Scott's Short Stories

  Gratitude Is an Act of Rebellion By Scotty, Tradesman, Artist, and Professional Life-Ponderer I had a day that hit like a perfect build—clean, strong, electric. After 18 months of a work situation that sucked the soul out of me, I got through it. Done. And I’m grateful. Not just “that’s nice” grateful, but the kind that makes you want to high-five the universe. Gratitude’s no fuzzy feeling—it’s a choice, a rebellion against the debt of a lie. That lie? The one that says money, status, or a perfect life is what matters. It’s a debt that weighs you down, chaining you to facades while truth—gratitude for what’s real—sets you free. As a guy who’s crisscrossed this country swinging a hammer, I’m here to preach the gospel of giving thanks. Life’s a mystery, served with “why am I even here?” We’ve all stared at a job site or an empty bank account, wondering the point. Americans chase money like it’s the truth, but it’s often a lie piling up debt on your soul. Some stack cash; othe...

  The Red Yugo: A Saga of Snow, Fire, and Small-Town Glory Winter, 1994-95, and I’m on the prowl for a car in Voorheesville, New York, because if you know me, I’m always hunting for my next vehicular victim. I’m the automotive Antichrist, destroying cars not with fender-benders but with a relentless, inside-out demolition that leaves them unfit for anyone else. Since ’94, my MO’s been clear: use a car till it’s a wheezing husk, then move on. Back then, the internet was science fiction, Craigslist a fever dream. Want a used car? You hiked to the store and bought a newspaper—actual paper, inked with dreams and despair. I’d grab the Times Union or the Altamont Enterprise , the latter doubling as our town’s gossip bible. Its “Blotters and Dockets” section listed every local screw-up who got nabbed by the cops. Getting caught meant your name in print, a public shaming worse than a scarlet letter. Social media’s got nothing on that ink-stained humiliation, so yeah, I drove careful to...

  The Art of Enduring Pain: My Humorous Yet Heartfelt Journey Through Life’s Ouch Moments Pain is the uninvited guest that crashes my life’s party, sometimes bursting in with a dramatic flourish, sometimes lingering like a relative who doesn’t know when to leave. It’s the universal human experience that doesn’t care if you’re a man, a woman, or just trying to survive Monday. Whether it’s the sharp jolt of a physical injury, the soul-crushing weight of emotional turmoil, or the slow drip of consequences that won’t quit, pain is my teacher, my tormentor, and, weirdly enough, my motivator. From chopping off fingers to navigating divorce and wrestling with tough choices, I’ve learned a thing or two about pain, the fear that hypes it up, the time that heals it, and the self-empowerment that comes from surviving it. Buckle up for a word ride through my ouch moments, laced with a touch of humor, a lot of heart, and lessons that’ll hit home for anyone who’s ever muttered, “Why me?” The...