A Matter of Perspective – Rich or Poor? – BETWEEN THE TRACKS

I’ve been thinking about time lately. How it slips through your fingers just when you finally get your ducks in a row. Just when the mortgage is paid, the kids are grown, and you can finally afford that fishing boat you’ve been eyeballing for twenty years—that’s when your knees start to creak, and your back reminds you that youth was something you spent rather than saved.

My friend and father figure, Jim Knipe of Spanish Hammock, told me a story that stuck to my ribs like good cheese grits before he passed a few years ago.

It seems a wealthy daddy took his boy out to the sticks to show him how the other half lives. They bunked with a family who had more kids than television channels and a farmhouse that had seen better days before Roosevelt was in office—either Roosevelt.

On the drive home, the Daddy asked, “Well, son, what’d you think about how those poor folks live?”

The boy thought for a minute.

“They have four dogs, Dad. We only have one. Their swimming hole goes clear to the horizon, but our pool stops at the azaleas. We’ve got those fancy solar lights from the Pottery Barn catalog, but they’ve got every star God ever hung. Their front yard is the whole world. They grow food together, break bread together, and nobody locks their doors at night.”

His Daddy’s mouth hung open like a screen door with a broken spring.

“Thanks for showing me,” the boy said, “how poor we are.”

Isn’t that just like life?

I guess we see the riches we’re looking for. A man who counts his coins will always find himself short, but the one who tallies up sunsets and belly laughs might just discover he’s been wealthy all along.

Isn’t that something?

I’ve yet to find a strongbox big enough to hold a sunset, or a lockbox that can keep a child’s laughter from escaping into the wind.

-30-

CJ Parrish Amazon Review  – BETWEENTHE TRACKS – FIVE STARS!!!!

Darryl Armstrong’s short story collection, Between the Tracks, is a compelling and entertaining journey through the complexity of being human. Readers experience the joy, sorrow, and adventure of life through Armstrong’s observant eye and remarkable mastery of drawing you into every sentence. Between the Tracks is a reminder that humans—and animals—thrive on meaningful connections. Long after you’ve read the last chapter, you’ll feel inspired to text less and initiate real conversations with people you love, people you don’t know—even people you don’t particularly like. Only a few books can capture life’s ebb and flow, providing a path to more fulfilling relationships. Between the Tracks is a rare gem worthy of reading.

Read inspiring stories of faith, resilience, and love in Darryl Armstrong’s newest collection of short stories – BETWEEN THE TRACKS.

We recommend you get asoft-cover SPECIAL EXPANDED EDITION WITH MORE ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHY at Books.by/Darryl-Armstrong  for $19.99 with FREE SHIPPING (7-10 days delivery).

But if you want faster delivery, you can get it at Amazon in soft, hardbound, or e-book.

AND TYBEE ISLAND RESIDENTS CALL ME AT 270.619.3803, AND I WILL PERSONALLY DELIVER YOU A SIGNED COPY.