Life is a stage on which men, women, and children live daily dramas. These dramas shape and fashion our living. The street corners, homes, the everyday places are theaters, windows into a world of goings-on. Dramas are part and parcel of our existence, as we are all actors on life’s stage without direction, constantly improvising and coping. As a child, observing grown-ups from a safe distance became a hobby for young Jim Shields. The stories in this collection have their origins in these observations, detailing lives of ordinary people coping with what comes their way. In the roulette of life, there is tragedy, comedy, sadness, and joy. Within the pages of this book, these all come into play. Shields writes from a small, sparsely furnished study-a haven of peace and quiet in the midst of the bustle of family life. It is here where he puts pen to paper. From the well of imperfect memory, inspiration grows, and black ink magically forms words. This collection is life as seen through a rearview mirror.