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Entirely Ready

September 18, 2022 25 Comments

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The meeting’s attendees shuffled down the twelve steps to the entrance of the church basement; their morning greetings woke Skip who was bundled at the base of the stairs. Warm air rose through the open doors, drawing him inside.

He knew he smelled.

Wiping his dirty, grimy hands on his dirty, grimy coat he plucked a donut from the table, poured a cup of Joe. He hesitated, cursed before taking a dollar from the donation basket.

Heโ€™d been here before—so many times. He glanced at the door, then an empty seat.

Was he ready? Maybe for an hour, maybe longer.

By Alan G

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peg says

    September 18, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    I can feel the story unfold. Awesome read!

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 18, 2022 at 12:26 pm

      Thanks Peg ?

      Reply
      • Alan says

        September 18, 2022 at 12:27 pm

        The question mark was supposed to be a smiley face, lol

        Reply
  2. Kristen says

    September 18, 2022 at 12:20 pm

    Thank you for writing and describing a universal moment I. The life of every man!

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 18, 2022 at 12:27 pm

      Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  3. Mabel T says

    September 18, 2022 at 1:25 pm

    Ooh. I can relate.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 18, 2022 at 2:00 pm

      Thanks for reading Mabel. If you know you know, right?

      Reply
  4. Joyce Jacobo says

    September 18, 2022 at 10:25 pm

    Oooh. It makes me wonder what will happen next. ^_^ Skip seems nice; he’s just facing hard times.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 18, 2022 at 11:34 pm

      Thanks Joyce, I’m hopeful for Skips next steps.

      Reply
  5. Valli Henry-Boldini says

    September 19, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    Nice read… I can see this expanding into a short story… kudos to you…

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 19, 2022 at 4:40 pm

      Thanks Valli. The possibilities of the before and of the after are rich with experience.

      Reply
  6. Tuesday says

    September 19, 2022 at 9:33 pm

    I love this so much! All the senses are captured within this brief moment. Thank you for sharing ??

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 19, 2022 at 10:46 pm

      Thanks Tues! I’m glad you liked it. I know the question marks we’re emojis, I tried to use them on a previous comment
      ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. Sheri says

    September 19, 2022 at 11:09 pm

    Clever how you worked “twelve steps” into the story as a double-meaning. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 21, 2022 at 1:36 am

      Thanks for reading. That phrase was added in the final edit, you’d think it would have been there from the beginning. More will be revealed.

      Reply
  8. Laurel McHargue says

    September 21, 2022 at 10:07 am

    Skip could have been a dog in your first paragraph, and he evolves, ever so slightly, into becoming more human by the end. Maybe heโ€™ll stay this time.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 23, 2022 at 10:37 pm

      Nice interpretation, I like it! I’m going to keep that in my back pocket and hope it re-appears in future stories.

      Reply
  9. Joanie says

    September 21, 2022 at 11:33 am

    Deep. Powerful. Well-written. The 12 steps neatly weaved in.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 23, 2022 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks for reading. Those moments our lives balance on a razors edge are hard to comprehend.

      Reply
  10. Melissa says

    September 21, 2022 at 3:35 pm

    I could easily feel his emotions and conflict inside. I’m rooting for him. Well done.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 23, 2022 at 10:39 pm

      Thanks, me too!

      Reply
  11. Jim Gunshinan says

    September 21, 2022 at 5:13 pm

    I was moved very much by this story. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 23, 2022 at 10:40 pm

      Thank you for saying so. I’m glad you felt it.

      Reply
  12. Liz says

    September 21, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    Moving…oh, I hope he stays.

    Reply
    • Alan says

      September 23, 2022 at 10:40 pm

      Me too! Thanks for reading and commenting.

      Reply

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