By J.M. Whitmohr

It was her father’s fault—dying before he had taught her men weren’t special. If she had known, her life would have turned out differently. She wished she had known.

Sharleen waited, positioned outside the courthouse, her Chevy pickup trembling in idle. The divorce hearing was in 15 minutes.

They were on the curb, her husband and secretary arm-in-arm laughing. She stepped on the brake. They stepped into the crosswalk——and she threw the truck into drive. He looked up startled at the roar and she gunned it.

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By John-Paul Marciano

    “What are you thinking about?”

    “Not a blessed thing,” I replied with a lazy smile.

    “No, seriously,” my co-worker replied. “You looked like you were deep in thought.”

    “Seriously, I’ve been sitting here for 45 minutes and not a single thought has run through my mind.”

    “You’re kidding.”

    I slid open the upper side drawer in my desk, pulled out a prescription bottle and tossed it to my co-worker. “Take one as necessary for pain.”

    “OxyContin,” my co-worker read from the label. “How many did you take?”

    I raised my left index finger. “And before you ask, it was the only one I took today.”

    “Wow, that’s pretty strong stuff. Did the pain go away?”

    I smiled and shrugged. “Who cares?”

    “I’ll take that as a yes.”

    We sat silent for a few moments before my co-worker asked, “You going to be alright to drive home?”

    Again I shrugged. “I’ll figure something out.”

    “Maybe you should consider getting a room in lieu of driving.”

    “I’ll take it under advisement.”

    This was my first of four experiences with OxyContin. This occurred 35 years ago after my second knee operation. Luckily, addiction never became an issue for me. However, it was always the same mind numbing experience which, for me, lasted anywhere from six to eight hours. Twice I had to stop taking it because I was experiencing suicidal thoughts.

    While OxyContin affects each individual differently, I can see how easy it is for someone to become addicted. There’s a certain appeal to anything that can make your pain disappear. But unlike alcohol, OxyContin will not beget slurring of speech or make you jelly legged. In fact, what makes OxyContin so dangerous is the seeming lack of external signs of impairment giving the user a false sense of normal.

    In reality, OxyContin will impair you mentally making it particularly dangerous to drive or to operate machinery.

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By Evie Andrejczyk

        I do not know the essence I give off or the aroma of my life. My day-to-day existence is usually uneventful and free from unhappiness. I feel I am fulfilled and have had a wonderful life. But what do others feel and see in my presence?

        What would I have to let go of to have a richer and happier life? I have clouded over my fears by business and activities but with soul-searching a few ideas emerge.

        Why were we told to take one-day-at-a-time by our creator?

        Why worry about 10 years from now?

        Will I be disabled, living alone?

        All these answers depend on my health and a degree of planning.

        I must give up listening to the world news 10ten times a day. Most of the broadcasts are gloom and doom and I have no solution for most of the situations anyway.

        I didn’t realize it affects me especially when conversing with others. My computer use has to be regulated because I waste time rather than reading and becoming enlightened and pondering my own thoughts.

        I must let go of my curiosity to a degree because I question acquaintances and even strangers, a habit of mine. It would be nicer if I gave to others the freedom to share what they wat without prompting from me.        

        Listening to others is gift I would like but it happens often that I monopolize the conversations with my own stories and desires. This is a project I have decided to work on.

        There is a freedom to being amongst the 80-year- olds. I don’t get offended when trivial situations occur as I did in my younger years. We know our place in society and, to cite a cliché, “It is what it is.”

        The greatest source of richness in my life would be to have more time with my children and grandchildren. There is so much I would love to share with them and have them share with me. They make me laugh and realize it is the time of a new generation. We don’t see things exactly the same way but I didn’t with my parents either. We can learn from each other.

        It isn’t just an on-and-off world anymore. The technology has passed me by so I am happy when my 8-year-old granddaughter helps me on the computer or the 10-year-old show me how to control all the choices on the new TV. Or sometimes just what remote to turn it on.

        This is why we take one day at a time. I enjoy today for what is before me and thank God for one more chance. Enjoy your life.

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