My dad and his friends weren't the only ones spooked by the news; that weekend the tenor of the whole town changed. The fury from the prior night morphed into fear, and fear devolved into panic.

Our relationship stories are our lifelines with others. By sharing our stories with someone important to us, we can see the events of our life from different, surprising perspectives. Creating our mutual stories could change our view of each other in unexpected and rewarding ways.

In retrospect, the officer's silence was a way of acknowledging that a young man had demonstrated a commitment to upholding his word. Perhaps the universe shined favorably upon me, too, for helping a fellow denizen of the planet.

Stories are the soundtrack of our lives. It's not without coincidence that all the great religions of the world have a book of stories. Stories remind us of who we are and who we want to be.

Here is the longing inside all of us: that we are fearless enough to embark upon those adventures, but that as we go we are inspired and propelled by a sense of home waiting for us at the other end.