James Pyles's Blog, page 119

She Rides a Pale Horse

Ed slowed his stock horse as he approached the bleached cow’s skull. “Easy there, Chester. Let’s have a look.” The aging rancher stiffly swung a leg over his mount, planted it on the grassy field, and then slipped the other booted foot out of the stirrup. He squared himself on the ground, hitched up his […]

Quoting: Radiate Friendliness

I remember walking with my father to his synagogue in East Baltimore on Shabbat. The neighborhood was a tough one. There weren’t very many individuals with yarmulkes, and I would feel a bit uncomfortable. But my father kept telling me not to be self-conscious. He radiated self-confidence and friendliness. People of all races would ask […]

Scorned

This house was my prison for seven centuries, ever since Lord Jaime Caruthers incarcerated me here. Then, the will of the Caruthers clan was invincible. But long centuries passed, and the Caruthers descendants became weak, while the stone and mortar slowly crumbled. The last Caruthers died last month, and with him, the fading spell that […]

Quoting: Appropriate Sadness

While it is theoretically possible to develop an attitude to totally prevent sadness, the Jewish view is there are times when such feelings are appropriate. For example, we have an obligation to cry over the death of another person. Also, we should care enough about potential suffering to pray that it will not come. And […]

Death Wish

“Hey, Sam.” “Hey, Death. How’s it hanging?” “Same old, same old. You know how it goes.” “Not me. What do I know about being Death?” “Yeah. Guess you’ve got a point. Want a smoke?” “Nah. I got what I want right here.” The twenty-two year old lifted a gallon jug of Jack Daniels to his […]

Quoting: Courageous Progress

Choose to focus on the progress you are making. You have infinitely more courage now than you did when you were born. Since each courageous act makes you a more courageous person, by focusing on progress, you will almost always feel that you are increasing your level of courage. This perspective will give you the […]

Quoting: Expand Your Consciousness

When you connect with the Creator, you will expand your consciousness of infinity and eternity. You will plug into the source of all serenity. Each time you make a blessing, or pray, or perform a good deed, you will be connecting with your love for your Father, your King, Creator and Sustainer of the universe. […]

Quoting: Taking a Break From Stress

You feel relaxed when you take a vacation, because your mind is at rest. The change in external environment makes it easier to put aside the stressful aspects of your daily life. While we do not always have the ability to go to the mountains or travel to Switzerland whenever we feel excessive stress, we […]

Kavanaugh Protests Right Here In River City

Since my grandchildren are coming over soon, and since the vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh won’t be held until between four and five this evening Eastern Time (two to three my time), I was going to give this a rest, but a friend of mine on Facebook (and in real life) posted the question above. […]

The Marked Man

And Hashem placed a mark upon Cain, so that none that meet him might kill him. –Genesis 4:15 (Stone Edition Chumash) The marked man worked with the other men and the children, laboring for the paltry sum earned in the slums, but he wasn’t one of them. He wasn’t a European, Indian or Pakistani. His […]