Leo smiled whenever he called himself a “diamond cutter”. The statement, however, was literally correct. Leo pushed the lawn-mower that tidied the baseball diamonds. He also cut and chalked football gridirons and raked running tracks. However, cutting, chalking and raking was only part of his responsibilities with our town’s Parks Department. He also planted and [...]
I was walking down a dimly lit street one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed, I slowed down to listen, and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: heavy grunting, frantic scuffling, and tearing of fabric. Only yards [...]
Kristen bounded down the stairs. She failed to show any resemblance to the graceful descent she expected to display the following week when she planned to head off to the senior prom with Jay. Kristen looked forward to the prom more than any other event during her final year of high school. Kristen thought back [...]
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.” [...]
This is a true story. A while ago, when I was a young twenty five year old, I trekked across the United States via Greyhound bus on an uncharted photo journey. During this trip, I ended up in Seattle where I met Laddie McCrea. Laddie, you see, was a hobo. He was about 60 – [...]
There was a king who had a daughter who was very ill. The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with her. She just seemed miserable and cried often. One night the princess dreamed that if she ate a pair of very special pears she would get well. In order to learn what would make the pears [...]
Rabbi Judah was a great sage, a wealthy man, and the leader of the Jewish People in the Land of Israel. He was admired and respected by everyone. But when Rabbi Judah was a little baby he had come very close to being killed. This is how it happened. Rabbi Judah was born not long [...]
I bet you’ve heard about Noah’s ark, haven’t you? But, have you heard about Noah’s wife, Noriah? God did tell Noah to build a giant boat’ and take two of all kinds of animals on it; but the part of the story you haven’t heard, is that Noah was afraid to do it. Back in [...]
During Nelson Mandela’s 19 years imprisoned on Robben Island, one particular commanding officer was the most brutal of them all: “A few days before Badenhorst’s departure, I was called to the main office. General Steyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints. Badenhorst was there as I went through [...]
Next Autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying in a “V” formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds [...]