In addition to writing mysteries and nonfiction, I also have been known to pen a short story or two or three, or more. Some time ago, I compiled three of those stories into a short book, The Wisdom of Ages. While I do focus on celebrating strong women in my fiction, I’ve always had a fascination with the wisdom that older men have garnered through a long life filled with a mix of highs and lows, challenges and successes.
That fascination started with my two grandfathers.
One who lived in Detroit the other in Fairmont West Virginia. Not only did they come from drastically different environments, they also had disparate lives.
I never knew many details about their backgrounds, their jobs, how they supported their families. These were things that were not talked about with children. What I do vividly recall about both of them are the lessons I learned from them when I was about ten years old.
My paternal grandfather in West Virginia, instilled in me a strong sense of respect for the property of others. It came through an incident that involved his favorite carving knife. On blustery winter evenings, Grandpa Van Gilder was fond of spending an hour or so in front of the fireplace where he’d sit and rock and whittle.
Whenever my family visited the grandparents for Thanksgiving, I enjoyed watching him create something out of a chunk of wood, and he was acutely aware of my fascination with that knife. When he finished carving, he’d close the knife and put it on the mantle, where it would be when he was ready to repeat the process the next evening. He’d stand, stretch his legs, and before walking to the kitchen, remind me that I was never to touch that knife.
Well, one day this Ms-Born-on-the-4th-of-July had to sneak back in to the now empty living room and snatch the knife. It was incredibly sharp, and small fingers fumbled with getting the blade out..
I still have the faint scar on my finger where it cut me deeply.
After blood was stemmed and bandages applied, I stood in terror before that formidable man, anticipating a beating like I’d get from my mother for such a transgression. Instead, Grandpa looked at me with a hint of sadness and said that he was very disappointed that I had to hurt myself too learn to respect other people’s property. But he was glad that I hadn’t cut my finger off. That soft approach to discipline was something that my father then carried on for the rest of my formative years.
The lesson that I learned from Grandpa Stewart in Detroit has to do with writing and not giving up on a desire or a dream. It was a warm summer day, and we sat out on the balcony of the high-rise apartment building where he and Grandma lived. Mother and my sister were inside with Grandma.
On a previous visit, I’d told him about a story I’d written, and he said he’d like to read it, so I pulled a folded sheet of paper out of my pocket and gave it to him. After he read the story, he smiled and told me how good it was, even though it was probably riddled with grammar and spelling mistakes. But he saw in me this dream to be a writer and he didn’t dash that dream with a harsh criticism. He told me to keep on writing and get better and better.
He also said how proud he was of me.
Not many people said that to me when I was a child, so his words left a mark on me as significant as that scar on my forefinger.
Young people need those marks. Those scars. Those reminders of what is right and wrong. Those affirmations.
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During the writing of the three stories in this collection, The Wisdom of Ages, I also learned some lessons about life and living it with grace and courage.
*** ABOUT THE BOOK***
Three stories; four men whose lives take unexpected turns.
Meet Samson who wonders what’s down that country road that draws people so. Should he get in that old truck and go see?
Mel and Rube have been having dinner at the Leavenworth Grill every Wednesday for years. One day the menu changes and so does life for Mel.
Tom would give anything for his life to change. Can he beat back the effects of a crippling stroke by sheer force of determination? Growing old is not for the faint of heart.
Praise for The Wisdom of Ages
“These three gems will make you think about time and how you use it. Maryann Miller has a rare gift for taking the pulse of ordinary lives and spinning that into extraordinary tales.” — Craig Lancaster, author of 600 Hours of Edward and The Summer Son
“Miller shares her skills as a writer and her humanity in this inspiring glimpse into the realities of aging and the heartbreak of letting go.” Paula Stallings Yost Editor/Author, What Wildness is This: Women Write About the Southwest “Sometimes the best stories come at the end of our lives, and so do the strongest lessons. Read Maryann Miller’s poignant vignettes about aging and let them tug at your heart-strings. They capture the very essence of our tender humanity.” ~ Dani Greer, author and editor.
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READ AN EBOOK WEEK COMING!
The Wisdom of Ages will be promoted as part of a special sale on Smashwords to celebrate 2025 Read an Ebook Week from March 2 – March 8. It will be offered at 50% off for that week, along with my other title at Draft2Digital , Boxes For Beds Click on the title links to go directly to all the retail outlets where the books are available.