Amazon cover THE SLOW DOWN By J.J. Hicks They were laughing, as usual. They were talking about how crazy they were while putting on their scrubs. Then, suddenly, Joseph put his hand up and stated, "Shush!" Annie whispered, "Oh my gosh." There was a group of people right outside of the room. Joseph recognized two of the voices and whispered to Annie, "Crap. That is Kill Bill and Don Kingley making rounds!" Annie punched him in the side and sarcastically whispered, "I thought no one ever comes back here." Joseph, while holding his side, whispered, "Well, too late now." After living in a world of denial, discrimination, jail, and custody battles, Joseph finds a way to slow down from the constant hustles of being a single father and the demands of hospitals. One day, Annie bumps into him and causes a tidal wave of life, love, and laughter. Joseph, a Southern California surfer, meets Annie, a Latina fashion beauty. Both are from completely different worlds and cultures but manage to find a common denominator-love. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present. - Babatunde Olatunji One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. - Dale Carnegie