The J-Spot

Arguably, the military is probably the best job you could ever have. I say that only because of the advice we got from one of our commanding officers right at the start of my journey into boot camp. During induction and the filling out of paperwork you’re told that you can retire rich if you just save your money. It’s no joke. Problem is, most everyone who goes into the military is going there because they need a little discipline in their lives, not because they are smart; saving money requires said discipline — even when your room and board is paid for. However, If you do go in because you are smart, then you are off to a wonderful and rewarding career… and yes, you can retire a millionaire. I was everyone. I’d like to slough off a little blame onto my best friend who dropped from our buddy system agreement at the last minute, and think that he was the one who needed the discipline, but who’s asking? Regardless, I was far from smart . When you st...

“Push with your shoulders! Keep your arms by your ears! Breathe! Just go over, you stupid bit*h!” Anyone who has mastered a seemingly impossible feat will know that only practice makes perfect. But, there is always that little voice inside that tells us that if we just understand some tiny trick or piece of knowledge that we will, then, magically be able to perform. Would there were some little blue pill that would just make us stand up straight and stiff! I used to ask my coach how he was able to hold his handstand for as long as he wanted, and he would always just smile, sometimes offering me a little advice, “ Keep your butt tight .” Often, I wondered if he was actually trying to help or just making a joke about sodomy. What’s with all of the sexual innuendos? Looking back, I can see that the best advice he could give me was no advice at all . The more you try and tell someone how it’s done, the more time they spend thinking and the less time they spend ...

Did you know that a fish will eat itself to death? It's scary to consider that we might do the same. I once drank diet green tea by the half gallon because I liked the way it tasted and figured, well, it has no sugar in it, it tastes good, has health benefits, what could go wrong? But, soon I found out that, it's not the sugar that is gonna kill ya. It's the glut.      Sammy died in 2017 after being diagnosed with end stage renal failure in Memphis, TN. The reasons were never quite solid. Some said he consumed too much MSG. Linda died in 2012 on a hospital bed in Sacramento. Some said it was because of all of the high-fructose corn syrup.      Jimmy said goodbye to his mom in 2015 at the bedside of a Hospice house in Houston. He swore it was because she drank too much diet coke.      Life is hard.      It's meant to be hard. If you want to know what real life is then, try telling your three year ol...

THERE ONCE WAS A STORY ABOUT A BOY WHO LOVED A TREE He ate fruit from it as a toddler. He played in its branches as an adolescent. He fell in love under it, while picnicking, as a teenager. He chopped it down and made a house out of it as an adult. Then, as an old man, he sat on the stump to think about his oldest and most useful acquaintance. Boy, did he see that trees were really useful! It took an awful long time for him to listen to a tree's advice. Perhaps, if he weren't so busy making something out of it, he would have heard the tree's whisper before it was gone. Has anyone ever been still enough to hear your whisper? A tree has. You know, trees have been found to have extraordinary capabilities. They can react to painful stimuli. Trees can communicate with other trees and animals. They can even defend themselves. Did you know the largest living organism on the planet is a grove of trees in California connected entirely at the roots? Also, If you refrigerate a...

Footsteps. You see them stretch ahead. Look how far you have to go.   Journeys of a single step. Some on roads to success. Some to failure. Some on the road to recovery... Look, in the water. There's a face there, undulating with the surf. Frequently bearded with the soft swell of sea-foam.   Clear eyes. Chiseled features. Behind you, footsteps stretch out to the horizon. Look how far you've come. To hell with respite! You'll never be a step ahead of the face in the waves. There's only how far along you've come. -Jay M Horne Jay Horne is an author and publisher out of Bradenton, Florida who has shared a genuine interest in philosophy and writing since early childhood. He is a husband and father of four. Jay enjoys writing fiction, humor, horror, and teen & young adult. View all of his professional and philosophical works of literature on his Amazon author page where you will find blogs, videos, and free excerpts: Jay M...

How much do you think you are worth? As much as you would love your income stream to be coming from your vlogging activities, it just isn't going to happen for you until you purchase yourself. That's right, purchase  yourself . The world is brimming with teenagers vowing to be the next YouTube, Twitch, and Tiktok entrepreneur. I should know, I have a couple of them. We've all been young and naive about where money comes from and how it multiplies, so I'm targeting this article to those guys, and girls... let's be politically correct, it is 2020. Aren't we, as adults, really doing the same thing with our blogging, coaching, painting, writing, and other free-lance activities? If we've learned our lesson, the answer is no. When my son or daughter says to me that they will be the next millionaire, it makes me proud. At least I know they have self-worth. But, putting such a hefty price tag on yourself, as a kid, might make you feel a little de...

The Talisman by Stephen King My rating: 2 of 5 stars I have read so many of King's works, I was having trouble finding one, when I came across this title. I didn't check the copyright date before reading and starting really struggling to get through the thing. Of course, I had just finished reading 'On writing', and I suppose it kinda threw me when I was seeing all of King's suggestions being broken one by one. After you check the publication date you will see it is one of his very early books. Before he started killing his darlings. The story is good, but it is so descriptive that you just skip a lot of it. I found myself jumping to the next bit of dialogue just to use my imagination a little. I can't complain. The combination of his book ' On writing ' (A FIVE STAR READ- every writer should read it- IMO) and then reading this early work of his, have showed me what I am doing to my readers when I don't murder my darlings a little, too. Lord knows...