Steve Haggerty

Faith, Family, Friends Steve Haggerty

Our country is divided, more acrimonious than I have ever seen it. But there are some constants, no matter what craziness is circling around us. This collection of short stories deals with those constants: FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS. Of course, some constants are not so solid as they seem. The first story in this anthology, THE BIG SPIKE, deals with a rather important social issue our society is struggling with now, and has been struggling with for some time. It is a very difficult subject, and this story will not make it any easier. Next comes LUCKY'S which is a fanciful look at some of the issues we are dealing with here in the early twenty-first century. Though it touches on many subjects, it ultimately brings them all together in one nice tidy package. The following three stories are more personal in nature, inspired by and loosely paralleling the author's relationships with his three children. First comes FULL CIRCLE, where a young mother deals with balancing her perfect career and her perfect children with the imperfection of her marriage. And good ole dad is often more a hindrance than a help. Next is CLOSURE, where another young woman has to deal with her successes, her passions, and her disappointments with the old man sticking his nose into the mix. What are dads for? And finally, in EASIER, the old man realizes his ultimate potential, ultimately connecting with a past and present he can barely recognize. But all is not lost, at least not forever. The final two stories in this anthology touch on friendships and rivalries, the entwining of the two, and how politics can even make sense from both sides of the spectrum. In MIKEY AND ME, two old friends with radically opposed political, social, and spiritual views show that over decades, opposites can still remain close. And finally, with THE RIDE (Parts I and II) our current political crisis is highlighted in a very strange way, aboard the Presidential limousine, when the occupants drop all guards and only the truth remains. Enjoy.