All my stories categorized for easy access and reading. Continually updated.
I created this index for those who wish to read more of my writings. You can find everything categorized into topics. Click one of the topics below to see everything in that category and make me smile.
Other Stories
Today is one of those rare days
Mid-70s, blue skies, gentle breeze
Nothing on my calendar
I pull myself away from the keyboard
Life awaits outdoors
Sunshine and shade
Towering trees
Singing birds
Are words more important?
I walk the neighborhood
Chat with Gregory next door
Who is doing yardwork
to relieve the stress of modern life
His yard looks good
I put in my AirPods Place my music on shuffle A song from the early 80s Takes me back to the days of optimism, hope, and faith Of skinny ties and a new bride Of joy so complete I…
Not What Hemingway Would Do(?)
The old fisherman was sitting on the beach, cooking freshly caught fish for breakfast, when he saw Simon walking toward the water’s edge.
“What are you doing, lad?”
“Paying taxes,” Simon replied.
“Last I checked, the tax collectors required coins, not fish.”
“It is as you say.”
“Come share my breakfast. I have plenty,” the old fisherman said.
“I thank you, but I cannot. I have to be about the Lord’s work.”
“Suit yourself.”
The old fisherman noticed that Simon didn’t have any bait on his hook.
“You’ll catch nothing that way.”
“Oh, you of little faith.”
The old fisherman…
Variety
Hey, fabulous people! I’m back with another collection of Medium stories that I heartily recommend. As usual, it is a varied collection. I love variety. In music, in writing, in food, in almost everything good. I am not so fond of my variety of old-man aches and pains, but I have no intention of boring you with reports of those.
So, without any further rambling (which isn’t easy, I love to ramble), here are some stories I enjoyed reading on Medium recently. I like to keep the list to around a dozen, like a box of tasty donuts. Enjoy!
Tiny Flames by Sarah Lofgren
Sarah…
Here is the incredible story of how it turned out
Most of us get stuck in our chosen career paths — like them or not — because it is simply too hard to start over in another profession. Or we are not willing to accept the loss of income starting over usually requires. Or we spent so much money on education, it seems crazy to not do what we spent a crazy amount of money on to do.
I was walking that same soul-crushing career path. Why don’t counselors tell you that making life-affecting decisions as a teenager is STUPID? People change. Desires change. A boring career that pays well…
Poetry
I was born a lowlander
Like most, I dreamed of the sky
Others followed a well-worn path
Seeking a way out
Longing for higher ground
I didn’t have the ambition
I rambled
I wandered
I explored
One day, I looked up
A mighty mountain stood before me
Could scale it?
What would I find at the apex?
Would it be worth the climb?
I made an attempt
Half-hearted
Placing music at its base
Each note a stepping stone
I made progress in the climb
It was challenging
I wasn’t disciplined or brave
The peak still loomed far above me
My…
Writing
A hard self-publishing lesson learned
About ten years ago — before I had any clue about writing — I published a paperback book on Amazon. My intentions were good. The result, not so much. Here is what happened.
Remember back when Facebook was fun? Around 2008 or so. Well, a friend of mine loved my humorous Facebook posts and kept saying I should put them into a book. Over the next four years, I laughed at her frequent suggestions and didn’t give them much consideration. I wasn’t a writer!
When I learned that my friend was dying of cancer, I decided to make the book…
Mark Starlin
Old bones. Young heart. Humor. Fiction. Poetry. Comics. Other Stories.
