I could blame Charlie Wiener for the fact that I am wide awake at 4:33 a.m., on a Sunday morning. However, it is because of Charlie that I am filled with the enthusiasm that life provides.  I am cherishing his writings in, American Stories, just as I did in the sequel, Carrie Come to Me Smiling.

Like the character Kim, we all have lived a life that too often we look back on and say; it’s not enough; my existence means nothing.  We may think that everyone is succeeding while we are barely capable to tread water.  Our accomplishments whether little or big have been buried in the crevices of our brain and we do not acknowledge them.  Instead for many of us, myself include, spelled in all CAPITAL LETTERS, wake up one day and ask is this LIFE?

Sadly for some, they run away from all that they have created, accomplished, and achieved, and try to start anew.  The truth is we cannot run away from ourselves, but we can learn from the past and remold ourselves.  We, you and I are the designers of this moment in time.  Nothing will change for the better or worse unless we mold the clay, pick up a paintbrush and add some color to the landscape or sketch out the inner feelings that may be holding us back from appreciating the beauty of life.

Some people wait until an event in their life rings a bell and allows the freedom to choose.  The bell may be a lottery winning or a diagnosis of what we may refer to as “ill”-fate.  The reality is a lottery winning may cause other ill-fated issues, whereas a diagnosis of dying is something we all live with from the moment we are born.  For some the end comes sooner than for others, but, it is up to each of us to make the most of each day and to not squander it away.

Our world is filled with books that tell stories some are fictional others are based on facts, research, and emotional concepts.  Reading can provide us with inspiration and a road map.  The road map is not going to be a straight line; it will have curves and ups and downs and detours as well as roadblocks.  However, it is up to us as the intelligent life form to find our way, not allowing the walls to close in on us.

Kim, the character in American Stories is on a path collecting stories, and although the strangers she meets are as different from her as night is to day, there is a commonality.  The commonality is that we are all trying to find, the comfort of peace within ourselves so we may enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.  This is what empowers me to share my journey with you and to create a platform where we come together as different individuals finding our sameness.  Charlie has captured my soul in his writing; I feel as if he is writing about me as well as you!

Empower yourself to live.  It is Sunday, February 24^th, 2019, do not waste another minute.  My dear friend, Norman Tischler lived life to the fullest.  The riches he recently left behind are the people whom he touched, whether with his music, his words, a bear hug, or just a look that said, “I love you!”  I now belong to a world of strangers who are friends by association and the enthusiasm of being part of the story!