Starting Over

I settled into my chair, donut in one hand, coffee in the other. I shut my eyes, smelled my coffee, and felt the warmth of the cup spread to my fingers. Relaxation washed over me. And then I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“We gotta go,” Roger said.

“No,” I said, my eyes still closed. “We don’t have to do anything. I have to drink my coffee. Maybe you gotta go.”

“Trevor’s shop is on fire.”

The Strip Club, Trevor’s furniture restoration shop, was full of wood, paint thinners, and varnishes. It went up like a road flare. By the time we got there, the shop had burned to a smoking heap.

I expected him to be crushed. Maybe he was in shock, but he smiled when he saw us.

“Wasn’t a total loss,” he said, holding up a sander. “I have the first tool I’ll need to start over.”

In his shoes, I thought I’d be crushed. All his hard work had gone up in flames. Trevor was already planning to rebuild.

Today I look for inspiration from people who start over.

Dogged Determination ©2018 & 2019 by Ken Montrose

Dogged Determination is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and anyone you might know is purely coincidental.

Other works by Ken Montrose are available at: www.greenbriartraining.com https://www.pinterest.com/kenmontrose/mt-rose/