Moments That Linger
Moments That Linger
A Sixty-Word Short Story:
They were running late, and Alex was still putting on make-up in the car. Ben was trying to will the car in front of them to move over. The air was tense and neither felt like talking. Panic was setting in. And then, they were there and she bolted, then stopped and caught his eye and smiled. So did he.
And more…
Life can go pretty fast sometimes, and we can become so intent on keeping up with it that we often miss the whole point of why we’re here. Do we know why, I mean really know what the point of life is? I don’t know about you, but I did not come here with an instruction manual. In that regard we are all ex-babies – born, then slapped and helpless and wide open to the possibilities. There is no map, path, or clear destination. And sometimes, we live for quite a while before we figure out that we’re still not sure of where we’re going or what it all means.
It might not be the secret to life, but I think we can find pretty good clues as to what life means for us by contemplating all of the moments that got us to here: Moments of joy and smiles and pain too that somehow mattered and are remembered, and for whatever reason seem to define us. And each of those defining moments started just this way. Like reading this sentence and maybe asking ourselves how in the world did all of this, all of our life, unfold.
The answer is: we did it. We orchestrated life. We flowed with its currents, and we set plans and dreams and events into motion because we could. And we had help from other players, living in this same universe, that by acting their own unique way, helped us somehow. It’s pretty cool how those gazillion thoughts we’ve had have brought us to here – To one of many moments of beauty like Alex as she composed herself enough to turn and smile and then wait for the smile from Ben. Some moments are charged with significance. They are bookmarks in our life, and it feels good sometimes to go back and re-read the good parts.
Here’s hoping that your story has filled you with love and joy and that the next chapter is more of the same.
The Final Thought: A smile, glance, soft touch or any of a zillion memories can make us feel alive. One moment is all we need to feel that life is surging through us. May the moment linger.
* 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.