I just put up some samples on my webpage http://www.hikerauthor.com/ There are hiking links and waterfall pics there as well.
Sorry I haven't added another episode yet; the holiday interrupted my schedule. I just started a short story as well. Hopefully I can stay focused and finish it soon.
Glen
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Outcast 003 The Bar
Joshua drove to the bar lost in thought. What if they make fun of me, because I don't drink? Will they harrass me for being there when I'm a christian? Will they include me in the fun, or am I their entertainment?
The sound of a honking horn brought him back. He saw the green light and proceeded through the intersection. "Pay attention!" he yelled at himself. What am I doing? I don't belong here.
He found the bar and pulled into the parking lot. He left the engine running. I can just leave and go home. I don't have to do this. Okay, maybe I should do this. After all, God said to make friends at the bar. I don't understand why, but I should do it anyway. He turned off the ignition and walked up to the door.
Music blared through the open door and ten conversations competed with each other for attention. A couple televisions were on to the game and a group of friends were playing a heated game of cricket at the dartboard. Joshua swallowed his fear and stepped forward.
The bouncer returned to his post and saw him. He pantomimed grabbing an ID, but Joshua didn't take the hint. "I need to see your ID."
"Sure, let me pull it out." Joshua fumbled with his wallet and managed to extract his ID before he died of embarrassment. He slid it back in place when the bouncer returned it.
The sound of a honking horn brought him back. He saw the green light and proceeded through the intersection. "Pay attention!" he yelled at himself. What am I doing? I don't belong here.
He found the bar and pulled into the parking lot. He left the engine running. I can just leave and go home. I don't have to do this. Okay, maybe I should do this. After all, God said to make friends at the bar. I don't understand why, but I should do it anyway. He turned off the ignition and walked up to the door.
Music blared through the open door and ten conversations competed with each other for attention. A couple televisions were on to the game and a group of friends were playing a heated game of cricket at the dartboard. Joshua swallowed his fear and stepped forward.
The bouncer returned to his post and saw him. He pantomimed grabbing an ID, but Joshua didn't take the hint. "I need to see your ID."
"Sure, let me pull it out." Joshua fumbled with his wallet and managed to extract his ID before he died of embarrassment. He slid it back in place when the bouncer returned it.
Friday, November 18, 2011
The Outcast 002 A Question
At lunch time on Friday Joshua didn't go to the lunch room. He didn't eat a lunch of ravioli or salami. He didn't drink a coke and have a candy bar for dessert. He didn't sit with his friends and play cards. Joshua wasn't Joshua at lunch time. Joshua drove to his cousin's house at lunch time.
Bill came to the door after the knock. "Yeah, what is it?" He opened the door and was surprised to see his cousin standing there. He didn't visit all that often, so it was strange to see him there at lunch time. "Joshua, what's wrong? What are you doing here? Did somebody die or something?"
"N-nobody died, Bill. I came to talk to you. I thought you could help me."
Bill snorted. "So that's it. You need my help. I should have known. What kind of help? Do you need money?"
"No, I don't need money. It's nothing like that. I need help. I...I...I wanna know..."
"Wait. Backup a second. You need help, but you wanna know what? What is so important? You never see me except at holidays, and you expect me to help you. Get out! Don't come around here again. I don't care what you want. The answer is no."
"But, Bill, I just wanna know something."
"I don't care what you wanna know. I don't know. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you."
"But, Bill, if you would just listen for a minute."
"Joshua, I wouldn't give you a minute if you were on your death bed. Get out! And don't come back." The door slammed shut and music began to blare behind it.
Now what? I tried to get some help and that didn't work. I don't know who to ask or if I should ask anyone. I just don't know. Why does it have to be me anyway?
Joshua went back to work. He still had 30 minutes left of his 1 hour lunch break, but he didn't feel like eating. He didn't even wanna sit and talk with his friends. He wandered to his work station and sat on the table.
A couple minutes later the janitor walked by. "Hey, Joshua. What's up?" He took his hand in a firm grip and closed it into a fist. Then he pulled it back and pounded him once.
"Nothing. How's Carl?"
"Carl's good. Can't complain. Just had my review and I'm getting a raise." A smile replaced his face.
"That's good."
"Yeah I'm celebrating tonight. Gonna get drunk and stupid." He laughed. "The old lady can drive me home for once. What do you got going on tonight? Hot date?"
"Nope. Nothing like that. Actually I don't got squat going on."
"Why don't you come out with us? You can hang out and just have fun."
"But, Carl, you know I don't drink."
"So what. My old lady won't be drinking either. She'll be sober and available for intelligent conversation all night long. I'll prolly be make a silly fool of my self and enjoying it."
"Do they let you into the bar if you aren't drinking?" Doubt showed on his face.
"Of course they do, bro. How would anyone get home if they were all drunk? DDs can't drink and drive. They just go to hang out and then they have to drive you home. If you ask me they miss out on all the fun."
"But what about me? I'm a christian and I don't drink at all."
"Who cares? Order a pop. Just come out with us and laugh when I do something stupid."
"That's not what I call entertainment. It's not funny to me."
"It's ok. You don't have to laugh. You can talk to my old lady."
"It's just that; I've never been to a bar. It's not my kind of place. I would make the party stop."
"Don't talk like that, bro. You're a fun guy in your own way. Anyone who thinks different is a moron."
Bill came to the door after the knock. "Yeah, what is it?" He opened the door and was surprised to see his cousin standing there. He didn't visit all that often, so it was strange to see him there at lunch time. "Joshua, what's wrong? What are you doing here? Did somebody die or something?"
"N-nobody died, Bill. I came to talk to you. I thought you could help me."
Bill snorted. "So that's it. You need my help. I should have known. What kind of help? Do you need money?"
"No, I don't need money. It's nothing like that. I need help. I...I...I wanna know..."
"Wait. Backup a second. You need help, but you wanna know what? What is so important? You never see me except at holidays, and you expect me to help you. Get out! Don't come around here again. I don't care what you want. The answer is no."
"But, Bill, I just wanna know something."
"I don't care what you wanna know. I don't know. And even if I did I wouldn't tell you."
"But, Bill, if you would just listen for a minute."
"Joshua, I wouldn't give you a minute if you were on your death bed. Get out! And don't come back." The door slammed shut and music began to blare behind it.
Now what? I tried to get some help and that didn't work. I don't know who to ask or if I should ask anyone. I just don't know. Why does it have to be me anyway?
Joshua went back to work. He still had 30 minutes left of his 1 hour lunch break, but he didn't feel like eating. He didn't even wanna sit and talk with his friends. He wandered to his work station and sat on the table.
A couple minutes later the janitor walked by. "Hey, Joshua. What's up?" He took his hand in a firm grip and closed it into a fist. Then he pulled it back and pounded him once.
"Nothing. How's Carl?"
"Carl's good. Can't complain. Just had my review and I'm getting a raise." A smile replaced his face.
"That's good."
"Yeah I'm celebrating tonight. Gonna get drunk and stupid." He laughed. "The old lady can drive me home for once. What do you got going on tonight? Hot date?"
"Nope. Nothing like that. Actually I don't got squat going on."
"Why don't you come out with us? You can hang out and just have fun."
"But, Carl, you know I don't drink."
"So what. My old lady won't be drinking either. She'll be sober and available for intelligent conversation all night long. I'll prolly be make a silly fool of my self and enjoying it."
"Do they let you into the bar if you aren't drinking?" Doubt showed on his face.
"Of course they do, bro. How would anyone get home if they were all drunk? DDs can't drink and drive. They just go to hang out and then they have to drive you home. If you ask me they miss out on all the fun."
"But what about me? I'm a christian and I don't drink at all."
"Who cares? Order a pop. Just come out with us and laugh when I do something stupid."
"That's not what I call entertainment. It's not funny to me."
"It's ok. You don't have to laugh. You can talk to my old lady."
"It's just that; I've never been to a bar. It's not my kind of place. I would make the party stop."
"Don't talk like that, bro. You're a fun guy in your own way. Anyone who thinks different is a moron."
The Outcast 001 Send Me
The sun filtered through the stained glass, casting beams of color onto the church pews. Joshua struggled to pay attention to the sermon. He couldn't really remember what the pastor said. Something about Isaiah saying Here am I. Send me. The words echoed in his head continuously. His heart began to open to the beginning of a new thought. A thought that would change his life forever.
Suddenly he was jolted back to the sermon. "And in closing, ask God: Where can You send me? Who can You minister to through me? Whose life can You change, if I show them Your love? Let's pray."
Joshua didn't even hear the pastor's prayer. He prayed a silent prayer of his own. As he prayed he felt a warmth around his body. He knew God heard his prayer.
The worship team led the congregation in one last chorus, then ended the church service. Joshua walked in a daze to the foyer.
Reality smacked him in the face. He heard snippets of conversation as he walked toward the oversized double doors at the front of the church. "How can he say he's a christian? He drinks a beer when he watches the football game." "Why did she have to come to this church? Do you know what she did for a living before this year?" "That kid is a drug addict. He's not worth my time. Why should I bother trying to witness to him? He'll just swear at me and do more drugs." "Who invited that couple? They came in t-shirts and jeans. I mean, don't they care about God? Who doesn't look their best at church?"
Joshua was relieved when he got to his car. He couldn't take all of the negativity. His heart was ready to explode. Why do they hate the world? Don't they remember that they were sinners too? Will anyone notice if somebody reaches out to the lost? Or will they banish him too?
Joshua became even more introverted at work. He was lost in thought and didn't have time to talk to his friends. He didn't read the new novel he purchased. He didn't watch tv or play any computer games. He functioned on autopilot. He was a thinking machine.
Thursday night he woke up and wept. Why? Why can't somebody else go? I'm nothing to them. I can't relate to them at all. I just make them mad. Why do You want me to go there? Please, Lord. I'm not the right man. You have other people You can send there. You can't choose me. I will just make them run away. He cried himself to sleep.
On Friday Joshua finally started talking to his coworkers again. They were relieved. He told corny jokes and listened to their stories. He appeared to be himself again. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Suddenly he was jolted back to the sermon. "And in closing, ask God: Where can You send me? Who can You minister to through me? Whose life can You change, if I show them Your love? Let's pray."
Joshua didn't even hear the pastor's prayer. He prayed a silent prayer of his own. As he prayed he felt a warmth around his body. He knew God heard his prayer.
The worship team led the congregation in one last chorus, then ended the church service. Joshua walked in a daze to the foyer.
Reality smacked him in the face. He heard snippets of conversation as he walked toward the oversized double doors at the front of the church. "How can he say he's a christian? He drinks a beer when he watches the football game." "Why did she have to come to this church? Do you know what she did for a living before this year?" "That kid is a drug addict. He's not worth my time. Why should I bother trying to witness to him? He'll just swear at me and do more drugs." "Who invited that couple? They came in t-shirts and jeans. I mean, don't they care about God? Who doesn't look their best at church?"
Joshua was relieved when he got to his car. He couldn't take all of the negativity. His heart was ready to explode. Why do they hate the world? Don't they remember that they were sinners too? Will anyone notice if somebody reaches out to the lost? Or will they banish him too?
Joshua became even more introverted at work. He was lost in thought and didn't have time to talk to his friends. He didn't read the new novel he purchased. He didn't watch tv or play any computer games. He functioned on autopilot. He was a thinking machine.
Thursday night he woke up and wept. Why? Why can't somebody else go? I'm nothing to them. I can't relate to them at all. I just make them mad. Why do You want me to go there? Please, Lord. I'm not the right man. You have other people You can send there. You can't choose me. I will just make them run away. He cried himself to sleep.
On Friday Joshua finally started talking to his coworkers again. They were relieved. He told corny jokes and listened to their stories. He appeared to be himself again. They couldn't have been more wrong.
Introduction
This is an experiment. On my main blog http://www.hikerauthor78.blogspot.com/ I posed the idea of blogisodes. This is an attempt at beginning that idea. This blog is intended to be a series of blogisodes telling a story. Hopefully I can entertain you.
Be sure to visit my homepage http://www.hikerauthor78.com/ or find me on www.facebook.com/glen.brereton1 and be sure to look me up at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GlenBrereton
Check out my ebook www.smashwords.com/books/view/104631
Be sure to visit my homepage http://www.hikerauthor78.com/ or find me on www.facebook.com/glen.brereton1 and be sure to look me up at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/GlenBrereton
Check out my ebook www.smashwords.com/books/view/104631
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