Stories - FD Thornton

Jekyll Island, Georgia   Despite my better angels, I’m here at the keyboard typing away for the first time in a few days. For months, my wife and I had planned a trip to the beach to do some seashelling. But, as it is with most things, good intentions get trumped by the reality of life’s demands. Still, with a couple of extra bucks in my pocket, I decided I owed it to her to take her down to Jekyll. For the average healthy person this trip is a no-brainer—just hop on US 341 and head South till you run out of real estate. But for the past ten years or so, nothing in my life is a “No Brainer.” ​So, despite temperatures in the mid-80s and my increasing fatigue due to new medication, by sheer will I pushed ahead and made the trip. I made sure I hydrated well before the trip, and I think that helped make the whole thing more bearable physically. Still, my bride seems to have enjoyed combing the three beaches we covered to find her shells. After a fair night of sleep at a budget motel,...

  Well, I assume I made my last run over to my daughter’s house to tend to the dogs and cats. They are leaving their holiday resort in the morning and heading home. I took out the trash, sprayed the furniture and the curtains with Febreze, and put the dogs and cats in the yard, fed and watered. Outside my apartment window, the neighborhood cat is toying with what looks like a big field mouse. I wish the cat would get the job done before the damn thing gets into an apartment. Other than that, the world's still a-turning as I work on my second cup of decaf. Of late, I have been having long conversations with a young (at least to me) person who is a recovering addict. At the moment, she has been struggling not so much with her addiction, but with life’s circumstances. Living alone in a motel room, abandoned by family, she has no money, nothing of value to pawn, and nowhere to go. I really feel for her and can sympathize with her situation, being that me and my family have been in ...

  I finished up feeding the dogs and cats and changed their water. Sent them outside into the yard, took my own bath and shaved, because frankly I stank. Now I just got through taking my own meds and cleaning up my crowded computer screen. My blood pressure is normal for those of you keeping count. Although there’s not many of us left that remember when that was a thing in conversation. I feel like getting back in bed to be honest. But my wife took that idea away by making up the bed. Still my eyes are feeling heavy, but I’m doing my damnest to stay motivated. But considering it’s the middle of the month and all the things that drove me in life have either moved out or work themselves. I starting to feel like one of those old folks rocking the morning away at the old folks home in Lumber City. Our goals are different now, gone are the obligations that kept us chained to a job. If you’re lucky you get to work a job for something to do. But sadly most of us old timers have to work ...

  I spent the early part of the morning working on some Painted Poetry me and Sandra Lynn had collaborated on over the weekend. Putting the finishing touches to the painted end of her words, while I’m still fiddling around with mine. It’s a habit that has extended through 4 marriages, 7 kids, and God knows how many grandkids. But it’s something we have done together, if for nothing else but our own entertainment and letting go of the secrets that we keep. For a while we had hit a bit of a dry spell, but recently we’ve got the old factory running again at full production.  Most artist usually keep to themselves, and I am no exception. Sandra is a busy little lady managing a warehouse and being the glue for her expansive family. Our blood runs deep, with a shared passion for music, words, and peace. While I wear the same old curmudgeon armor I have worn for years. But we both have our needs and our desires we have carried since childhood. So we except our fate and do our damne...

  The sky outside can’t make up its mind, rather it wants to be blue or grey. As for my own head, well it feels about the same. Chewing down my gummies there’s a sweet taste lingering in my mouth. While the sky outside grows darker and darker, looks like its headed south. As for me it’s hard to say where I’m headed, my body says to get up, but my head wants to go back to bed. In this semi-urban spawl, if you want to call it that. Small towns sprung up between miles and miles of Georgia Pine. Erasing from your imagination any idea of what this land was like a hundred years ago. With a freshly paved expressway rolling aimlessly to the beach. This place looks nothing like what it did a mere 50 years ago. But apparently the attitude has stayed the same, with the Fat Cats in Atlanta and Washington telling these paranoid want-a-be Lumber Barons how to think. But today there are no lumber barons now, just corporations and big power owning the land your Great-Granddaddy’s sold years ag...

  It’s 10:30 AM and the candles finally lit. I spent the first two hours of my morning driving 65 miles round trip to give a blood sample, which for me takes all of 3 minutes. But when you live in the woods where you have a food desert, a doctor desert, and a hospital desert; what do you do? Don’t worry though, I ain’t complaining too much considering there are those worst off then me. I mean, I do have insurance and a way to go. Other than that it was a pretty uneventful trip, traffic was light. The long construction zone before I got to the labs was fairly smooth, and Dave the lab tech was efficient and quick. So now at 10:45 AM I can sit down with my brain mostly intact and tell you a tale. Other than a headache it’s a bright shiny day outside, not a cloud in the sky. Sitting here with nothing in particular weighing on my brain, other than missing a few friends and wishing I had the time and money to go to the coast. It’s going to be Mother’s Day this weekend and my bride sure...