Peace is a Decision

walkway

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Aidan had almost forgotten this feeling.

For an hour, he surrendered his need to walk as fast as possible, to keep his heart rate elevated. He didn’t have to rush to the gym or keep track of his calories. He especially didn’t have to fret over the news or social media. Sometimes it was nice to be at peace.

“There have always been trials in life and tribulations in the world,” he said to himself. It wasn’t exactly a quote from the Bible, but close enough.

“I’ve so often prayed for peace, but peace is a decision, not a gift.”

It’s Wednesday and time again to participate in this week’s edition of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers.

The idea is to use the image at the top as a prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.

wobble cover held

© James Pyles

I decided to forego locating the exact place where the photo was taken and focus on the feeling it evoked. It looks like a nice, peaceful walk along the water on a warm, enjoyable day. No people around, not a bunch of noise, just peace.

Watching everyone twist and turn themselves into knots over the various items to be found on the news or social media, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos. In reading the Psalms especially, there are many prayers for peace. Yet also we find that there is and always has been something to complain about in the world. It really doesn’t depend on politicians or doctors or whoever.

If peace is dependent on your environment and other people, you’ll never find it. Like Aiden said, peace is a decision.

To read other stories based on the prompt or to contribute one of your own, go to inlinkz.

tom corbett on mars

Promotional image for my short story “A Monolith in the Regolith”

My YA science fiction novel A Wobblegong And His Boy is up to fifteen reviews/ratings on Amazon with 91% of them being 4 and 5 stars (slowly gaining traction). Don’t forget you can also review my novel at Goodreads.

My new “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet” short story “A Monolith in the Regolith” is now featured in the anthology Tom Corbett, Space Cadet: An Original Short Story Anthology.

You can also watch my latest podcast interview at MythBehavers here:

Podbean: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-z3v35-1b1a0b4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6T9Mtg0XGG0vNpIozr3UIL

Happy Wednesday.

34 thoughts on “Peace is a Decision”

    • Thanks, Keith. My last line wasn’t meant as an “if only,” but an “is.” Granted there’s a lot of conflict in the world, but there always has been. Current news and social media tends to artificially magnify our current troubles, but a careful look at any point in the past tells us we’ve never been without strife. If we want peace, we have to make it for ourselves and ideally, for those around us.

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  15. You are right, peace is a decision, not a gift. I’ve known people who choose drama and I’ve distanced myself from them. I’m reminded of the Serenity prayer, part of the wisdom is knowing what decisions are under your control.

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