"Sooner or Later" - Vol. 9, Personal Story Publishing Project, fall 2023
"Sooner or Later" - Vol. 9, Personal Story Publishing Project, fall 2023
Fifty writers share insightful, heartfelt, thought-provoking, and humorous stories about how the matters of time and timing have affected their lives or been essential elements of one episode or another. Being too early or too late, having all the time in the world, or not nearly enough make all the difference in our life experiences. Among these stories are tales that challenge the matter of inevitability which inevitably comes up when we bring these two words close enough to interact—sooner or later.
• She laughed, gave me the finger, and went back to sewing.
• “I can’t die until I clean my desk.”
• We were back to full-out gut-busting laughter.
• Can anyone really know how much stuff their house can hold until they empty it?
• I didn’t know the word “lust” when I was 10, but I sure as heck knew Elvis.
• What kind of woman attempts to get pregnant on her deathbed?
• My dad whooped, so I whooped. We shouted in concert whenever the Giants turned two, hit a blooper or a bomb.
• Where one Halloween, eight shots were fired and a car screeched past, sideswiped a light pole, thunked a corner house, and squealed away
• And when spouses pass away, lullabies become laments. In five minutes a day, with lungs full of grief, I played them all.
Through 50 short stories, you share in the personal experiences of writers—both new voices and seasoned storytellers. They skillfully share and reflect on life episodes, offering lessons learned, cautions for consideration, and encouragements for the journeys of others. Through these stories we glean a glimpse into the experiences of these writers. We consider how time comes into play in their lives and in ours—right time/wrong time, too much time, too little. Inevitably we discover life is all about time and timing, sooner or later.
Table of Contents for Sooner or Later
Stir-Fried Bee Chrysalis and the Soul Stories
of Bright Beaded Hats 1
by Mary Alice Dixon, Charlotte, NC
– “Call her Amah. Grandmother.”
The Origin of Lust 5
by Becky Gould Gibson, Chapel Hill, NC
– Having breasts woke me up to my body.
Never Too Late To Say I Love You 9
by Mary Clements Fisher, Cupertino, CA
– more painful than any punch—and more gutting than guilt
Ten Places I Have Lived with Violence 13
by Wanda Freeman, Greensboro, NC
– her bangs drawn, a failed curtain over throbbing black eyes
Andante con Amore 17
by Rhoda Cerny, Chapel Hill, NC
– We gave each other time.
Bonds 21
by Annette L. Brown, Atwater, CA
– Fireworks rain over the bay. The crowd roars.
Five Minutes More 25
by Diana Neunkirchner, Rougemont, NC
– Faint music drifted through the rows of vendors.
Awakened in Rome 29
by Akira Odani, St. Augustine, FL
– the scene pierced my heart with chilling sadness
More To Live For 33
by Robin Russell Gaiser, Asheville, NC
– our lives in a war zone
In Time a Reckoning 37
by Thomas Gery, Reading, PA
– an undercurrent of wildness
Blueberries and Nubians 41
by Bill Donohue, Winston-Salem, NC
– a self-wallowing sense of indecision
In the End, Timing Is Everything 45
by Nick Sipe, Gastonia, NC
– the last time I saw her alive, truly alive
The Jig Is Up 49
by Arlene Mandell, Linville, NC
– Wait! Don’t tell me.
Banana Bread 53
by Edith Gettes, Asheville, NC
– Hannah was going out.
Time Will Fool You 57
by Ken Chamlee, Mills River, NC
– My son and I straddled the Prime Meridian.
One More Try 61
by Jon Kesler, Greensboro, NC
– “Hot damn, I think that did the trick.”
We Amphibians 65
by Mark K. Marshall, Nashville, TN
– the glory-whoop I let out when I cross over the river
Balms 69
by Jennifer Szescula, Lewisville, NC
– I am melancholy over the trees.
To Those Who Wait 73
by Jane Satchell McAllister, Mocksville, NC
– making the groom wait on his bride
Angels in Disguise 77
by Janice Luckey, Mooresville, NC
– We take for granted that time is on our side.
Ostriches 81
by Lisa Williams Kline, Davidson, NC
– Let’s change the subject.
The Longest Day 85
by David Inserra, Hilton Head Island, SC
– The pain was excruciating.
Forest Bathing on Horseback 89
by Janet K. Baxter, Kings Mountain, NC
– You should never ride alone.
Crossing Bridges 93
by Lisa Watts, Greensboro, NC
– The closer I got to 60, the more restless I felt.
For the Ache of Art 97
by Nell Whitehead, Wake Forest, NC
– an unambiguous ambassador disaster
If You Build It 101
by Alexandra Goodwin, Coral Springs, FL
– I feasted on the details of their plumage.
Parent, Child, Lost 105
by Linda James, Chapel Hill, NC
– The doctor handed me the baton disguised as a pamphlet.
Time in a Circle 109
by Carroll Taylor, Hiawassee, GA
– her greatest fear—inherited dementia
Riding the Memory Trail 113
by Landis Wade, Charlotte, NC
– How much will you take for that?
Celebrating Life 117
by Ginny Foard, Sullivan’s Island, SC
– They stared at me in shock.
Gambling on Myself 121
by Elaine Blanchard, Memphis, TN
– “Aren’t we all paying off some sort of gambling debt?”
Stranger Danger 125
by Martha Rowe Vaughn, Mount Airy, NC
– I slipped the knife into my pocket out of habit.
Friends by Mishap 129
by Suzanne Cottrell, Oxford, NC
– What if they lost our trunks?
Bad Bob 133
by Barbara Reese Yager, Fort Mill, SC
– We are all inadequate human beings, aren’t we?
Meant To Live Forever 137
by Jill Amber Chafin, Chapel Hill, NC
– Am I not allowed this grief?
A Rip in Time 141
by Jo Parillo, Concord, NC
– They simply said, “Your brother is dead.”
Bringing My Father Home 145
by Cindy Stonebraker Reed, Newland, NC
– They promised that my father had not been forgotten.
Deep in the Nooks and Crannies 149
by Louise Morris, Nashville, TN
– one or more of everything you could ever imagine needing
This Killin’ Time Is Killin’ Me 153
by Bruce McIntyre, Charlotte, NC
– “Maybe, but I’m not Chilly anymore.”
My People: Crackers, Cow Hunters, Patriots,
and Rebels 157
by Bob Amason, St. Augustine, FL
– hungry, poorly educated, gaunt, and tough as sinew
Dreams and Despair 161
by Joel R. Stegall, Winston-Salem, NC
– Endings and beginnings are never far apart.
Life and Desk 165
by Emily Rosen, Boca Raton, FL
– To hell with “Creative Genius.”
Eventually, the Gig Is Up 169
by Ellen Zaroff, New York, NY
– We all rolled the dice that we could play this game
for just a few months.
Our Adventure Nearly Spoiled 173
by Cindy Martin, Mount Airy, NC
– “New York City, here we come!”
The Hunt for Ancestors 177
by Erika Hoffman, Chapel Hill, NC
– “Sounds like your mother’s kin.”
Country Skills for City Girls 181
by Jennie Boulden, Greensboro, NC
– a deep longing for waving grasses and quiet, open spaces
Elephant Encounters 185
by Barbara Houston, Charlotte, NC
– Growling and rumbling, he blocked our path.
Driving Without Headlights 189
by Alice Osborn, Truckee, CA
– I soon found myself swaying over a canyon.
My Timely Choosing of War and Peace 193
by Beth Bixby Davis, Fletcher, NC
– the greatest novel ever written, taking 39 hours to read
Immortals 197
by Randell Jones, Winston-Salem, NC
– Say my name and I will live forever.