The Ten-Minute Storyteller

This week we meet Stu. Stu’s up in his hilltop mansion cradling his assault rifle. He’s waiting for the barbarians. While Stu waits he remembers. Grows nostalgic. Longs to revisit the glory days of his youth when, fresh out of college, he lived free as a bird for a couple years out on the open road.Stu hears them. Coming up through the woods. He sees them crossing the manicured lawn. Over the wall and up onto the patio.At least he thinks he sees them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet Sam. A decent fellow without hard opinions, Sam thinks he might run for school board. Help out. Do his civic duty.He meets with some“concerned parents.” Listens to their concerns. Critical race theory. Sexed. Books that need burning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet Crumb and Fuse. Driving home from a boozy party in Crumb’s 911, they spot a raccoon crossing the road. Crumb swerves and goes out of his way to run over the coon. The act sets off a confrontation between the two men. They argue and taunt one another. Fire off wise cracks and insults. A philosophical melee. It's a beautiful triangle: Booze, men, and their egos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet Gary. Gary Edward Earl, better known as Gad. Gad N Earl. He’s been tasked with fixing the supply chain problems. He could do the job from his home office in the GardenState suburbs, but what fun would that be?Gas wants to hit the road.Get outta town. Everywhere he goes it’s hot hot hot. Broiling hot. And humid. Despite it being late October. But no big thang. AC’s hummin, baby. Pushing out it’s cool, dry hair. Limos. Airport terminals. 787s. Office buildings. Restaurants. Hotel lobbies. Hotel suites.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet Big Al Stevens. For years, decades, Big Al spent enormous amounts of time and money shopping and consuming, buying no end of crapola he didn’t need and probably didn’t want. But consuming was an addiction. Al coveted a wide array of products and services large and small. It was a never-ending compulsion. A kind of enslavement. Eventually Al became fed up with this vicious cycle. He broke his addiction, vowed to become an anti-consumer, to buy only those goods and services that were 100% essential. And for a couple years Al succeeded. He was happy. Calm. Content. Until one day… See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet Lem. Lem Carson. Lem leaves work feeling good. Feeling fine. His presentation went well. He's looking forward to a mellow ride home followed by a pleasant evening with the family.Unfortunately, a couple of external events intrude upon Lem’s peaceful, easy feeling. Soon his brain shifts into overdrive and all the old woes and grievances begin to churn.Work. Wife. Kids. Parents. Money. Materialism. It’s all fodder now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we have a couple boys, men actually, dealing with some personal issues, when out of the blue they dang near slam their large vehicles into one another. Gonna be hell to pay if they don’t calm down and pull themselves together.These boy/men are on edge. Kids. Wives. Ex-wives. Work. Life for crying out loud. A volatile mix.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stud Macintyre loves the ladies. So when an exceptionally beautiful young lady shows up on a Harley for the Sunday morning canyon ride, Stud is all a-lather. He right away hits on the gorgeous girl on the Harley Sportster 883. She succumbs immediately to his masculine charms. They go to dinner.Then back to her place. She is Stud's fantasy come true.Only one minor hiccup...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winky is a young, dedicated high school English teacher. She’s also broke. Well, almost. Hanging on by a thread. A dollar ain’t what it used to be. Fortunately, a girl has options.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MUSIC BY THE SEA is a timeless tale of empowerment, of emancipation, of never giving up the ship. Widowed, she has come alone to the sea from the flatlands of Illinois. She has come with hope and expectation. But soon, like the story of her life, hope and expectation dissolve into quiet bitterness. She decides it might be best to simply wade into the waves and let the vast ocean carry her, and her precious cello, away. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.