Day 700 and Beyond

Day 700 and Beyond

Bad news, kids: The story’s over and its time for bed.

It’s been over two years since the Japanese pharmaceutical company hired me. I’ve bought a house, gotten engaged, and even ran in the Chicago Marathon again. California is behind me, but from time to time I still glance in the rearview mirror with more than a touch of nostalgia.

Almost a year to the day after leaving California, received a call I knew would be coming: Rose had died. I was too surprised to even ask what had happened. A month later, the house was up for sale, and a month after that it had sold. Jan, Nathan, Jason and Jared are scattered to god knows where. In many ways, this story is the only account that the impossible, unlikely situation that was this family ever really happened.

And with that, I think it’s time to wind this story down. For a little bit, I thought about having a go at writing about my current workplace. Believe me, I’ve got a ton of material. Ultimately, I decided to end it here. There are two reasons for this. First, I don’t like writing open-ended stories. Often times, they noodle around a little too much for my taste. Second, I think writing about different people and places muddles the narrative. In Project Alcatraz, we have Rose and Jan, the sons, the bosses from hell, etc. All great characters. If I were to keep going, the cast would change completely. Different characters, different stories. 

C'est la vie. Settings can change and characters can die, but stories never really come to a close. All they do is change. So long as we keep looking for them, they’ll always be there.

Until next time.