments the last few months, yet have not strayed from the topics at hand.

That being said, I think we can all agree that the country is divided.

Which brings me back to sports.

I am not a sociologist, but I believe I have a solution to America’s problem…

We need the Nebraska Cornhuskers back on the field.

Not because I want to see the Cornhuskers play, but because I want to see them play… and lose.

It’s primal. It’s us against them. Yankees v. Red Sox. Lakers v. Celtics. The Patriots v. well, everybody.

I would like to submit this basic theorem: Americans will spend less time hating each other when they can spend more time… hating each other’s sports teams.

Which leads me (Jason) to wonder, “What is the breaking point?”, is it the election? Are we looking at a potential civil war or is that being overdramatic?

At any rate, as everyone says “We are all in this together.” – which could mean that we are all going to strangle each other if we don’t find a way to release some tension. But, I’m rooting for a more positive note: “We’ll all make it through this, together.”
  • Jason Stadtlander

Twisted Thursday – “Idiomocracy” – A story of Idioms
Twisted Thursday – “Idiomocracy” – A story of Idioms 1618 1080 Jason Stadtlander

Growing up, my father constantly used idioms that had (sometimes, unfortunately) been passed down for generations. What is an idiom you ask? Not to be confused with idiots, an idiom is a small phrase that presents a figurative meaning. Such as, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” Is it literally raining cats and dogs? No… it’s just raining really hard.

Not long ago it got me thinking, what would happen someone took all the crazy idioms (sayings) they heard growing up and slapped them together into one little story? Well, here’s what I churned out. Be forewarned – there are a considerable amount of ‘colorful metaphors’ (swears):

Company Take-over?

So, I was at work the other day, and I was busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kickin’ contest. Finally, I got to the point where I was going to blow like a whistle, so I went looking for my boss. I’ll tell you though, she was slipperier than snot on a glass doorknob. When I finally found her, she was sitting around with her thumb stuck up her ass to which I said, “Ugh! That smells bad enough to gag a maggot!”

She laughed hard and replied, “Well, wada ya expect? I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off all day. I went to the president, but he said to go take a long walk off a short pier, and you can guess how that made me feel… wrapped tighter than skeeter’s ass in a nosedive.”

I sighed. She was right. The president had been riding her like a one-hump camel. The poor woman deserved a break. Then she looked at me and smiled. I cocked an eyebrow in response, knowing she was up to something because she was grinning like a possum licking the whipped cream off a light socket. “What?” I asked, wondering what was rattling around between her ears.

“I was just thinking…” she began. “The guy in the corner office is slow as molasses in January. How about we toss him out like an old pair of shoes and run things ourselves?” she glared at me. “Well, are we on the same page?”

Although this was appealing, the truth was, I had to go to the bathroom so bad my eyeballs were floating. Tell you what – hold that thought. I gotta pee like a Russian racehorse at the Kentucky Derby running with a glue truck behind him.”

So we agreed to chew the fat when I got back.

Fortunately, getting in and out of the restroom was easy as a piece of cake. By now I knew that my boss had an axe to grind, but I was relieved to be standing by her side, come hell or high water. I will admit, the idea of taking over the company might have been biting off more than we could chew, but when it comes down to the wire, it’s always best not to count your chickens before they hatch.

I walked into my boss’s office carrying a big chip on my shoulder, but I figured I had a right. After all, what goes around comes around. My boss opened her mouth, but as soon as she started talking, I realized that she was really my boss’s twin sister – a dead ringer. I said to the twin, “Hey – where did she go?”

She replied only, “Elvis has left the building.”

I knew I wasn’t going to get anything out of the woman since blood is thicker than water. So I did an about-face, flipped her the bird, and asked her to excuse my French. But since I knew that haste makes waste, rather than going head over heels in the bag, I decided to throw the towel in and began walking back to my office.

The twin sister yelled, “Hey! I’m hornier than a two-peckered billy goat!”

I rolled my eyes, turned around, and walked back into her office. “Well then, I guess you have bigger fish to fry. I mean, come on – you’re about as handy as a cow on a crutch. Look, I’ve really got to go…I’m so hungry I could eat a low-flying duck!”

The truth was, it was hotter than a popcorn fart in there, and I really didn’t want to hang around. So I headed quickly back to my office feeling about as worthless as chicken crap on a pump handle. I figured I had to get back to work, and once again felt busier than a cat covering up crap on a concrete floor.

Thinkin’ back, I don’t know about you, but the whole thing felt nuttier than a port-a-potty at a peanut festival.

jack-and-elaine-lost
  • Jason Stadtlander

Jack and Elaine – Lost
Jack and Elaine – Lost 764 432 Jason Stadtlander

Every year the county fair fell around Elaine’s birthday making it the perfect birthday gift. Her friend Jack and his family would be joining Elaine and her parents this year. She would finally be able to share the collection of wonder and amazement that she loved so much. Perhaps she could even get her parents to try and get her a prize at one of the many carnival games – something her parents never seemed to give in to. Elaine salivated at the thought of the delicious food and rides as they danced in her head.

This year she read in the newspaper about a giant pumpkin that won grand prize; 1,260 pounds. It was hard to imagine how big that must be and Elaine was very excited to see it, moving it to the top of her ‘must see list’. She loved the animals, dog shows and frozen bananas which for some reason always tasted better in the crisp autumn air of the fair.

Sitting in her father’s minivan as they entered the gate she wore a grin from ear to ear as did Jack sitting next to her. They parked the van and she and Jack leaped out. Even from out here, the smell of French fries, fried dough and Italian sausage were overwhelming, instantly making Elaine hungry. Within two minutes, she convinced her parents to stop at the first few games – throwing darts at balloons and winning her a stuffed pig and some large fake dollar bills. She was having a blast!

Jack and his parents headed for the restroom, while she and her family made their way toward the giant pumpkin in the Fruits and Vegetable hall, weaving their way through the crowds of people. Elaine held her piggy in one hand and dollar bills in the other. Someone bumped into her and a few of the massive dollar bills fell out of her hand. She grabbed at them as they started to blow away. Elaine ran after it for about thirty feet and caught it, then stood up to rejoin her parents but they weren’t in front of her. They had not seen her stop and kept walking. Panic set in, she looked to the right, then to the left. Suddenly she felt very small, a little girl surrounded by a towering, moving mass of people. She dropped a dollar bill, she quickly grabbed it, she suddenly felt like it meant everything that she not lose what her mommy and daddy won her. She grabbed it and squeezed it and her stuffed piggy tightly, standing alone in the crowd as it ebbed and flowed around her in a frightening blaze. For a fleeting moment she saw her mother, then realized it was a woman with similar hair but not her mother. The woman looked at her and saw the fear in Elaine’s eyes, looked away and paused; tapping the man on the shoulder next to her she looked back again. She came back to Elaine and knelt down.

“Sweetie, are you lost?”

Elaine’s blue eyes filled with tears and she nodded, squeezing the pink stuffed animal tighter. She didn’t say anything to the woman because she was told to never talk to strangers, but she was so scared she didn’t know what to do.

“What’s your name?” the woman asked her.

“Elaine.” She replied, trembling.

“Elaine, I’m Julie, this is Nevin. Are you here with your parents?”

She nodded.

“Where did you see your parents last?”

She said nothing, though she wanted to tell them that she had seen them at the entrance to the building.

“It’s okay, we’ll help you find them.”

Elain began, “We were going to the giant pumpkin and then…” she looked around nervously.

“Julie, the lost children’s booth is just around the corner. Let’s take her over there.” Nevin said to the woman.

Julie looked at the small red head who was trembling, she put her hand gently on the girl’s shoulder.

“We’re going to help you find your parents. Okay?”

Elaine nodded, feeling the world spinning, her heart racing and uncertain.

Walking towards the lost children’s booth, Nevin spotted a police officer and walked over to him, explaining the situation. He looked down at Elaine and smiled, “Elaine, I’m Officer Tom. Your parents are looking for you. Will you come with me?”

Elaine squeezed Julie’s hand. Julie bent down, “It’s okay. He’s a policeman. He’ll help you find your mommy and daddy, okay?” and she softly passed Elaine’s hand over to Officer Tom.

The two walked to the lost children’s booth, but her parents weren’t there. For thirty minutes she sat at a small chair at a table, playing with a puzzle with her right hand, gripping piggy tightly with her left hand. She tried to act like she wasn’t scared, but the fear was overpowering. Officer Tom talked to her and told her about his own little boy. “I remember a time when I lost my son when he was three. We were at a really big store that sold coats. He was really scared, but we were scared too. You’re parents already checked in here and they went back to go see if they could find you. They’ll be back soon.”

Finally, her father showed up at the door to the booth and the police officer greeted him. “She was found over near the entrance to the picnic area.”

“Oh god Elaine! We were so scared!” He bent down and hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms and legs around her father and for the first time let go of the piggy and started to cry, relieved to have found her parents.

Checkout Jack and Elaine’s other adventures

Top 10 Things I’ve Learned in the Coronavirus Lockdown
  • Jason Stadtlander

Twisted Thursday – Top 10 Things I’ve Learned During the Coronavirus Lockdown
Twisted Thursday – Top 10 Things I’ve Learned During the Coronavirus Lockdown 848 565 Jason Stadtlander

Yes, yes, we’ve all discovered a new side to ourselves in lock-down during the Coronavirus and COVID19 disease. We have discovered that for many of us it is possible to work from home and it is important to look out for others in this ‘unprecedented time’.

I found that I personally have discovered things that I never before thought about.

Here are my Top 10 Things I’ve Learned in the Coronavirus Lockdown:

10. Clothing for Zoom meetings is optional

9. My cat really does sleep 90% of her life

My cat really does sleep 90% of her life

8. The mute button is my friend (especially if the office is next to the bathroom)

The mute button is your friend (especially if your office is next to the bathroom)

7. Coronavirus does not actually give you diarrhea

6. Social distancing guidelines differ from country to country

Social distancing guidelines differ from country to country

5. Lifting a beer is a good interim work out during COVID19

Lifting a beer up does not really qualify as 'working out'

4. If you have a birthday during the lock-down, you’re getting ripped off

If you have a birthday during the lock-down, you're getting ripped off

3. Too much television really does rot your brain

Too much television really does rot your brain

2. Productivity is way up when working from home

1. There really is a solution for homeschooling children

There really is a solution for homeschooling children

“Twisted Thursday” is an occasional spot written on a topic that I thought might be fun to ‘twist’. Check out my other Twisted Thursdays.

love-is-jason-stadtlander
  • Jason Stadtlander

Love is…
Love is… 1074 600 Jason Stadtlander

“All You Need Is Love”, Five silly words from a Beatles song, so cliche yet so apt.

Love is one of the few words in the English language that cannot be defined by words alone.

Webster’s Dictionary defines love as:

a (1) : strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties  (2) : attraction based on sexual desire : affection and tenderness felt by lovers (3) : affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interests
b : an assurance of affection

It scarcely does justice to convey what love really is. Love is not simply an intense feeling of deep affection, a sexual desire in someone or even a need to care for someone.

love-is-jason-stadtlanderLove is a storm, a torrent of emotion that flows through us like a song that flows on the air.
Love is a rock, that holds us to the shore and gives us something worth fighting and living for.
Love are the arms that carry us out of the darkest despair, out of the depths of Hell, and shows us the light of a new day.
Love is the sweet breath of your newborn child as they lay swaddled in your arms.
Love is the soft, leathery skin of the person you love, holding your hand as you take your last breath.
Love is knowing that each day can be better than the last.
Love is the light of the sun as it hits your face in the early morning hours of the winter, showing you that despite the brutal cold… There is warmth.
Love is music as it swaddles you, making you dance, making you sing, making you live.
Love creates our life and helps it pass with dignity and in the end, it comforts us.
Love is… The definition of the human soul.

jack-&-elaine-on-the-mark
  • Jason Stadtlander

Jack & Elaine – On The Mark
Jack & Elaine – On The Mark 1662 809 Jason Stadtlander

“On your mark! Get Set! Go!” the teacher yelled. As soon as he had spoken the word ‘go’ six children took off down the track, tiny legs pumping hard, arms flailing, and Jack among them.

Jack could feel his heart beating in his chest as he came around the first turn, he badly wanted to glance over his shoulder but didn’t dare. There were now three children in front of him; Susan, Tyler, and John – the boy that had made fun of him on the bus two months ago. Jack’s feet began to reach a steady cadence forming a rhythmic pounding on the red recycled rubber track. A soft whoosh could be heard every time his sneakers hit the surface. In the distance, a bird called and children could be heard screaming something that Jack couldn’t make out. He rounded the second turn, passing John and close behind Tyler. Now half away around the track, Jack, Susan, and Tyler were approaching the far side bleachers where the rest of his gym class sat. Among them, his new best friend, red-headed, freckle-faced Elaine screaming at the top of her lungs “Go Super Jack! Go! Go Jack Attack!”

That statement alone was enough to give him the added drive to increase the beat of his feet on the pavement. Ever so slowly he approached and passed Tyler who quickly fell back. Jack’s lungs were burning by the time he reached the third bend. He took the inside lane coming up on Susan’s left and found a force deep within him to drive his legs faster, no longer an uncoordinated child, but a machine. Jack worried that he might not have the ability to control them if he increased his speed, but found the power none the less. He passed Susan just as they made the fourth turn and the finish line was in sight.

His teacher, Mr. Crabtree stood at the finish line with his stopwatch, waiting for the children to cross the line. Jack could hear Susan attempting to catch up, but it was futile, he now had a good five yard lead on her. He sprinted as hard as he could to the finish line and blasted across it unable to slow down for twenty feet and finally coming to a stop. Jack stood, slumped over with hands-on knees staring down at his sneakers, his lungs felt like they were on fire but he felt so alive.

Two minutes later a hand slapped him on the back gently, it was Elaine. “Jack! You flew! Good job!” she exclaimed.

Still out of breath he replied “Thanks. I can’t believe I beat John.”

Elaine scoffed “That idiot? You left him in your dust halfway around. I was impressed you beat Susan. She’s a good runner.”  She looked at him. He was glancing back at John “Why do you let John bother you so much? You’re so much better than he is.”

“I’m just so used to him picking on me. It’s strange, to do something better than him, that he can’t stop me at.”

She took him by the shoulders and stood him up, staring him in his blue eyes. “I don’t cheer on stupid people or weak people. I cheer on ‘super people’ like you ‘Super Jack’” and she hugged him. The two walked back towards the bleachers, passing John but not looking at him one bit as the other children cheered Jack’s approach.

Checkout Jack and Elaine’s other adventures

jack-and-elaine-bad-things-and-good-thoughts
  • Jason Stadtlander

Jack and Elaine – Bad Things and Good Thoughts
Jack and Elaine – Bad Things and Good Thoughts 402 512 Jason Stadtlander

Jack walked into the living room to see a photo of a beautiful young woman in a silver frame. It sat on a small table across from the sofa accompanied by other smaller photos featuring the same woman who he knew to be his aunt, yet he had never met her.  There was a quiet solitude shared by the small grouping of photos as two flames danced about in the glass panes from the candles set amongst the frames.

The boy’s father walked into the room and set down one more photo. “Why are there all these pictures of Aunt Heather?” Jack asked his father who looked at him, sorrow in his eyes. His father grabbed the leather ottoman and pulled it up to the table motioning for Jack to join him.

“Today is a special day. Do you know what today is?” his father asked.

Jack searched his mind but could not come up with a good guess. “Wednesday?” he asked.

“Yes. Wednesday the eleventh of September. Eighteen years ago, September 11th, was on a Tuesday… Just like today, it was a beautiful day. But on that beautiful day, there were some bad people that did some bad things.”

Jack, only six years old, looked inquisitively at his father, not quite understanding what he was talking about. “Why?

“Well, it’s complicated.” His father replied, paused, then continued “On that day Aunt Heather was on a flight home and one of the bad men took over the plane she was on and crashed it into a building in New York city.”

Jack didn’t speak for a moment, consumed with this unwelcome news. “Was she scared?”

A tear rolled down his father’s cheek. “Mommy and I have wondered that same thing, many times. The truth is, it probably happened so quickly that she didn’t have enough time to be scared. At least that’s what we hope.”

Now the questions began. His father knew the barrage of questions was upon him and intended to discuss them regardless of his apprehension. It was critical that Jack understood.

“Will it happen again? Will bad people attack with planes again?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know, but people all over the world try to prevent it from happening again, but the truth is, there will always be people out there that want to hurt others.”

“Why didn’t Aunt Heather stop them?”

“It’s not that easy Jack. They were very strong and it was a very confusing and scary moment.”

“Why do people hurt people? Don’t they have kids? Don’t they have mommies and daddies too?”

“I don’t know son.” His father said cautiously.

Jack thought about this for a long time and then decided to go out to his tree house. He climbed up the ladder and saw his friend Elaine, seated on a chair. “Hi.” He said meekly and sat down beside her.

“Do you know what today is?” she asked.

“Uh huh. It’s Wednesday.”

“It’s nine eleven.” She replied despondently matching his somber presence.

“I know.”

Elaine looked at Jack, “Why do you suppose people hurt all those people back then?”

“I guess they were angry?” He replied.

“Why couldn’t they just talk? So many people’s mommies didn’t come home right? It’s so stupid.” Her voice broke as she spoke these last words causing her eyes to well up, though she held back her tears.

Jack looked at his friend, sensing some deep hurt but was unwilling to push. “You know, I think… maybe it was to teach us something.”

“Teach us? What could it possibly teach us?” she asked.

“Well, it taught my daddy to appreciate the family he has. It taught you and me to think about this stuff. Maybe if we think about it and we teach other people to think about it, it won’t happen again.”

“Maybe.” She said, looking back out the window on the lawn below. She placed her head on her folded hands.

“Maybe we will just realize one day that we are all the same. We are all just trying to be friends in this world and we need to do it together.”

“I’m glad I have you as my friend.” He said.

She smiled and looked at him. “Me too.” and the two hugged.

If you’re interested in reading more about 9/11 and a recounting of the events, check out Feathers in the Wind in Ruins of the Mind or listen to The Story Portal episode of Feathers in the Wind

Checkout Jack and Elaine’s other adventures

Copyright © Jason Stadtlander - All Rights Reserved

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