Decades ago, in high school, he joined friends singing a song. One took him aside. “You’re hopeless. You shouldn’t even try.”

He vowed to never sing in public.

Today, in the nursing home, they encouraged him to join their singalong. He shook his head and wandered away.

“Curmudgeon,” someone said.

Alan Kemister is a retired scientist experimenting with more fictitious writing. He’s currently working on a climate change trilogy. Two books are published. Get the gory details at alankemisterauthor.wordpress.com.