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Emmitt Owens

life

  • The Broken Toenail Catastrophe

    The Broken Toenail Catastrophe*As told by Gary*By: Emmitt Owens(Index #08082025)    Let me start by saying that what happened at Orange Beach last Tuesday was not my fault. Well, okay, it was technically my fault, but hear me out—any reasonable person would have made the same decisions I made, given the circumstances. The fact that… Read more

  • Chill’n’Fill – Book 3: Episode 2

    Chill’n’FillBook 3: Episode 2Presence, Worth, and the Heart of SuccessWritten by: Emmitt Owens    Tuesday night at Chill n’Fill was settling into its familiar rhythm when I looked up from restocking the candy display to see our one-eyed polar bear mascot in its latest incarnation. Bob had outdone himself this time—the bear now sported what… Read more

  • The Hidden Virtues of Flying by Night: A Case for Spontaneous Living

    The Hidden Virtues of Flying by Night: A Case for Spontaneous Living In our meticulously planned, calendar-driven world, the phrase “fly by night” has acquired almost exclusively negative connotations. We associate it with unreliability, poor planning, and questionable business practices. Yet this dismissive attitude overlooks the profound advantages that spontaneous, adaptive approaches to life can… Read more

  • Chill’n’Fill: Book 3, Episode 1

    Chill’n’FillBook 3: Episode 1New Faces, Old Mysteries, and the Passing of the PenWritten By: Emmitt Owens    The announcement crackled through Chill n’Fill’s speakers with Bob’s characteristic blend of corporate formality and complete detachment from reality. I watched from behind the counter as the handful of evening customers paused their snack selections to listen, their… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill #63 (Book 2, Episode 33)

    Mad Mechanics and Midnight Revelations    Saturday night at Chill n’Fill was buzzing with an unusual energy, the kind that comes when change is stirring in a small town. Behind me, tonight’s painting had appeared as René Magritte’s “The Treachery of Images” from 1929—that famous pipe with “This is not a pipe” written beneath it,… Read more

  • Chill’n’Fill #59 (Book 2, Episode 28)

    Smoke Signals, Artistic Rebellion, and Hypocritical Hearts    Saturday night at Chill n’Fill had that restless energy of a weekend in full swing, where people emerged from their weekly routines ready to embrace whatever chaos the night might offer. Behind me, tonight’s painting had appeared as Jackson Pollock’s “Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist)”—all those wild,… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill #56 (Book 2, Episode 24)

    Another Night at Chill n’Fill: The Entrepreneur, The Wink Warriors, and The Mirror Mystic   It was Saturday night at Chill n’Fill, and I was three hours into my shift when Bob’s latest masterpiece caught my attention through the front windows. He’d transformed our one-eyed polar bear mascot into what he called “Business Bear” this… Read more

  • Chill n’Fill #48 (Book 2, Episode 16)

    At Chill n’Fill, a late-night convenience store, the protagonist navigates various customer interactions, reflecting on human connections and societal dynamics. A pizza delivery driver theorizes the store as a microcosm of social behavior, while a grieving nursing home worker finds empathy amidst grief. The narrative illustrates moments of kindness, philosophical insights, and confrontations with entitlement. Read more

  • Chill n’Fill #47 (Book 2, Episode 13)

    Another Night at Chill n’Fill: Monuments, Creeps, and the Gray Hoodie    It was Saturday night at Chill n’Fill, and I’d just finished rearranging the candy display according to Bob’s latest merchandising theory. Chocolate bars now lived next to energy drinks in the “depression remedies” section, while sour candies had been relocated to “aggressive emotions”… Read more

  • 7160 W. 14 Road (1985/1986)

    The House on West 14 Road    In the spring of 1985, my family relocated from 112 John Street to 7160 W. 14 Rd. in Mesick, Michigan, a rural community known locally as Glengary. I was about to turn nine years old. The sprawling five-bedroom, two-story house stood weathered against the Michigan landscape, its painted… Read more