The unique title, Concrete and Dirt, derives from that which underlies our feet in our daily walks, the ones we make to lose weight or to get in shape or to fill up a weekend: the concrete that man has fashioned, surrounding our homes and neighborhoods, to provide durability and uniformity, cleanliness and conformity; and the dirt trails that existed before and will continue until the sun runs out of fuel, full of variety and surprise, renewal and hope.
The stories that lie within this collection take the reader into the minds of a variety of characters, to explore the emotions that plague us, the frustrations that try to overwhelm us, and the moral fiber that lies within each of us that helps us to rise again from our falls. Within narrative, we investigate the ultimate questions of our existence. Why are we here? What is our purpose of life? Is life about bringing moments of happiness to ourselves, or is it about helping others? How do we handle physical pain and death, and the fear they invoke? How do we deal with the moments in life when we are alone and lonely? What is friendship, its expectations, its benefits? How do we manage life when we find ourselves trapped by life’s necessities, freedoms seemingly taken away, feeling over-worked and under-loved?
You won’t find a question and answer format within the covers of this book. You will have to trudge through each tale, following the steps of the characters, exploring their thoughts and conversations, their actions and reactions, as trees and leaves, spiders and bees, children and adults, males and females, the hard-working and the opportunistic each struggle to overcome, struggle to understand, struggle to find answers. Pore deeply into each, listen to what they say, judge their behaviors, and you just might find that their questions beget more within your own mind, about your quest, about your trek.
Prose and poetry await you within, as do storms and accidents, despair and hope, death and resurrection, condemnation and salvation. Some stories will take a few moments of your day and bring laughter, while others will take an hour and create worry and concern. Will bravery erupt within a character, or will they crumble in fear’s onslaught? Will loneliness destroy an individual, or will they realize that the sun will rise again? Read and find out, as you trek along the sidewalks of concrete and the trails of dirt.
