My Experiences – Page 12 – Jerry Schellhammer

Night Fear: Part 1

An angry storm spit rain and wind whipped the trees about. I looked from the comfort of my warm house and hoped the power would return soon. In an instant I saw the lightning crack and the thunder clap so loud I jumped a foot from the wood floor.

Now am Found

There’s a light at the end of a narrow tunnel that became bright and effervescent. Bob saw his dad for one day before he kicked him out again. “I just can’t deal with your drugs and drinking anymore, son,” he told him in an apologetic tone, his graying beard and lined face showing Bob how much he had aged since the last time they met almost ten years ago.

Once Was Lost

Bob couldn’t remember the last time he ate. He also didn’t remember the last time he slept. Though he stayed in the hotel suite, he was fed mostly meth and bath salts, turning, and merging his hallucinations with reality to where he didn’t recognize what was real and what was a fantasy created inside his head.

Crapped Out

Bob had no idea what town this was that they stopped in front of a building whose lights and neon flashed and buzzed like a swarm of bees. He looked at the site, staring at it, willing it to disappear as snow fell steadily. The sign showing “Treasure Island Resort and Casino” appeared like a siren call.

Warped

Bob saw the images flashing through his eyes into his brain. Waves of nausea moved from his stomach and into his throat, gagging noises emitting from his mouth. The car he rode in seemingly floated on a black ribbon, headlight beams navigating between flashing white lines and a long snake-like line ran endlessly on his right.

Bob

My loyal readers today I’m treating you to a story told to me from my son in law. It is said that truth sometimes is stranger than fiction. This event is one for the ages. His name isn’t nearly as important, thus I named him Bob to protect his privacy.

Last Friday

To say I was shocked upon hearing the that the conference my university represented was imploding would have been an understatement. Before the day was done, both Arizona schools and Utah requested to be put into the Big 12

Fire Fly

I woke to an alarm clock this morning. I then smelled the unmistakable odor of wood smoke invading my nostrils. Two days ago, there was a brush fire east of my house. Last night I saw smoke billowing from a separate fire that started five miles southwest of here.

Stone Mountain Paradox

The reality is that Stone Mountain which depicts two southern Confederate generals and its President, Jefferson Davis, glorifies this chapter in our history of the “Lost Cause,” theory that the north started the war by depriving its citizens of its constitutional rights to property—i.e., owning Black Slaves.

Tony Bennett Died

I never really thought much of him growing up. After all, that kind of music was for my parents, along with Pat Boone, The Kingston Trio and Perry Como. His music wasn’t my music. According to my dad he proposed to Mom from the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”