Twice Saved by Death

When the narrator attends the funeral of an old friend, a Veteran who had been homeless, he is stunned when, being the only person to attend, he is given the flag from the coffin. Feeling he could have easily wound up homeless and friendless himself, he begins to relive his own life, beginning with the oldest memory in his possession, to see where he made his biggest mistakes and poorest career choices. He takes the reader on a humorous, philosophical, and often brutally eye-opening trek that chronicles his transformation from shy, devout Altar Boy, who wants to be a priest, to slick, soulless salesman who battles with himself over the necessity to leave his conscience at home in order to succeed. Just what was it that brought him to the very brink of suicide just before reading his friend’s obituary? The book is full of rare, uncommon and touching observations and analogies and comical situations that cover the narrator’s tremendous successes and abysmal failures. He begins all but two of the chapters with samples of his poetry. He describes his creative projects, such as a unique comic strip involving inanimate objects called 'At the Dump', a compassionate but humorous newspaper column called 'Through These Eyes, and his major opus, 'Simple: An Odyssey in music', an acoustic rock opera in which he creates a new genre of song lyrics, WHISLs (words hidden in song lyrics). Failing in love is discussed, along with falling in love. He talks about raising two daughters and gives his thoughts on what it’s like to have a precious daughter wind up in the middle of the Iraq war. He speaks at length of the automobile business, in which he finds himself mired for years, and it is a damning testimonial of how big city automobile dealerships are operated. The last chapter will lead the reader on a journey through a suicidal mind, explain how and why it became that way, and show what the enlightenment was that prevented him from going through with it. It will also sum up everything and all points made throughout the entire journey will be brought together. The reader will then, after having his/her breath denied, be gently laid back down to earth with a feather’s touch.