CJ Woods III’s Story Archive

The Wedding

November 1, 2018 | by CJ Woods III

When I was employed as an attendant at a psychiatric hospital, I became friends with one of the nurses. I do not remember how it was that we came to be close, or how that closeness was manifested, but she invited me to her wedding, and I accepted. My attendance … Read More

My Junk Drawer

October 25, 2018 | by CJ Woods III

My Internet service provider comes with a guard against unwanted e-mail. It does a very good job of filtering out spam, though it may occasionally dump an e-mail that I wanted to receive. I scroll through the headers on the “Junk” file before I empty it to make sure I’m … Read More

The Big Boom Theory

October 18, 2018 | by CJ Woods III

On the night of October 3, 2018, I was sitting in bed, surfing my TV for a show to watch. At about 10:20 p.m., a thunderous boom shook my neighborhood. I paused in my surfing, glanced around my room, and listened for other sounds of alarm, such as sirens. Hearing … Read More

Finding Something and Getting a Hug

October 11, 2018 | by CJ Woods III

My message to my friend had been this: “I found something that is similar to the gift I gave you.” Nancy Mahanes called me back and said, “I got your message, and I had to call you before I ended my night.” I had recently spent ten days in Sellersburg, … Read More

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October 4, 2018 | by CJ Woods III

In 1985, when I was a student at Indiana University Southeast, I met a woman who would become my friend. Lisa was the program coordinator for the university’s “Children’s Hour,” and I was the artist for the Campus Activities Board. As I worked on her calendar, we spoke of life, … Read More