Last Chances
Last Chances
A Sixty-Word Short Story: *
Robert fumbled for his key, cursing the darkness. She would have to believe that he intended to be there, but everything was going wrong and now in the 11th hour he panicked and prayed. Would she wait? She said this was his last chance. Just then the key found his hand. He hit the gas…” Hang on Angel, I’m coming…”
And more…
So often we begin with positive and purposeful intentions, but sometimes circumstances don’t cooperate. And as much as we truly desire and pray for a particular outcome, obstacles can appear out of nowhere that can stymie us. It then becomes a matter of will and desire. How much do we want what we seek, and what price will we pay? In many of our wishes, the “things” we want do have a price tag. We weigh the decision and either write the check or not, knowing that there will be new and different choices later. In matters of the heart however, it’s not so simple.
The intangibles of our life, like joy and peace and love etc. cannot be bought and sold. They can only be given and received. We can’t really own any of it, but we can enjoy the experience and make decisions and take actions that put us in the right spots at the right time to feel the power of affection and appreciation. Sometimes these “spots” can be lifetimes or momentary encounters, and they always have the potential to shift. In matters of the heart we may think we’ve arrived and are okay just where we stand, but when the floor beneath us still moves we can find the shakiness unnerving as that “sweet spot” of love has not quite settled. It’s somehow retreated, resigned or been removed.
When left behind and alone we freeze with fear and of loss. We believe it was our last chance. We wrongly think that there are no more chances left. We fail to see the cycle of how peace and joy and all of the feelings of living in a state of hope, and the now, still remain. We might panic and fumble to find the key, but we will find it and we’ll be right where we intended to be, and like Robert, we discover that it’s never too late to take another chance and hit the gas to take us exactly where we always wanted to be.
Final Thought: The destination we seek resides in our hearts where our internal GPS is locked in.
* The Premise (Opening short story): Always 60 words. No more. No Less. For more stories like this and information about my books, please visit www.szenzone.com
Szenzone – Stories of life and the power to change yours – is sent via email by request and is published weekly or thereabouts. For back issues or to receive this publication directly please email [email protected] © Gary Szenderski 2025 All Rights Reserved. Gary is an author, branding specialist and teaches at the University of California in Irvine. He specializes in helping people and organizations navigate change – if you or your company needs assistance contact Gary directly. Gary resides in Southern California and welcomes your comments.