Life can seem like that at times

That we are going no where.

That day to day it’s a case of the doldrums.

We can float through life with purpose

Direction and focus

Or we meander aimlessly

From one support to another

Where life is meaningless

And the alternative does become

A way to rid ourselves of the pain we feel

And so often the purposelessness

That life has become.

Its not always our fault

The circumstances of a person’s life

So often comes into play.

It is never for us to judge another’s actions.

A wise man once said to me

We cannot know what was happening

In a person’s mind in the moments before

They made that fatal choice.

I have known students I taught

Who took their own lives

And on every occasion

I recalled them as kids sitting in my classroom.

They were innocent, intelligent,

Had…

I love a good joke. Unfortunately I can rarely remember them. When I read this one I almost spilled my coffee.

Linda, this one is for you…

On a transatlantic flight, a plane passes through a severe storm. The turbulence is awful, and things go from bad to worse when one wing is struck by lightning. One woman, in particular, loses it. Screaming, she stands up in the front of the plane.

“I’m too young to die,” she wails.

Then she yells, “If I’m going to die, I want my last minutes on earth
to be memorable! Is there anyone on this plane who can make me feel like a WOMAN?”

For a moment there is silence. Everyone has forgotten their own peril. They all stare, eyes riveted, at this desperate woman in the front of the plane. Then a Jackeroo from Australia stands up in the rear of…

I was up at four this morning. The sky was clear, the moon bright…my son wide awake and gearing up for a long day ahead when I arrived at his home.  We loaded up the bike in the dark with its huge bag, filled with the things he will need for the next couple of days and his walking frame. The van arrived at six and I wished him luck… banned from either start line or finish as Nick set off for Clapham Common and the London to Brighton Cycle Ride. He was going it alone.

I heard nothing until around 5pm…by which time I gathered he was about ready to book into his hotel having completed the London to Brighton cycle ride, raising funds for Headway, a charity supporting brain injury victims and their families… a ride of some 54 miles (87km), which includes the challenging ascent of Ditchling…

What fun I had last Friday speaking with Annette Rochelle Aben as her guest on Tell Me a Story, a presentation of The Magic Happens Radio Network!

I appreciated the opportunity to talk about my blog, my family, and the story I contributed to the latest book in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Volunteering and Giving Back. I was especially happy to talk more about Nannie, my grandmother, and what a powerful influence she was on me and anyone she ever met.

So many kind comments came after the interview and I appreciate those more than you know. To say I was nervous is an understatement, but Annette’s professional and laid back style enabled me to take a breath and get on with what I wanted to say!

Some who missed the live radio show have asked for the archived link, so I’m attaching that here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/themagichappens/2015/08/28/storyshucker-stu-perkins-on-tell-me-a-story

Thanks again for reading…