Rodeo
The power of stories is what moves us every day. We hear it on the news, read it on the internet or in a book. The power of the stories in the news opens us not only to our locality but to the world. With the virus crisis everyone wants to know what is happening everywhere. Sometimes the articles move us, make us angry, cry, sad, or glad to be alive. It depends upon the writer and if we believe the contents. The same is true of the internet. It’s a different form of news. Even the daily shows offering the latest breaking news are still stories. The best part, I think, about the power of stories is in books. I love writing children’s books because I feel like I present an adventure to the young reader. It gives them a chance to learn about the old west and how people lived. Many of the books actually have historical data. For example, Pecos held the first rodeo on July 4, 1883. It’s the basis of book four, “Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride that Bull.” As we are all quarantined, this is the perfect time to read new books and read to our children and/or grandchildren. It gives us the opportunity to expand our minds and bond with the younger readers. The Good Gus series is online at Nook, Kindle, and Waterstones. “Misplaced Trust” for the adults is online at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino. Happy Birthday to the real Mary from Mary’s Cafe’.
As I was driving home from the gym today, I accidentally had a sports station on the radio. They were discussing all the sports injuries for various sports teams. When you hear it about the number of players who are out for a season is shocking. Many years ago my late father-in-law, who loved football and of course, golf, was complaining about the coaches and how they told their players to go after Joe Namath and hit him in the knees as they were his weakest spot. What happened to good sportsmanship? I understand that everyone wants to win but at what price? Ethics and morals disappeared as the purses for winning increased with each game and each season. How can any of these players look at themselves in the mirror knowing full well they are harming others, reducing their incomes, possibly destroying their futures and the income for their families? As you read this aren’t you disturbed about how far the sports arena has come because of money? Sure we all need money but I find even worse that these players want to be number one so they can merchandise their names and then have their products sold for huge sums of money while not even paying a decent wage to third world companies and their employees. The only sports in the Good Gus series were the rodeo and horse competitions. They were fair and just. The series is always online at Kindle, Nook and Waterstones and hard copies are at the UPS Store in Tierrasanta, California. Several shops in Fredericksburg, Texas are still considering carrying the series. “Misplaced Trust” is easily located online for any adults on your gift list. It is at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
Why is the answer to any malady prescriptions? The pharmaceutical companies are so large that they wield amazing influence. I was recently in the hospital and the doctor said that he thought I might be in pain. He offered me morphine. I turned him down. He argued with me and I said if it became worse I might consider it. The reality was I would not. It’s easy for a doctor to write prescriptions as they believe that is the cure all. However, it isn’t. It’s really important as to what a person eats, the amounts they consume, how much they exercise, and if they sleep well. Often a simple change of diet, an increase or even a start of exercising might change how a person feels. Many individuals use sleeping pills to sleep at night. Rather than a pill, how about a walk before bed? It would be relaxing and you might meet a neighbor or two and socialize. The passing out of prescriptions should not be mandatory. It’s clearly understandable if you have an infection, then you really need an antibiotic. However, if you feel you have a problem, consider researching it first and find out what your options are. There may be alternatives that would help you. The other factor to consider is cost. When it comes to medications, nothing is cheap. In the Good Gus series the only doctor was Dr. Moore. He, and Nurse Joyce, tended to the population of Pecos. I never discussed any prescriptions in the stories. If a character was injured such as Jimmy Ray, in book four, “Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride that Bull, Dr. Moore and Nurse Joyce tended to his injuries but there was nothing about any medications. The weather has been pleasant lately, but the series is good bedtime reading. Remember it’s available online at Kindle and Waterstones. The hard copies are at the UPS Store in Tierrasanta, California. Once the kids are asleep, please consider checking out “Misplaced Trust.” It’ always available online at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino. Today is the real Jimmy Ray’s birthday!
We all learn lessons everyday in life. It’s not just about being in school. Life’s lessons are much more complicated and often come with consequences. When we were young if we did something wrong we were told we had to learn from the experience. It could have stemmed from any type of action. Today, for example, I was making dinner and my almost five year old granddaughter who asked to help. As I make almost everything from scratch, earlier in the day I had made chicken broth using the bones of a chicken and choosing whatever fresh vegetables and herbs were available in the refrigerator. As I was making pilaf it was her job to stir the orzo and rice prior to putting in the broth. She clearly understood that the burner that the pan was on was hot. She didn’t need to test it to know that if she did it would burn her and be quite painful. A simple lesson, but these are the basics that we as parents and grandparents teach every day in life. When a parent insists a child not climb up on the roof and the child does it anyways to see if they can fly, their lesson is one of broken bones and pain. Sometimes its easier to get a child and even an adult to understand that if they do something that is not in their best interest, the consequences may be dire. As adults we still continue to develop and learn lessons. When we first learned to drive, the lessons were exciting and laborious. What we really wanted to do was hit the road and see how fast the car might go. Again, lessons that teenagers and even adults ignore when they want to be a dare devil. Available on Kindle, the Good Gus series, offers many lessons in all the stories. In book four, Jimmy Ray learned quite quickly that his desire to ride a bucking bronco led to injury. The books, which are always loved by children when I read to them, teach the young readers lessons in a quiet unobtrusive way. It makes the books much more enjoyable. The lessons learn in “Misplaced Trust” are more than you can imagine. Read the book for yourself and and you will see. It is available on 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
We all experience daily burnout. Anyone who works in an intensive industry can have it everyday. There are individuals who wonder what daily burnout actually is. It’s the depletion of emotional, physical and cognitive energies. The end result is physical exhaustion. Often people feel they are failures and doing a poor job. None of that is true though as they are the result of being completely worn down from your job. The exhaustion, combined with work related stress can be overwhelming. A better work life balance is what is needed. Often it comes on gradually and by the time a person figures it out, they are are so immersed in their feelings of failure and inadequacy, it takes a neutral person or a therapist to make them realize exactly what has happened. The most difficult part is taking the necessary steps to lift yourself out of the exhaustion and inadequacy you are feeling. The obvious first choice is to make a career change. If that is impossible, try spending time with individuals that will help you recharge and feel better about yourself. It’s also important to stop at a set time, shut off your phone and not check your emails. There are individuals who are on call such as doctors but there are also industries where customers feel they can contact their sales rep for almost anything even if it is close to a person’s bedtime. The really important advice for anyone in this situation is to definitely make time for yourself. You come first. My late aunt always said, “Take care of yourself first. Only then will you be able to help yourself and others.” In the Good Gus series, available on Kindle, all the citizens looked out for each other. There may have been daily burnout such as on a cattle drive, or fighting the elements to save a ranch. In the end, though, everyone worked together. Anyone who has had to deal with a trust administration or handling an estate after a person has passed can easily experience daily burnout. As the stories will attest in “Misplaced Trust,” it can be quite trying and difficult. The book is available at 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
Have you ever noticed that people in many countries, but mostly the U.S., have very little patience? They yell, scream, use foul language, insult you, call you names and generally lose their tempers often over minor things. Just drive down any street that may have a red light. If you don’t move fast enough when the light turns green, they will immediately honk their horns. Their patience is extremely limited. Seriously, does a few seconds matter in the scheme of things and life? People are constantly rushing and they expect everyone to move out of their way. If you don’t move fast enough, they start losing their tempers and speaking harshly. What makes anyone believe that their time is more valuable than yours? We need to teach our children at an early age to have patience. They become frustrated when they can’t do things or they start school and realize that the other kids can do some things better than them. If they learn early on, then they will be more successful. They will understand that perseverance and patience generally help everyone to achieve their goals and succeed. It’s an acquired skill. There are individuals who become frustrated with technology. For the older individual it is something that they did not live with for most of their lives. Children of today are digital. They are advanced with tablets, phones, TV’s and computers. They will achieve greater success because they understand the various facets of technology. In the Good Gus series there was no technology. Available on Kindle, book four, “Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride that Bull,” is a prime example of children having no patience. Jimmy Ray couldn’t wait for the rodeo and desperately wanted to ride a bull. He learned quickly that patience would have been wiser not to mention he ignored his parents wishes. The worst part about many of the characters in “Misplaced Trust” is that the majority of them have no patience when it comes to receiving their inheritance and obviously money. The book is available on 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
We make daily decisions sometimes on a conscious level and other times unconsciously. Our daily decisions on an unconscious level can be anything from brushing our teeth, making coffee, walking to public transportation, driving to work, loading the dishwasher, etc. We learned in our early years how to master a variety of tasks so that we don’t even think about them. They are automatic daily decisions within our brain that follow a routine or pattern. Even at work, we make many daily decisions unconsciously because they are already in place and don’t really require much mental capacity. The major decisions we make are handled in a different way. Sometimes we over react and make the wrong choices. We also suffer the consequences for not taking the time to remain clam and analyze our choices before taking that final step. We try to teach our children how to make simple daily decisions. Once they learn the basics we progress forward to more demanding types of choices that can possibly have negative consequences. In book four, “Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride that Bull,” J.C and Jimmy Ray make the choice to disobey their mother and sneak off to the rodeo. Even when they have a second opportunity when they see their dad, and he asks them where they are off to they ignore him as they want to go to see the crew setting up the rodeo and look at the bulls. Their conscious decision leads to consequences. It is a valuable lesson for the young reader. Available on Kindle and tomorrow at Balboa Park in San Diego, California, it is one of my top selling books. Please stop by and visit with Miss Patty if you are in the area. The daily decisions that the characters make in “Misplaced Trust,” for many of them lead to a compilation of errors and mistakes. The book is available on 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
The fear of the unknown can affect many individuals in a variety of ways. As children we had continual fears of the unknown. We didn’t understand and were too young to grasp many concepts so it left us constantly wondering. The first day of school for a child is full of anticipation and underlying fear. They wonder if they’re parents will return, if they will like school or the other children. Just recently the Hurricane Florence left many homeowners wondering and worrying about the huge storm. Their fears may have even overwhelmed them at times trying to guess if their homes would still be there or if they were, what condition they might be in. In relationships, we often have a fear of the unknown. If a partner begins to change or possibly come home at odd hours, the other person begins to wonder if they are cheating, or possibly have a drinking, drug or gambling habit. Sometimes their fears can cripple their thinking and make them say and do foolish things which they later regret. Dare devils may be scared but they hide it well. It is their goal to show bravery and not let anyone believe they are scared in any way. It takes a strong personality. In the Good Gus series, particularly in book four, “Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride that Bull,” Jimmy Ray is willing to ride a bull and conquer his fear of the unknown. Available on Kindle and tomorrow at Balboa Park, San Diego, California, it is one of our most popular books. As anyone can attest, the fear of the unknown approaches as we age and realize we need our affairs in order before the big day. In “Misplaced Trust” the characters put forth their best efforts to make it go smoothly, but there are always those individuals who want the complete opposite. It is available on 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
Have you ever been in an argument with another individual and when they can clearly see that they are losing they being with insults including, “You are a nobody?” There was an old song that had verse that said, “You’re nobody until somebody loves you.” Everyone is important yet there are individuals who believe that they should be revered and everybody else is basically a nobody. Many parents, who become upset with their children, rather than sit down and rationally discuss a situation will lose their tempers and tell their children they are worthless, losers, failures and a nobody. It literally destroys their confidence and hope in ever being successful and achieving whatever goals they may have. I know a man who insulted his adult son exactly that way. The son was really trying to achieve his life long goal of becoming a pilot. He loved airplanes and still does today. During a discussion, the son was explaining that he had been studying and working hard to finally make his dream a reality. The son had been working at a decent job that was paying well. He had been studying to pass the tests to earn his pilot’s license. After explaining all this to his father, the dad responded with the following: You can’t be a success because you have always been a nobody and a never was.” A harsh phrase from a parent to an adult son. Cruel in my opinion. In the Good Gus series, the parents spoke to the children with kindness and occasionally a firmness particularly when it came to chores, not doing certain activities and not leaving their home’s immediate area. Available on Kindle and today they were selling like hotcake at Balboa Park, California, the young characters didn’t always listen or obey. There were consequences but none involved yelling, harsh and cruel words or severe punishments. Book four, “Johnny the Cat and Bronco Ride that Bull,” is a prime example. Often, in the chapters of “Misplaced Trust,” there are characters who treat the person in charge as if they were nobody. The book is available on 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd, Playster and Tolino.
“Do you want to dance and hold my hand?” is a lyric to an old song. It was a great song. Dance has always been a personal preference for many. When we were young, as children, many of us took dance lessons. I loved tap and my daughter took tap. Now my granddaughter wants to take tap lessons. As we progressed, many individuals learned how to dance from their family or took lessons. It was part of having good social skills. As we all aged, so did the dancing. It started with rock and roll and progressed into a variety of styles. Half the time it didn’t really look like anyone was actually dancing. There are even TV shows entitled, “Dancing with the Stars.” One of the important features about dancing besides being a social event is that you get exercise. Many of the assisted living and nursing homes have afternoon dance parties. It helps the residents to get moving but also to stimulate their brains. You may not realize it but your brain has to concentrate, even if at a subconscious level, to move to the music, at the specific beat and perform the steps. It’s actually a sequence of thoughts. Who knew? Everyday we perform tasks at the subconscious level without thinking and the same is true of dancing. In the Good Gus series there was no dancing unless you can call a bull running around the corral trying to escape a cowboy riding on him.The series, available on Kindle, might be ideal for those long holiday trips on the road. The only dancing in “Misplaced Trust” was the people lying and skirting the truth. It may be just right for a cool evening read. It is available on 24 Symbols, Apple, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Page Foundry, Playster, Scribd and Tolino.
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Cory Returns
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