– read the room, comrades.

Soldiers on both sides of any divide are more alike than different in what they want.

–  random “damn them.”

A lifetime of achievement and personal development does not escape completely the indelible imprints of childhood.

– no way to make up for regret.

One teenage moment of thoughtless action lingers for a lifetime, as it should—or not.

-- the point of Halloween.

An old master of interaction creates a new trick that treats his gaggle of ghosts and goblins to a nearly lost Halloween spirit from his childhood, unmasking their pretenses and revealing to them something about themselves less scary than they might think it.

– extermination determination.

Unwanted visitors must be dealt with as unpleasant as they may be.

– breath is life.

A small child chokes while eating; panicked parents struggle in response.

– you know what I mean?

Some people can tell you more than you want to know.

– a painful grafting onto the family tree.

Uncovering the possible truth his grandmother avoided telling offers more consternation than consolation.

– revenge of the 6-year-old.

A wronged child welcomes home the prodigal parents with a flood of retribution.

– helpmates attacked by worry and worse.

Musing a cacophony of troubles is interrupted by the possibility of the unthinkable.