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2020 Silver Linings? Absolutely.

2020 Silver Linings Available on Amazon

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Kindle, Paperback, Hard Cover, Audible

For Better or Worse, 2020 Changed Us. Here Are 12 Authors and 46 Contributors Who Say the Changes Were For the Better. Eventually.

No longer having carpet in your bathroom. Losing a job, finding a calling. Listening to elk bugle. Planting a garden. Discovering dyslexia in a child. Moving out of your in-laws’ house. Game nights with married children. Rest and nature walks. Unexpected time with grandmother. Teaching kids to fish and not to panic. Zoom, for visiting, schooling, worshiping, celebrating, working.

These are victories under any circumstances, but especially so under the murky, heavy clouds that 2020 forced on us. Here is proof that hope illuminated the darkness of even our worst days, in public, in the privacy of our homes, enough that we could see what mattered most, and still strive for it.

Circumstances forced us to slow down and observe, to question or strengthen our beliefs, to enrich or diminish our relationships, to search and discover our own souls in the midst of societal upheaval.

Here are a dozen authors, experts and professionals in their fields, but not a household name among them. Here are 46 noncelebrities who somehow summarized their 2020 silver linings in 60 words or less. These are real people, real heroes in real life, who understand, first hand, that “adversity is the abrasive that gives the sharp edge to courage.”

These are genuine, simple, substantial stories of courage in the face of profound, crushing darkness, ordinary men and women who responded with extraordinary mettle, faith, service, and good cheer, despite the odds, despite their fears, in their ongoing quest for deliverance, for mastering whatever the new normal turns out to be.

Audio of Three Hands is a Fun Ride

Actor/Voice Artist/Narrator Marlin May Delivers Funny, Lively, Way Cool Interpretation of Three Hands

This is what I told Marlin:

Seriously, Marlin, you have done an outstanding job, very, very good. I love the character voices, a most pleasant surprise. Your expression of humor, or your interpretation of my humor, is spot on, exactly as I would do it were I telling these stories out loud. Your pacing is exactly right, and your delivery is lively, personal, sincere, open, inviting. It was extremely easy to listen to and I found myself absorbed in it, absorbed by it, wondering what would come next. I laughed out loud at least a dozen times, and I know the jokes. I know all the bits, but you bring them to life in a way that is above and beyond the words. Your work is a triumph in every way.

This is what I posted on Facebook:

Of the 450 or so Audible books I own, this is without question one of the top five narrations. That alone is worth the price of the book, and the book ain't bad, especially if you like wild adventure stories. I highly recommend both. This audiobook comes with a guarantee: if you don't like it, I'LL listen to it.

You need a first-class narrator? Find Marlin at marlinmay.com. You want to listen to a first-class narrator, Marlin has close to 100 books on Audible. Look him up.

It's a worthy cause. Donate if you can. Thanks.

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/JohnGratton

Look Ma, Three Hands

And Four Years With No Car

Bike Riding in Traffic and Other Enduring Mysteries

People yell, honk, throw things, even bark and howl at me, just because I ride a bike in traffic. I understand their frustration. I used to be one of those miserable car drivers, too, and there are few things worse.

The three times I’ve driven in the last four years have confirmed that going bike only was the right decision, a physically and emotionally satisfying experience. Except for suicidal chipmunks, bloody, rib-breaking crashes, and all the women running after me to high-five my helmet, my 18,000 miles on the bike have been good. I have one of the best farmer’s tans in the country, my legs are like rocks, plus, my annual transportation costs average just $280.

Here are some of those stories, outlined by the 2020 Trek Century Challenge, a 31-day, 715-mile ride filled with adventure and wonder, plus tales of bike rides long ago. Most of them are funny, except for the sad ones, and the few that I can’t decide are which. Also, there’s no poetry. Find it here on Amazon.