The Paisley Soul Of A Stricken Man by John de Gruyther (Novel excerpt)
“My name is Edgar Choudhary and people say they don’t have regrets! But what about things they would desperately change if they could, does that count as a regret or just something that happened that you can do nothing about? I believe in making decisions and commitments and following through with them, no matter the outcome. Surely that’s the only road to meaningfulness. Sometimes you do things and it turns out terribly but at least you tried, you put yourself up in the firing line, you gave it a go with an honest heart. That’s what I believe anyway. That’s why when I was given the chance to change the one true thing that I regretted, or wish I could have changed from my life, I took it whole heartedly and committed to it fully. The path was rocky for sure and maybe the ending wasn’t 100% what I expected but I put myself up there and gave it a go.
After all it’s not everyday you get the chance to travel back in time to meet your deceased grandfather.”
“And although I state to you I am happy I will be honest and say I can be a little bit emotionally constipated or as Daisy is keen to tell me I have the emotional range of a cupboard door. But inside I know I have a paisley soul, full of wonderful vocal harmonies and lemonade popsicles or some such shit.”
©John de Gruyther 2013
The World Outside the Window 