About a month ago,
I wandered into the cafeteria and found a young man, a new ninth grade student,
on his cellphone. He saw me and panicked, because we have a no cellphone policy
during class time. He quickly explained that he was trying to contact his mom
or grandmother to have one or the other come to school and bring him $5 to pay
a bill. I smiled and told him not to worry.
I had a couple of
decisions to make. I could have busted him for a cellphone violation. I could
have allowed him to make the call, have his mom or grandmother fly up to school
and hand him a five dollar bill, which would have inconvenienced mom or
grandma, and would have made the boy miss more time out of class.
Or, I could loan .
. . give . . . him a five dollar bill I knew I had in my wallet.
I did the latter.
The boy was
stunned. Not sure why, really. He at first rejected it, but I told him it was
okay, no worry. He asked if I was sure, and I said I was, and that I trusted
him. He asked if I wanted his name, and I said I did. He introduced himself,
and I introduced myself, I shook his hand, and I walked away.
I knew nothing
about the boy. I don’t know if he was rich or poor, a great student or one who
struggled. I don’t know if he was a “labeled” student: 504, IEP, FBI, or CIA.
Okay, I think we can rule out the FBI and CIA. The point is, that this young
man was friendly and polite, if not a bit embarrassed, and I did what I thought
needed to be done.
I had and have no
expectations. I didn’t know if I would ever see that $5 again. I’ve done that
sort of thing before, though usually it amounts to a quarter here or a dollar
there. Sometimes I get it back, sometimes not. I think many of us do the same
thing.
We have
expectations, don’t we?
We like to be paid
back. We’d like our kindness returned. It hurts a little, when our gift or
kindness or the money we loaned isn’t reciprocated.
But then I wonder
about our expectations . . .
I didn’t give that
young man $5 without considering whether or not I might see it again. But in
the end, I know I did the right thing. The young man didn’t miss class, his mom
and grandmother weren’t inconvenienced, and life went on.
I think,
sometimes, we get too caught up in expectation. We want a return. We want
reciprocation. But honestly, expectation taints the giving and it taints the
giver.
Mother Teresa is
one of my heroes. Her Missionaries of Charity manage homes for people who are
dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis. These missionaries run soup
kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, children's and family counseling
programs, as well as orphanages and schools.
What can a man or
woman, a young boy or girl dying of aids possibly give her in return? What can
an orphan give back to her?
Mother Teresa
didn’t have a lot of expectation as she went about serving others. Quite the
opposite. She is quoted as saying, “Intense love does not measure, it just
gives.”
Love just gives.
No expectation. Not needing or expecting anything in return. I think we can all
manage that. Life, ours and theirs, might be a little better off, don’t you
think? To give without expectation. Love gives. We might try it. Oh, and that
$5 I gave that young man? Haven’t seen it yet. Don’t think I will, either.
Doesn’t matter. I know I did the right thing. Something to think about . . .
Live Your Life,
and Make A Difference!
To My Readers:
Connect with me on Social Media:
Twitter at
@jrlewisauthor
Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/Joseph.Lewis.Author
Good News!
Spiral Into Darkness has been nominated for Top Shelf Book Awards! That is
quite an honor! I’ll find out more in late November or early December.
Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer for Midwest Review had some wonderful things to say about Spiral Into Darkness:
“Joseph Lewis
excels in building more than just a 'whodunnit' mystery. His is a novel of
psychological suspense that weaves a 'cat-and-mouse' game into the equation of
dealing with a killer who is much cleverer than anyone he's run up against in
his career as a detective. Tension builds in an excellent, methodical manner as
Lewis creates a scenario that rests firmly on not just the actions of all
involved, but their psychological foundations. The result is a powerfully
written work of psychological fiction that is highly recommended not just for
mystery and police procedural readers, but for those who appreciate literary
works well grounded in strong characters, plot development, and emotional
tension. Great buildup, great insights, great reading!”
Readers Favorites wrote:
“If you enjoy
thrillers, especially psychological ones, Spiral
Into Darkness by Joseph Lewis will grab you good and proper in the opening
two chapters. You will find yourself avidly turning pages as a serial killer
accosts his victims, confirms their identities and blasts away their faces with
a .38 pistol. If you are interested in both the good and bad sides of humanity
and why we each turn out as we do, Spiral
Into Darkness won’t disappoint.”
Best Thrillers wrote:
“The Bottom Line:
A thoroughly compulsive police procedural by one of America’s most promising
new writers. Joseph Lewis, author of our
Best of 2018 pick Caught in a Web, is back with another crime thriller
featuring world-weary Milwaukee detective Jamie Graff . . . While Lewis
savagely explores romance, drama, and sexuality with his wider cast of
characters, Jamie’s interpersonal life is refreshingly free of drama for a cop,
enabling him to be the determined, resourceful rock capable of cracking the
case. The result is a thoroughly compulsive crime thriller.”
And, Spiral Into Darkness has made it into
the Top 50 Indie Books by Reader’s
Choice!
You can find Spiral Into Darkness on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm and on Barnes and Noble at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spiral-into-darkness-joseph-lewis/1129937958;jsessionid=0C9F7881E2F56139FAD36435022CB35D.prodny_store01-atgap18?ean=9781684332090
Best Thrillers had
previously reviewed my book, Caught in a
Web. It was named as a PenCraft
Literary Award Winner for Thriller Fiction! Best Thrillers called it “one of the best crime thriller books of
the year!” I am both proud and humbled.
You can find Caught in a Web on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696
or on Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/caught-in-a-web-joseph-lewis/1128250923?ean=9781684330249
Caught in a Web is
now available in Audio format. You
can find it at https://www.beaconaudiobooks.com/audiobookreleases/high-school-drug-rings-gangs-and-revenge-are-all-encompassing-in-caught-in-a-web-by-joseph-lewis
If you do read Caught in a Web, Spiral Into Darkness, or any of my other books, please leave a
rating and a review. I would appreciate it. Thanks for this consideration!
Spiral Into Darkness:
He blends in. He
is successful, intelligent and methodical. He has a list and has murdered eight
on it so far. There is no discernible pattern. There are no clues. There are no
leads. The only thing the FBI and local police have to go on is the method of
death: two bullets to the face- gruesome and meant to send a message. But it’s
difficult to understand any message coming from a dark and damaged mind. Two
adopted boys, struggling in their own world, have no idea they are the next
targets. Neither does their family. And neither does local law enforcement. https://amzn.to/2RBWvTm
Caught in a Web:
The bodies of high
school and middle school kids are found dead from an overdose of heroin and
fentanyl. The drug trade along the I-94 and I-43 corridors and the Milwaukee
Metro area is controlled by MS-13, a violent gang originating from El Salvador.
Ricardo Fuentes is sent from Chicago to Waukesha to find out who is cutting in
on their business, shut it down and teach them a lesson. But he has an ulterior
motive: find and kill a fifteen-year-old boy, George Tokay, who had killed his
cousin the previous summer.
Detectives Jamie
Graff, Pat O’Connor and Paul Eiselmann race to find the source of the drugs,
shut down the ring, and find Fuentes before he kills anyone else, especially
George or members of his family. The three detectives discover the ring has its
roots in a high school among the students and staff. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CKF7696
Book One of the Lives Trilogy, Stolen Lives:
Two thirteen year
old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI
agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead!
They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists
that one of his team members might be involved. http://tinyurl.com/Stolen-Lives-J-Lewis
Book Two of the Lives Trilogy, Shattered Lives:
Six men escaped
and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger
and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no
leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them. http://tinyurl.com/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis
Book Three of the Lives Trilogy, Splintered Lives:
A 14 year old boy
knows the end is coming. What he doesn’t know is when, where or by whom.
Without that knowledge, neither he nor the FBI can protect him or his family.
The Lives Trilogy Prequel, Taking Lives:
FBI Agent Pete
Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys
left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know
one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett McGovern, and 11 year
old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become
interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three
of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in
jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://tinyurl.com/Taking-Lives-J-Lewis
Photo courtesy of Unknown
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Thank you for your comment. I welcome your thought. Joe