Story box

 Is it writer's block, or have I just said all I want to say? I've likely used every word combination I know, so maybe this is the final stop for story retirement. But what does one do with over a thousand stories stored away in digital clouds—written, saved, and rarely revisited?

When I began my writing journey, I used paper and pen, doubting I'd ever use a typewriter, and never did. Boxes of stories, all handwritten now, rest with other boxes full of memories and are shoved into an empty space in an already cluttered garage.

I opened a box recently, a smile on my face as I picked something out to read, and instantly remembered where and when I had written it. It was written on a bar napkin, the ink smudged a little from a drink that sat on it. I remember asking the barmaid for a topic and writing something for her. Believe it or not, it was a good pickup line. There were literally hundreds of scraps of paper, even paper bags, and a page from a phone book, all with my words, my stories, and my passion for the written word.

I came across a binder of song lyrics I had written over the years, along with a couple of CDs in demo form, but they never went any further and joined the rest of the forgotten word soldiers in the box of the unread. I've never gone more than a few days without writing something. I had to, was compelled to, and lived for the release of a potential story that was filling my head to the point of exploding. And then came my blog.

A place I could tell stories, most only a few paragraphs depicting fantasy with my own life adventures all rolled up into a neat little story I shared with anyone who would take a minute or two and read them. The years passed, and the stories kept coming almost daily. Hundreds of themes that grew to thousands, but sadly never reached the audience I longed for.

So maybe this is the end of my storytelling, and my keyboard, with well-worn keys, should be put in a box, in a well-deserved resting place among the forgotten stories I had such hopes for. Who knows? Maybe one day my box will be found by a family member clearing out my life's stories, and they will take the time to read them and find themselves right where I wanted them to be.

Mike 2026