MAYBE

​It's a word that starts my mind spinning for characters and story ideas. ​

​Because that old guy sitting at the counter, drinking coffee. I've seen him around here before. His face is wrinkled and leathery, attesting to years spent in the sun and the wind. But his hands are smooth, not calloused. I wonder about his life. What he might have done and seen. That's where the maybes start. Maybe he was a rich man with servants, maybe he was a banker or an entrepreneur. Maybe he likes to hike or sail... Maybe…

The young mother who yelled at her child in the store and gave him a little shake—I wonder what her story is. Did she just pick him up after working a double shift so that she could pay her rent? Or maybe she has a controlling husband who doesn’t like to see them step one foot out of line. Or maybe she is just so stressed and frustrated with her life that she just can’t handle one more thing… Maybe…
​
Endless characters are all around you and one little word can change it all…

Where will your maybes take you?

​Michelle