Three hours into a five hour drive, an ominous grey building broke the steady stream of trees. The dull metal structure stood out against the vibrant green forest. The red of the company name served as the only ornamentation: Joy Global. My road addled mind fixated on that image, and spun. Ominous joy in the middle of the woods. What could that company possibly do? A Continue Reading
What Kind of a Chicken Are You?
Three chickens trembled outside the monster’s cave. Their bravado, exhibited back in town when they declared they’d face the beast, had faded with each step away from the safety of the village. Now, they quivered together in terror. The largest chicken recovered first. “I’ll confront the monster. I’m not scared.” He marched to the cave entrance, shoulders back. The Continue Reading
Challenge by Choice, or the Positives of Pressure?
Breathe in. Breathe out. Just keep breathing. Almost to the top. I can do this. My forearms burn with the effort of holding on to sandpaper-like surfaces. I lean to the right, fully extending my left arm out to my side. I twist my right hip into the wall, facing my outstretched arm and the corner just beyond. My right forearm gets a temporary respite as I instead push down Continue Reading
