Subway Man ©2010 by Ken West, all rights reserved
He was under the city in the cool, dark and musty subway tunnels. No trains were coming at the moment in any direction, nor did he hear or feel their presence. He walked slowly along the tracks with the blue lights on the tunnel walls as his guide. Peace and quiet.
Sooner or later they’d find him, but for now he was free. The faint rumble of a distant train warned him to duck into a nearby electrical closet. In a minute or so a green subway train screeched by, some passengers gazing out the windows. Then a minute later another one came from the opposite direction.
Once it was quiet and safe again, he continued to walk on the railroad ties, being careful to stay clear of the live rail. Suddenly, a big brown rat ran across his path, and he almost fell on the tracks. Despite the rats, he loved the dark subway. It was where he felt the most in touch with himself. He’d been here for years, but eventually they’d find him and send him away. Where to, he didn’t know.
But, for now, he was safe.
Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
New Customer
New Customer, Copyright ©2010 by Ken West, all rights reserved
There’s a guy on the sidewalk selling something. I pass by without stopping.
“Next time, I’ll get you,” he shouts to me good naturedly.
I turn and walk back to him. He sits on a black plastic milk crate, a bearded, youngish guy with some front teeth missing.
“What are you selling?” I ask.
“Smiles and greetings,” says the guy.
“How’s business,” says I.
He smiles, slaps his knee, shakes his head. “Not too bad, but I haven’t got you as a customer yet.”
So, I reach in my wallet, pull out a dollar bill and put it in his collection cup. “OK, I’m a customer now.”
“Thank you, sir,” he says, and gives me his best, top-of-the-line smile. “Have a great day and I’ll see you soon, I hope.”
I smile back and head down the street to check the job listings at the unemployment office. For some reason the guy’s smile made me feel a lot better. Few people, even when I was working, bothered to smile at me. The guy on the black plastic milk crate now has a new customer.
Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.
There’s a guy on the sidewalk selling something. I pass by without stopping.
“Next time, I’ll get you,” he shouts to me good naturedly.
I turn and walk back to him. He sits on a black plastic milk crate, a bearded, youngish guy with some front teeth missing.
“What are you selling?” I ask.
“Smiles and greetings,” says the guy.
“How’s business,” says I.
He smiles, slaps his knee, shakes his head. “Not too bad, but I haven’t got you as a customer yet.”
So, I reach in my wallet, pull out a dollar bill and put it in his collection cup. “OK, I’m a customer now.”
“Thank you, sir,” he says, and gives me his best, top-of-the-line smile. “Have a great day and I’ll see you soon, I hope.”
I smile back and head down the street to check the job listings at the unemployment office. For some reason the guy’s smile made me feel a lot better. Few people, even when I was working, bothered to smile at me. The guy on the black plastic milk crate now has a new customer.
Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Jackknife
Jackknife Copyright
by Ken West
That’s what they called him—“Jackknife.” The nickname came after a fight in the schoolyard. He was the new kid, ripe for picking. But he pulled a knife when the odds were bad—seven to one.
It was a small brown-handled jackknife, the kind with a long and short blade, nothing else. Wasn’t long enough to kill you but sharp enough to slice the skin, maybe a finger or two.
To prove it, the boy, later known as Jackknife, slashed at the lead bully, a big kid named Benjy, slicing right through his shirtfront, including his dirty T-shirt.
From that day on Jackknife was left alone, given a wide berth, never crowded. It wasn’t so much the knife that frightened the kids. It was the smile on Jackknife’s face that signaled his willingness to use it.
Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.
by Ken West
That’s what they called him—“Jackknife.” The nickname came after a fight in the schoolyard. He was the new kid, ripe for picking. But he pulled a knife when the odds were bad—seven to one.
It was a small brown-handled jackknife, the kind with a long and short blade, nothing else. Wasn’t long enough to kill you but sharp enough to slice the skin, maybe a finger or two.
To prove it, the boy, later known as Jackknife, slashed at the lead bully, a big kid named Benjy, slicing right through his shirtfront, including his dirty T-shirt.
From that day on Jackknife was left alone, given a wide berth, never crowded. It wasn’t so much the knife that frightened the kids. It was the smile on Jackknife’s face that signaled his willingness to use it.
Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.
CPA
CPA Copyright © 2010, all rights reserved, by Ken West
“You’ll need to sign this and then I’ll send it off electronically,” said the Certified Public Accountant.
He looked like a young Jackie Mason, the comic. In fact, he was kind of funny for a CPA. I signed the tax return and he went off to make copies. When he came back he asked about my right-wing political magazine, how it was going. The last time I was in his office I gave him a copy.
“OK,” I said, “except I’m not making much money with it. At least it’s copyrighted.”
“Copyrighted?” he asked with a sarcastic, almost belligerent tone. “It’s not copyrighted!”
“Yes it is,” I told him. “It’s automatically copyrighted when I publish it.”
The balding CPA’s face turned pink. He seemed angry. “Oh, really,” he said. “It’s not copyrighted.”
There was something definitely wrong with this guy, a screw loose somewhere. I got up from my seat. The guy’s face was getting red. I was finished with the jerk. “Thanks for doing my taxes,” I said as I headed out of his private office.
He followed me into the reception area. “Copyrighted, my ass!” he said.
“Go to hell,” I said, and walked out. I could see his red face looking out the window, lost in his own weird world.
“You’ll need to sign this and then I’ll send it off electronically,” said the Certified Public Accountant.
He looked like a young Jackie Mason, the comic. In fact, he was kind of funny for a CPA. I signed the tax return and he went off to make copies. When he came back he asked about my right-wing political magazine, how it was going. The last time I was in his office I gave him a copy.
“OK,” I said, “except I’m not making much money with it. At least it’s copyrighted.”
“Copyrighted?” he asked with a sarcastic, almost belligerent tone. “It’s not copyrighted!”
“Yes it is,” I told him. “It’s automatically copyrighted when I publish it.”
The balding CPA’s face turned pink. He seemed angry. “Oh, really,” he said. “It’s not copyrighted.”
There was something definitely wrong with this guy, a screw loose somewhere. I got up from my seat. The guy’s face was getting red. I was finished with the jerk. “Thanks for doing my taxes,” I said as I headed out of his private office.
He followed me into the reception area. “Copyrighted, my ass!” he said.
“Go to hell,” I said, and walked out. I could see his red face looking out the window, lost in his own weird world.
Ken West, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, is president of Better Grip Media LLC and author of Get What You Want! Workbook… available worldwide on Amazon.com and other online booksellers. In the U.S. at http://bit.ly/alF9vp.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
