MidYear Reset

It's almost July, which means the year will be half over in a couple of days. Time for my usual mid-year reset, which I almost always end up doing. I set out goals for the year in January but by this point I usually find I've either changed my mind about what I want to do, or life has changed my mind for me. I'll be thinking about this over the next few days and reassessing my plans from now until December.

Meanwhile, I got another story published! Last week, in Writers Resist, an online journal publishing creative expressions of resistance. As they say on their homepage, "We’re dedicated to challenging all things that diminish our collective quest for social justice and a healthy planet for all, while having a bit of fun." I'm especially proud of this story, since I wrote it, sent it to my critique group, tweaked it after hearing their comments, and submitted it to a single place. They accepted it in less than a day.

Reader, this never happens to me. Well, almost never. I do remember a few times when it happened before, including my very first story, Time to Leave. I submitted that to one journal, a contest they ran every year, and won third place. This early success ruined me, though, and I didn't submit again for almost ten years. I am not going to let that happen this time!

And now, without further ado, here's the story: The Boy. I hope you enjoy it.