Category Archives: Short Stories

There was a time when I went through a rough stretch at work. As a social worker it was clear to me that carrying this kind of burden would last just so long and I’d start to pay a heavy price. I decided I needed a program of “self-medication” to treat my stress, not with drugs or substances, but with what I thought would lead me into an inner realm where a healing process could be touched. Writing and photography were those two areas.

Writing was something that came easily to me. It was a big part of my role as a social worker in my reports and client summaries. As an introvert I was comfortable setting words to paper, more so than reporting verbally where the risk was ever present of being caught in that socially awkward situation of going blank out of fear.

My writing became half of my self-medicating regimen. It involved writing short stories , usually only 3-4 typed pages in length, depicting the battle of the forces of light vs. those of darkness. The protagonist was usually young, 8-12 years of age, often a young girl, accompanied by a guide from the spirit world. The villains were modeled after three executives I was acquainted with who fit the bill of villainy. Together the protagonist and her spirit guide fought and vanquished the forces of darkness. This part of my “self-medicating treatment” resulted in 45 short stories.