Kathy’s Book Rights

I have the right to remain silent, but of course I won’t.

I have the right to an Attorney, but let’s hope I do not need one.

And last but not least, I have the right to everything I have written in this book. 

This book is a work of fiction.  Most of the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious and/or family, so any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

Now, I know you are just a little bit curious as to why a women in her late 40’s - very early 50’s would want to start writing Short Stories.  My usual response to that is, “It will look really good in a courtroom when my Attorney stands up in front of the Judge and tries to plead my insanity defense.”  But in truth I have to admit that my passion for writing surfaced on Mother’s Day 5/12/02.  It was an emotion I had never felt before.  The power behind it was fueled partly by anger, while also being fanned on by a very small hangover.  The story that came out of that Sunday in May has lead me to make this book.  It is a collection of stories for almost every adult and if you read them all, you will find my book has encompassed every emotion I have felt since then.

The first story in my book is also the first one I wrote, so be prepared for some really deep thoughts and view points.  The last story in this book is the end of my stories, but at the same time it has become a new beginning to my stories (reborn).  Will there be another book?  You can bet on it, I am already at work getting there.

You will either love me or hate me, there is no middle of the road, but too know me is to love me.  I hope you enjoy the adventures.

Thanks to all of you.

Yours truly,

Kathy L. Cox - A.K.A. (Frances)

Paul is the name a very close friend of mine gave to the passion I have for my writing.  Why she chose a name that started with a P, no one but Mel will ever know for sure, but I think when I finally realized there were stories to be told then I knew I was destined to write short stories.  The stories have helped unite my family (Husband, Brother, Sister, Nieces, and Nephew) when strength in numbers was needed.  The messages Paul sent to my Mom also helped me cope with her last remaining few months of life.  So About the Author is story after story coming from a vast and endless pit somewhere between my ear lobes.  Most of my stories are written at work on my lunch break, but if Paul won’t let me sleep, then I write after my Husband and little dog have gone to bed.  Kathy, as the x-Ray Tech that she is, takes little to no credit for the creativity of her writings.  The Author credit belongs to Paul.

Man, Tree and Tiger
A Short Story

One day as the Man was walking to work along a path he had used everyday to reach the Jungle where he worked.  He noticed smoke coming from the top of one of the trees.  He had always tried to avoid getting close to that tree because he knew a Tiger lived in its lower branches.  He had seen its tracks several times along the path he took everyday, but he also knew the tree was home to other creatures including Monkeys. He had seen their tracks also.

He was afraid of the Tiger so he decided to just keep on walking. Then he heard something jingle in his pocket with each step he took.  He had forgotten about what he always carried with him to work.  It was his (faith in the system) and his most prized treasure his (Integrity).  He knew he just couldn’t keep walking away.  So he went up to the tree and shouted, but no one answered.  They were too high up in the tree to hear him shout.  He kicked the tree - no response - so he took the tree and shook it.

As the man had feared, out jumped the Tiger.  The man took one step back and said “I see smoke coming from the top of your tree”.  The Tiger looked up and said “I see what you are talking about, but no sense worrying about it now, maybe the wind will blow it out or the rain will come soon.”  The man replied “why not just ask the elephant to go and use his trunk to put water on the fire”?  The Tiger told the man that he didn’t want to disturb the Monkeys with something that might correct itself.

The man knew if the fire was put out the Tiger would have to work harder for its food.  Then the Tiger said, “I am hungry and what are you carrying with you that smells so good?”  The man took another step back, but couldn’t find a place to hide, so he pulled out his (faith in the system) and offered it to the Tiger.  The Tiger ate it up in seconds and being full for the moment, the Tiger tried to get the man to come and sit with him in his tree for a while. The Tiger could tell the man had more to offer him so he did not want the man to go.

A whisper came from one of the lower branches of the tree.  One of the Monkeys had come down to see why the Tiger wasn’t in the tree.  The Monkey whispered to the man “Do not trust the Tiger, I can tell you he maybe full now but he will be hungry again soon, and he knows you have something you are keeping from him”.  The Monkey said, “Just run”!!

The Tiger heard the monkey and as he turned to jump back in the tree the man ran off.

Now each day as the man passes the tree on his way to work, he leaves his most prized possession at home and carries with him MARSHMELLOWS and HOT DOGS instead.

For as you see, the tree is still burning!!

Genie In A Bottle
A Short Story

Mat was strolling down the beach when he came across a bottle floating just off shore.  He waded out to get it hoping it contained a letter that maybe someone had written than set a drift for him to find.  Instead when he opened it out popped a Genie.  Mat was so surprised that he dropped the bottle and it broke on the sand.  The Genie was a little bit shaken up about the loss of his bottle, but he still held true to his mission by asking Mat what his first wish would be.  Mat thought for a moment then said, “You mean to tell me you are a real Genie and you are going to grant me three wishes.”  The Genie replied, “Why yes Master, I am at your command.  Just remember three wishes are all I can grant you.”

Mat was sitting down on the beach with the Genie in front of him when he made his first wish.  He said, “I wish I could relive my life over again.”  The Genie said, “Your wish is my command.”  Mat found himself back out in the water with the Genie’s bottle in his hand.  After he opened it up the Genie told him he still had two wishes left, but before making his second wish Mat asked the Genie what had gone wrong with his first.  The Genie told him he hadn’t specified how much of his life he had wanted to relive.  So as Mat sat on the beach he made his second wish “I wish I could relive all my life over again.”  The Genie said, “Your wish is my command.”  This time Mat was still sitting on the beach looking right at the Genie when he asked the Genie what had gone wrong with the second wish.  The Genie quickly replied “you didn’t specify how fast you wanted to relive your life so to save time I let you relive it in the blinking of an eye.”

This time Mat really put some thought into how he would ask for his third wish.  When he was ready he told the Genie “I wish I could relive all my life over again at the same number of days and nights that I have lived it in my past.”  The Genie said, “your wish is my command, but if you don’t mind can I ask you why you have asked for the same thing for all three wishes.”  Mat replied, “I want to relive my life and make all the bad choices I have made in the past into good choices”, after saying that Mat vanished.  The Genie just shook his head from side to side and said out loud “I really didn’t have the heart to tell him that when he made his last wish he forgot to include the need to make any changes”.

For as you see, live your life without the need for any changes, so that when the bottle of opportunity floats past you, your last wish will not be filled with regret for having wasted all your other wishes on regrets.