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Category: Chapbook

Stories

The Chapbook tradition arose in the 16th century, when small printed books became affordable for people. They included almanacs, children’s literature, stories, pamphlets, poetry, and more.

Your Good Life introduces a 21st century version of the chapbook available free online.

Readers of Your Good Life are invited to submit a 500 to 700 word story. You may either type your story directly in the box below or copy and paste the text from a Word document into the box and click “Submit”. Publication will be subject to editorial approval.

 

April 11, 2021April 11, 2021

Pandemic Hair

  An unexpected bright spot   In March 2020 I went to a beauty salon and got a haircut. I never thought that now, a […]

Chapbook1 Comment on Pandemic Hair
April 4, 2021April 4, 2021

A Jog Down Memory Lane

A good memory to share   While reading an article about Elaine Pagels, renowned scholar and author, a memory kept dangling at the edge of […]

Chapbook1 Comment on A Jog Down Memory Lane
March 29, 2021April 4, 2021

Growing Up As An Only Child

  Memories shared and experienced   This story is based mostly on hearsay. My mother told me about the kinds of things I did and […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Growing Up As An Only Child
March 22, 2021April 4, 2021

A Year Like No Other

Each of us manages the hand we are dealt.   It’s a stretch to think of anything good derived from the COVID-19 pandemic we have […]

Chapbook1 Comment on A Year Like No Other
March 15, 2021April 4, 2021

The Year I Turned 12 Years Old

An eventful time in my life   The year I turned 12 years old is very fresh in my mind because there were several very […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on The Year I Turned 12 Years Old
March 8, 2021April 4, 2021

Thoughts on My Year in Isolation

  Looking back on a rough time. When I first heard about COVID-19, I told myself that except for losing so many near and dear […]

Chapbook3 Comments on Thoughts on My Year in Isolation
March 1, 2021March 7, 2021

Association of Ideas

An indelible memory   I guess I must have been about 7 or 8 years old because my twin brothers had been born already for […]

Chapbook3 Comments on Association of Ideas
February 21, 2021March 27, 2021

A Day in Todos Santos

A special place   After an hour driving north from Cabo San Lucas on highway 19, we arrived at the quiet town of Todos Santos. […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on A Day in Todos Santos
February 14, 2021February 14, 2021

I Got My Second Shot

  So Happy     Today, 9 Feb. 21, I received my 2nd Pfizer vaccine shot. I was told that I would be immune in […]

Chapbook1 Comment on I Got My Second Shot
February 7, 2021February 7, 2021

Where Has He Gone?

  A lament.   WHERE HAS HE GONE?The man who swept me off my feet.The man who made me feel secure.The man who listened to […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Where Has He Gone?
January 31, 2021January 31, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccination First Dose

  In the words of one of the first to be there.   On Jan. 19, 2021 I received my first of two vaccine shots […]

Chapbook4 Comments on COVID-19 Vaccination First Dose
January 17, 2021January 17, 2021

A Place Called Home

  It’s a place. A dot on a map—metropolis, village, city, town, and it has a name. A name that is as different as there […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on A Place Called Home
January 11, 2021January 17, 2021

Oops, I thought it said…

  Our perception can play tricks. I drove on Fall Creek Parkway twice a day for ten years passing both ways under a railroad bridge […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Oops, I thought it said…
December 21, 2020January 17, 2021

A Gift at Christmas

There is hope. Call it what you will…fate, karma, coincidence—-for me, it’s that unexplainable power of God, the Holy Spirit, working to help me be […]

Chapbook2 Comments on A Gift at Christmas
December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

From Wolf to Woof

  A talk given at the Indianapolis Women’s Club.   Dogs are surely man’s best friend, and dog history goes back generations. While each individual […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on From Wolf to Woof
December 7, 2020December 14, 2020

Abide in Awe-Filled Attention

  After reading an article written by Lynda Smallwood entitled “Opportunity Still Knocks” on the website of www.yourgoodlife.org, I was inspired to write this story […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Abide in Awe-Filled Attention
November 30, 2020December 14, 2020

An Island Tour

A rare gem revealed.   Should your travels include landing at the Seattle airport, do yourself a favor and go to Bainbridge Island, a paradise […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on An Island Tour
November 23, 2020December 14, 2020

Where Did I Go on Vacations As a Child?

Vacationing in the fifties. My vacations as a child (age 2-14) consisted mainly in visiting my grandmother and a couple of aunts and uncles in […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Where Did I Go on Vacations As a Child?
November 16, 2020December 14, 2020

Inspiration

 An 88 year old with no prior experience in art shares his work and his story   I have been asked to explain why I […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Inspiration
November 9, 2020November 15, 2020

More Memories

One of the best times in our lives.   The following has nothing to do with Rochester itself, but we were there on November 22, […]

Chapbook1 Comment on More Memories
November 2, 2020November 15, 2020

Rochester NY Back Then: Scrambled Memories

1962 a new experience and a rich opportunity.   Rochester, New York has been in the news of late in relation to rather violent events. […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Rochester NY Back Then: Scrambled Memories
October 26, 2020November 15, 2020

Katrina

The American Red Cross responding to need.   They knew it was coming. Satellites broadcast images as it crossed Florida on August 25 heading into […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Katrina
October 19, 2020November 15, 2020

The Poet Within

We asked a poet, “why”? Here is her reply. LORD BYRON As a child, I loved the nursery rhymes Mother read to me and hymns, […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on The Poet Within
October 15, 2020October 18, 2020

Recommended TV

  For your viewing…   I highly recommend the British (originally on BBC) series “Call the Midwife” that was aired in the United States on […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Recommended TV
October 8, 2020October 11, 2020

A Lesson

An act of kindness and a lesson learned   A lesson for today. Many years ago, I was transferred to Forrest City, Arkansas. (named after […]

Chapbook1 Comment on A Lesson
October 1, 2020October 11, 2020

Miracles Really Can Happen

One man’s appreciation for the gift of sight.   Being born the youngest in a family of four boys is not the best place to […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Miracles Really Can Happen
September 24, 2020October 11, 2020

It Took an Eagle Eye

  An article from the Associated Press was spied by Marion Harcourt who then shared this story with us at “Your Good Life”.   A […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on It Took an Eagle Eye
September 17, 2020October 11, 2020

A Lifetime of Love and Saved Haircut Fees

Most “home” haircuts are one and done. This one lasted a lifetime. Back in August of 1962 Rosa Maria and I got married in Mexico […]

Chapbook1 Comment on A Lifetime of Love and Saved Haircut Fees
September 10, 2020October 11, 2020

Opportunity Still Knocks

  A late baby boomer or early generation X speaks to the generations that have preceded hers.   This is a heartfelt tribute to you […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Opportunity Still Knocks
September 3, 2020October 11, 2020

More Widow Lessons (Part 2)

  As time went on, I learned, how to buy major appliances, get estimates on home repairs and acquire cemetery lots. All this happened while […]

Chapbook7 Comments on More Widow Lessons (Part 2)
August 27, 2020August 30, 2020

Widow Lessons (Part 1)

  When my husband and I were married in 1955, I expected I was going to be a traditional housewife. (Husband bringing home the bacon, […]

Chapbook4 Comments on Widow Lessons (Part 1)
August 20, 2020August 30, 2020

A Long Overdue Family Reunion

  Families may lose track of each other, but bonds in this family were kindled thanks to an unusual name.   This is a story […]

Chapbook4 Comments on A Long Overdue Family Reunion
August 13, 2020August 30, 2020

A Moment Can Last Forever

  Who knew that a moment, seemingly insignificant, would be indelibly imprinted for a lifetime. It was just a poem, words on paper.  Yet it […]

Chapbook4 Comments on A Moment Can Last Forever
August 6, 2020August 9, 2020

Try your hand at…

Writing a Chapbook story can be fun.   Since you are checking out this week’s Chapbook, it is likely that you find this feature worth […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Try your hand at…
July 30, 2020August 9, 2020

Hagia Sophia, a Missed Opportunity

Sound advice from an experienced traveler.   In 1994 Art and I traveled to Istanbul Turkey. We spent a week in the city, I attended […]

Chapbook3 Comments on Hagia Sophia, a Missed Opportunity
July 22, 2020July 22, 2020

Boom !

Seventy-four people were killed and nearly 400 were injured at a “Holiday on Ice” show in Indianapolis on October 31, 1963. Here are the words […]

Chapbook3 Comments on Boom !
July 15, 2020February 21, 2021

The Last Goodbye

The times we live in stir emotions. Reflection: “See ya Monday!” That doesn’t sound like a last goodbye. Yet those are the words echoing across […]

Chapbook2 Comments on The Last Goodbye
July 8, 2020July 8, 2020

The Cup of Sorrow

After 40 years on a shelf the true identity of the cup is revealed.   Many years ago, a hospice patient gave me an enamel […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on The Cup of Sorrow
July 2, 2020July 8, 2020

Buying a Car

Buying a new car is always exciting and even more so when it has novel features.   It started in 1999 when I saw the […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Buying a Car
June 25, 2020July 8, 2020

A Lifelong Love of the Accordion

Sometimes things find us and other times we find things. This is the story of a boy and an accordion who found each other. Christmas […]

Chapbook8 Comments on A Lifelong Love of the Accordion
June 18, 2020January 23, 2021

#2197

  A memorable story from World War II.   Marion R. Simpson was drafted into the United States army in 1943 at the age of […]

Chapbook3 Comments on #2197
June 11, 2020June 24, 2020

‘Doug’

A poignant recounting of a moment in life that had a big impact on a few who were involved and likely many more who were […]

Chapbook1 Comment on ‘Doug’
June 4, 2020January 8, 2021

Adaptive Re-use at the Zoo

Recommended by Lucy Librarian Warsaw Zoo, an unusual hiding place, was the jewel of Warsaw before the German occupation of Poland during World War II. […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Adaptive Re-use at the Zoo
May 27, 2020May 27, 2020

How I met my wife

  Those were the days when it was likely that you would meet the person you would eventually marry in college. This is a story […]

Chapbook1 Comment on How I met my wife
May 21, 2020May 27, 2020

Welcome to the 21st Century

  I’m not sure I am ready for this century; the new cell phones have so many new features. Blue Teeth, Air Droop, Super Hyper […]

Chapbook1 Comment on Welcome to the 21st Century
May 13, 2020January 2, 2021

When Just the Tide Went Out

  A special poem for the time we are in. This poem highlights the wide reach of the COVID-19 pandemic brought to us through the […]

Chapbook1 Comment on When Just the Tide Went Out
May 7, 2020December 27, 2020

Write a Memoir?

Take advantage of the time you have during spring and COVID-19 to begin to write stories from your life. We are all in the process […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Write a Memoir?
April 29, 2020December 13, 2020

Is it right?

  Two points connected with a continuous band constitutes a line. The line can be a continuous curve, a parabola, or straight.   We inhabit […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Is it right?
April 22, 2020December 6, 2020

Liberal Political Refugee

  A liberal 4-year old political refugee? Or a pondering 84-year old adult? My father, Haroldo Díes, was a Spanish-born official assigned to the French […]

Chapbook5 Comments on Liberal Political Refugee
April 15, 2020November 27, 2020

Reflections

  Little things can mean a lot. The recent change to daylight savings time triggered a fond memory. After World War II ended, I returned […]

Chapbook4 Comments on Reflections
April 8, 2020April 8, 2020

Is It Cancelled or A New Way of Responding to Life?

  The current crisis finds people working in creative ways. Besides all the wonderful support the Marquette staff is providing to the residents, I have […]

Chapbook4 Comments on Is It Cancelled or A New Way of Responding to Life?
April 1, 2020November 15, 2020

Thumbs up to American Airlines!

  An upbeat story about air travel     Recent studies of customer satisfaction with airlines have placed American at the bottom of US carriers. […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Thumbs up to American Airlines!
March 25, 2020November 8, 2020

Find Your Voice

  Residents living in a retirement community can find a voice through representation and a receptive administration. This is the experience of one such voice. […]

Chapbook5 Comments on Find Your Voice
March 18, 2020November 1, 2020

Hiking

  A love of hiking and appreciation for how it can benefit a person’s life is clearly stated.   “Happiness is one step at a […]

Chapbook1 Comment on Hiking
March 11, 2020October 25, 2020

The Kellogg “Scholar”

A small thing can make a big difference In the fall of 1957, I was in a pickle. Because of summer school, I had limited […]

Chapbook2 Comments on The Kellogg “Scholar”
March 4, 2020October 17, 2020

Scatting

  An interesting take on a singing style popular with entertainers in our youth that we rediscovered in the senior years.   As Brenda Williams […]

Chapbook1 Comment on Scatting
February 19, 2020February 20, 2020

On 9/11 Mexico City Flight Diverted to Indianapolis

Recollections of a Red Cross Mental Health Volunteer   After the attacks on Sept 11, 2001, the FAA ordered all planes in the air to […]

Chapbook2 Comments on On 9/11 Mexico City Flight Diverted to Indianapolis
February 12, 2020September 19, 2020

While Dad Went to War

A heartwarming story of a little girl’s time in a safe idyllic setting while her dad served in the Navy. My children, for a good […]

Chapbook6 Comments on While Dad Went to War
February 2, 2020September 13, 2020

Hospice

Dying is the biggest event in one’s life. A person, aware of their imminent death, must be afforded the opportunity to do this with dignity. […]

Chapbook5 Comments on Hospice
January 26, 2020September 5, 2020

Fire and Ice – Iceland

  Pingvellir National Park. This national park in Iceland is where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Fire and Ice – Iceland
January 18, 2020August 30, 2020

Medical Memoir of an Irish Catholic

A powerful personal statement kicks off this Chapbook companion to Your Good Life Weekly.   Born in 1935 in a middle-class family in Dayton, Ohio, […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Medical Memoir of an Irish Catholic
December 15, 2019December 22, 2019

Christmas Blessings

  “I don’t want a tree this year. Our apartment is too small. We’ve had so much stress in the last year and a half. […]

Chapbook2 Comments on Christmas Blessings
September 2, 2019December 22, 2019

A Country Morning

A reflection on the beauty of a country morning celebrates a pristine time that can be a metaphor for life itself. “Stop! Help!” I hear […]

Chapbook2 Comments on A Country Morning
August 5, 2019January 4, 2020

A Traveler’s Tales

It was the end of our second week as full time campers, when I made the call to the RV repair service. We were concerned […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on A Traveler’s Tales
July 1, 2019August 12, 2020

My Name is Sophie

Pets can be a healthy addition to a senior living community both for the owners and for other residents who may not be able to […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on My Name is Sophie
June 24, 2019August 5, 2020

One Hundred Year Old Doll

  Treasures, sometimes of high value and others whose main value is sentiment and memories, pass through families over generations. They affect the people involved […]

Chapbook1 Comment on One Hundred Year Old Doll
May 27, 2019July 29, 2020

Balcony gardening, or it must be 5 o’clock somewhere

  Congratulations Jackie for successfully mastering the Grow Box and for sharing your experience. Now we look forward to a lush garden that was promised […]

Chapbook1 Comment on Balcony gardening, or it must be 5 o’clock somewhere
May 20, 2019July 22, 2020

The Gardener that Could be Any of Us

  There are different ways enjoy your garden. There is no right way; just the best way for you. Just about anywhere in the country […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on The Gardener that Could be Any of Us
April 29, 2019July 15, 2020

An Indelible Memory

  My father confirmed a strong memory that I have of an event prior to the first grade. It is my first memory from childhood. […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on An Indelible Memory
April 29, 2019July 8, 2020

Full Time Camping in Retirement

Life as a senior does not march in lock step. There are alternatives and the following describes one. After thirty years of camping experience, my […]

Chapbook5 Comments on Full Time Camping in Retirement
April 8, 2019July 1, 2020

Corntoss, A Fun Sport for All

  Also known as cornhole, baggo, beanbag, corntoss has gone from being a tailgate event in the Midwest to a nationwide pastime with championship games […]

Chapbook6 Comments on Corntoss, A Fun Sport for All
March 31, 2019January 14, 2020

The Vonnegut Name

In business for more than 100 years, the Vonnegut Hardware, a fixture in Indianapolis, was a vibrant business with talented team, members like the man […]

Chapbook2 Comments on The Vonnegut Name
February 25, 2019June 17, 2020

Peep Show

  Accompanying your husband on a medical trip to Brussels can be a memorable experience. What occurred at the time of the Brussels’ World’s Fair […]

ChapbookLeave a Comment on Peep Show

 

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