shows the extraordinary impact of seemingly ordinary past experiences. Through them, we learn how they challenged and enriched us. True stories can seem as imaginative as fiction, and fiction can feel realistic. Essays written in the style of , my first book, range from humorous to thought-provoking. One treasured memory is having Saturday night snacks and television time at my uncle and aunt's house. Another examines my amazement at the lack of people's common sense. A third reveals how my first ship cruise to the Bahamas became a chaotic and frustrating travel adventure. In the fiction section, short stories range from the inspirational to the suspenseful to the comedic. In one, a lonely woman encounters an astute young lad who needs a friend. Another features a man who finds death to be the permanent solution. A third show how laughter sometimes is all one has left after life's bruises. can help readers develop insights into life. They may then gain more understanding of their own journey.