The following selections of short stories and poems are accumulation of thoughts, feelings, and real occurrences that evolved throughout different periods of my life, now, Sixty-seven long, sometimes short years.Many of these events are true and others are mere fiction. Among the poetry a few songs evolved. The writing started when I left high school into college at the age of seventeen and other times throughout my life.As I ponder about this, it occurs to me that most people in today's society don't really think about another person's life and affairs, however, some of one's immediately family might. They wonder, 'What did he do for himself and his beloved ones?'As I think back, it is evident that during the years of these events, most people believed that only through hard labor and physical efforts could a person have success. It's now been proven that it's how smart you labor.I've had experiences of hard labor sweating and groaning, getting educated with eight years of college, a bachelor's degree, and many arduous efforts earning a meager living. Not a great deal of money was made, however there were good and bad times, as were with everyone else.