Do you think you're living an ordinary life? You are so mistaken it's difficult to even explain.

The mere
fact that you exist makes you extraordinary. The odds of you existing are less than winning the lottery,
but here you are. Are you going to let this extraordinary opportunity pass?

Mary had to make a decision and she knew that whatever decision she made, it would upset someone.
It seemed like such a silly reason for people to get upset but she knew the minute that she began to
consider doing it that there was no way everyone in her life would be pleased with what she ultimately
decided to do. It was simply a question of who she would rather displease most. While this had always
been her parents, and especially her mom, in the past that she tried to keep from upsetting, she decided
that this time the person she was going to please the most with her decision was herself.

The words hadn't flowed from his fingers for the past few weeks. He never imagined he'd find himself
with writer's block, but here he sat with a blank screen in front of him. That blank screen taunting him
day after day had started to play with his mind. He didn't understand why he couldn't even type a single
word, just one to begin the process and build from there. And yet, he already knew that the eight hours
he was prepared to sit in front of his computer today would end with the screen remaining blank.

Sarah watched the whirlpool mesmerized. She couldn't take her eyes off the water swirling around and
around. She stuck in small twigs and leaves to watch the whirlpool catch them and then suck them
down. It bothered her more than a little bit that this could also be used as a metaphor for her life.

There wasn't a bird in the sky, but that was not what caught her attention. It was the clouds. The deep
green that isn't the color of clouds, but came with these. She knew what was coming and she hoped she
was prepared.

He slowly poured the drink over a large chunk of ice he has especially chiseled off a larger block. He
didn't particularly like his drinks cold, but he knew that the drama of chiseling the ice and then pouring a
drink over it looked far more impressive than how he actually liked it. It was all about image and he'd
managed to perfect the image that he wanted to project.

Her eyebrows were a shade darker than her hair. They were thick and almost horizontal, emphasizing
the depth of her eyes. She was rather handsome than beautiful. Her face was captivating by reason of a
certain frankness of expression and a contradictory subtle play of features. Her manner was engaging.

His mother had always taught him not to ever think of himself as better than others. He'd tried to live by
this motto. He never looked down on those who were less fortunate or who had less money than him.
But the stupidity of the group of people he was talking to made him change his mind.

He looked at the sand. Picking up a handful, he wondered how many grains were in his hand. Hundreds
of thousands? "Not enough," the said under his breath. I need more.

It really shouldn't have mattered to Betty. That's what she kept trying to convince herself even if she
knew it mattered to Betty more than practically anything else. Why was she trying to convince herself
otherwise? As she stepped forward to knock on Betty's door, she still didn't have a convincing answer to
this question that she'd been asking herself for more than two years now.

It was difficult to explain to them how the diagnosis of certain death had actually given him life. While
everyone around him was in tears and upset, he actually felt more at ease. The doctor said it would be
less than a year. That gave him a year to live, something he'd failed to do with his daily drudgery of a
routine that had passed as life until then.

Her mom had warned her. She had been warned time and again, but she had refused to believe her. She
had done everything right and she knew she would be rewarded for doing so with the promotion. So
when the promotion was given to her main rival, it not only stung, it threw her belief system into
disarray. It was her first big lesson in life, but not the last.

What were they eating? It didn't taste like anything she had ever eaten before and although she was
famished, she didn't dare ask. She knew the answer would be one she didn't want to hear.

Indescribable oppression, which seemed to generate in some unfamiliar part of her consciousness, filled
her whole being with a vague anguish. It was like a shadow, like a mist passing across her soul's summer
day. It was strange and unfamiliar; it was a mood. She did not sit there inwardly upbraiding her husband,
lamenting at Fate, which had directed her footsteps to the path which they had taken. She was just
having a good cry all to herself. The mosquitoes made merry over her, biting her firm, round arms and
nipping at her bare insteps.

Sometimes that's just the way it has to be. Sure, there were probably other options, but he didn't let
them enter his mind. It was done and that was that. It was just the way it had to be.

What were the chances? It would have to be a lot more than 100 to 1. It was likely even more than
1,000 to 1. The more he thought about it, the odds of it happening had to be more than 10,000 to 1 and
even 100,000 to 1. People often threw around the chances of something happening as being 1,000,000
to 1 as an exaggeration of an unlikely event, but he could see that they may actually be accurate in this
situation. Whatever the odds of it happening, he knew they were big. What he didn't know was whether
this happening was lucky or unlucky.

She was aware that things could go wrong. In fact, she had trained her entire life in anticipation that
things would go wrong one day. She had quiet confidence as she started to see that this was the day
that all her training would be worthwhile and useful. At this point, she had no idea just how wrong
everything would go that day.

Lori lived her life through the lens of a camera. She never realized this until this very moment as she
scrolled through thousands of images on your computer. She could remember the exact moment each
photo was taken. She could remember where she had been, what she was thinking as she tried to get
the shot, the smells of the surrounding area, and even the emotions that she felt taking the photo, yet
she had trouble remembering what she had for breakfast.

Don't forget that gifts often come with costs that go beyond their purchase price. When you purchase a
child the latest smartphone, you're also committing to a monthly phone bill. When you purchase the
latest gaming system, you're likely not going to be satisfied with the games that come with it for long
and want to purchase new titles to play. When you buy gifts it's important to remember that some come
with additional costs down the road that can be much more expensive than the initial gift itself.

Dave found joy in the daily routine of life. He awoke at the same time, ate the same breakfast and drove
the same commute. He worked at a job that never seemed to change and he got home at 6 pm sharp
every night. It was who he had been for the last ten years and he had no idea that was all about to
change.