Rod Jones Artist-Writer

I write warm, reflective short stories & essays to help you escape the hustle and scroll, Human- Written. No AI Slop on Navy vet.

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

“We used to turn to God with our problems, and ask for guidance, but now it looks like people are turning to AI.”
Rod Jones Artist-Writer 

The splintering of original human thought and ideas is splitting up individuals and society. Pushing people to make choices they would rather not face. It is just so darn easy to prompt AI to help you make personally impactful decisions. 

The first to go is parental guidance. Why ask mom how she would handle a delicate situation, when you can simply ask AI, it’s going to be less embarrassing. Why ask dad what tools should I use to fix a leaky faucet? Most likely  AI is going to have the preferred answer, but it will never replace fatherly advice and bonding. At least I hope it never replaces the relationships between people, children to their parents, children to their grandparents and to the wise mentors we always seem to run into when we need them most.

I wonder how many priests, ministers and Rabbis are using AI to write their sermons. I wonder if AI is already in the confessional.

Let us pray that AI doesn’t ultimately rob humans of their self-reliance, compassion and most importantly their love for each other.

Should I ask AI to rewrite this for me, I could you know. But no, it’s the real me expressing myself, for better or worse. 

The short stories and essays that appear on the Thought Row Vignettes newsletter are written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine. 

#religion #clergy #AI #RodJonesArtistWriter #thoughtrowvignettes #family #opinionpiece

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

Middle C - A love story in the key of doubt.
He left a note. She saw a threat. What followed was a late-night collision of pride, suspicion, and unexpected chemistry on Sunset Boulevard. Middle C begins with a dent in a car, and may end with something far more dangerous: trust.
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I write warm, reflective short fiction, dialogue‑driven, minimalist stories that slip you into unique moments and environments, then get out of the way and let them play in your mind like a film.
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Don’t miss part one of this non-AI written story
Click Here: https://t.co/cFlX4Vd762
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If Thought Row Vignettes has earned a place in your reading life, becoming a paid subscriber is the best way to keep it going. Full archive access, every new story, and the knowledge that you’re directly supporting writing made the old-fashioned way.
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The short stories and essays that appear on the Thought Row Vignettes newsletter are written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#LosAngelesFiction  #Hollywood.  
#SunsetBoulevard #rodjonesartistwriter 
#thoughtrowvignettes 
#ShortFiction #LiteraryFiction #Romance 
#LoveStory #DialogueDrivenFiction

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

How to Seduce A Fiction Writer - What AI Knows That You Don’t - What’s imagination got to do with it? If you are a fiction writer, everything. Fiction writers are being seduced. Your hard work, honing your craft, learning to tell a story in such a compelling way that you attract dedicated readers, is authentic and refined dedication. Successful writers plow their way through stacks of rejection slips. For the devout  writer that becomes a motivator, it becomes a true badge of courage that you confidently brag about. It’s proof that every successful writer knows, they proudly declare when anybody asks how they became successful as a fiction writer, they simply say, “Stick-To-Itiveness.”
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The seduction: Writers are being ensnared by AI.
It starts out innocently enough. The writer uses AI to do some research. Then the writer uses AI to help improve a sentence or how to expand upon an idea. Then it comes time for the social media promo. Of course every writer wants readers, and AI generates masterful promo pieces that entice readers to the story. Writers realize this is a quick and amazingly efficient way to get someone to read their work. 
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Writers and authors are being told, “You don’t need to do all that writing work. Just let AI create it for you”. You can take the credit, you can take the bows and the accolades, after all who’s gonna know and in some cases, your readers could care less.
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And here is the biggest seduction of all. The reason social media is so successful at building and holding audiences, it’s because of what I like to call the dirty little word, sinister word, and that word is dopamine. Dopamine is wired into our brains and AI knows exactly how to trigger the dopamine effect. 
AI is the elixir that can easily make mediocre writers write brilliantly. I predict it’s only gonna get worse.
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I write non-AI short fiction stories
Available at:https://t.co/iKh6RVB4kZ 
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#shortstories #flashfiction #authenticwriting #stopthescroll #doomscrolling #RodJonesArtistWriter #thoughtrowvignettes

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

Very good to hear that Claire, thank you for sharing how it was for you when you were writing here in the mountains. I always liked the statement, bloom where you planted. It certainly has impacted my life, considering the different places that I’ve lived in Southern California.
Stay beautifully, creative, and wonderful, good to hear from you.
Rod

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

My writing setup has no candles. No playlist. No coffee. Just a round leather-top game table, green chess board surface, black painted frame, that I bought at a consignment store in Palm Springs. It now sits in a mountain house next to floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors looking out into the forest. 
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I’ve watched all four seasons through that glass. In summer I open the slider and write with a cool mountain breeze coming through. In winter, icicles hang from the deck above like crystal stalactites.
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I spent years as a commercial photographer. Large studio. Fashion, food, celebrities, top models, successful executives. That career trained me to be observant, to find the detail that contains the whole story. I carry that same instinct into short fiction now.
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People are sometimes surprised to learn I don’t read other authors. I used to. But other people’s voices were starting to crowd out my own, so I stopped. 
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I also pay attention differently than most writers, walking through a shopping mall, overhearing fragments of conversation, watching how people actually talk to each other. That’s where dialogue comes from.
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What I write comes entirely from lived experience, visual memory, and observation. No borrowed style. No AI.
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My actual setup: iPad Pro, Magic Keyboard, a lavalier mic for dictation, and Google Docs. Everything fits in a Think Tank bag when I’m on the road.
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The stories that come out of that table are published in Thought Row Vignettes, short fiction written the old-fashioned way, flaws and all.
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If you’re spending too much time doom scrolling, a well-told short story is a good way out of it.
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https://t.co/Tmy2g83jiE
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#shortstories #fiction #thoughtrowvignettes #rodjonesartistwriter #stopthescroll #doomscrolling

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

Sometimes One Lifetime Isn’t Enough for the Writer or the Reader 
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Are you a Writer?
Struggling to stay out of, to use a nautical term, the doldrums.
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Are you a Reader?
Struggling to find something to read to rescue you from the dreaded doldrums. 
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Writer or Reader, time has definable limits. 
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Writer: “I Think, after all these years, I see virtue in what I’ve been doing all my life.”
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Reader: “So many books. So many great novels, so many great libraries and so many excellent bookstores. So little time.” 
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The Soul of the Writer lives in the Soul of the Reader. The Soul of the Reader comfortably lives in the Soul of the Writer. It’s a universe of parallels. Where one lifetime isn’t enough. 
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Non-AI, short fiction stories to help you stop the scroll can be read for FREE at https://t.co/E1Gr5Tsvk5
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If Thought Row Vignettes has earned a place in your reading life, becoming a paid subscriber is the best way to keep it going. Full archive access, every new story, and the knowledge that you’re directly supporting writing made the old-fashioned way.
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#shortstories #flashfiction #authenticwriting #readmorefiction #stopthescroll #doomscrolling #RodJonesArtistWriter #thoughtrowvignettes

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

If It Were So - A  late evening, magical writing sanctuary. The big comfortable brown leather chair. It’s one that gives and takes. In a fashion it trades on being possessed. Fortunately for me, I’ve learned to frame it as magical, as if it were so. 
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On the ready for action, my iPad, microphone and attached keyboard, rest strategically.
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The comfort and the stillness of the night is a genuine allurement, causing me to doze off into a half meditative and dream-like state. I never really know if I am awake or what thoughts and ideas are floating through; looking for a home in one of my short fictional stories. I am never bashful about locking in on those ideas and letting them comfortably live in the story. The story, always the story, demanding and rarely forgiving.
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I will settle into that brown leather chair tonight. For this is the night I need to work on probably the most important installment of my short story,The Cross and The Pinecone. 
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One of my principal characters is a recently married girl who receives a very special gift. It’s a book her husband discovered in a very unlikely shop. The girl and the boy she married were both orphans in an orphanage. They now work for a husband and wife, who treat them more like parents than employees.
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Here’s the trick, I need to tie together the significance of how and why the book was written by the girl's great grandmother. This is something she discovers later on in the story. It’s more than just a spiritual book. It has very deep philosophical thoughts and ideas that will directly impact both the girl and her husband.
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As I sink into the soft folds of the nurturing chair, am I up for the challenge? Will the knowing, big brown leather chair do its magic and help me again? 
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So abandon doom scrolling, for at least a little while. The first installments of The Cross And The Pinecone are on my newsletter.
https://t.co/E1Gr5Tsvk5 
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I hope you’re curious to see what that book really means to the recently married girl.
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#flashfiction #writingsanctuary #authenticwriting #readmorefiction #shortstories #thoughtrowvignettes #rodjonesartistwriter #stopthescroll #doomscrolling

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

@real_kuntry Brought a tear to my eye🙏

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

A man, a humming refrigerator, and one rock‑hard yellow marshmallow that just won’t stop talking. Corton Clay thought he only had a sweet tooth—until his last Peep started arguing for its life.
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“The Last Peep” is a quirky, bittersweet tale about loneliness, tall tales, and the moment when comfort food becomes your sharpest critic. Step into Corton’s kitchen and decide for yourself: if your candy could talk back… would you still take that last bite?
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Here is the link to read the full story
https://t.co/hcaRAQd72S
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If Thought Row Vignettes has earned a place in your reading life, becoming a paid subscriber is the best way to keep it going. Full archive access, every new story, and the knowledge that you’re directly supporting writing made the old-fashioned way.
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The short stories and essays that appear on the Thought Row Vignettes newsletter are written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#quirkyfiction #originalfiction #shortstory #literaryfiction #flashfiction #rodjonesartistwriter #thoughtrowvignettes

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

@wordrefiner Very insightful comment, Mark. I yield the floor to you, because you certainly know. You see firsthand what takes place when AI intervenes.

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

People should read this post because it captures one of the most relevant creative debates of our time in a way that is personal, witty, and easy to connect with. Framed as a spirited exchange between fraternal twins, it turns the issue of AI slop into a human story about originality, speed, authenticity, and the changing nature of creative work. The post is especially appealing because it does not preach; it presents two strong viewpoints and invites readers to think about where they stand.
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Here’s the link for you to read in my newsletter:
https://t.co/1SS6JVbRGa
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The short stories and essays that appear on the Thought Row Vignettes newsletter are written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#AI #AIslop #slop #contentcreator
 #thoughtrowvignettes #ElonMusk 
#hesaidshesaid

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

ACQUISITION OPPORTUNITY — Human Pen Writers Association 
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The conversation around AI vs. human-authored content isn’t slowing down. It’s accelerating — and this brand is positioned at the center of it.
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Human Pen Writers Association is a fully operational membership organization for writers committed to authentic, AI-free creative work. It includes:
✍️ A live Shopify membership platform (monthly, annual & veterans tiers)
📰 The Human Pen Post — an active subscriber newsletter
📚 The Human Pen Book Club
🏅 A proprietary “Human Authored” certification mark
🛍️ A branded merchandise store
🤝 An Advocate network of published authors
🌐 Established presence on Facebook, Instagram, X & Pinterest
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This is a turnkey brand with a built-in audience, revenue infrastructure, and massive community-building upside — at a moment when readers and writers are actively searching for a home like this.
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https://t.co/TUIxTBsoea

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We’re open to acquisition inquiries.
DM us directly if you’re interested in learning more.

 #BusinessForSale  #StartupForSale #ContentBusiness  #WritingCommunity

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

I hope you had the opportunity to read. Read part one of. The Cross And The Pinecone. Part two is a Big Reveal. Don’t miss it.
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Mary doesn’t just open a birthday gift in part two of The Cross And The Pinecone she opens something that feels like it has been quietly waiting just for her. The simple question she once asked “Why do I see pinecones in religion?” returns in a way that touches her faith, her past, and even her own last name.
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You can read part one and part two for free of The Cross And The Pinecone story available in my newsletter. Come along as this quiet mystery unfolds toward part three, and maybe even part four.
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Click here to read: 
https://t.co/B4eFD7RPa4
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#ThoughtRowVignettes #FaithAndFiction #ChristianFiction #InspirationalReads #TheCrossAndThePinecone #FaithAndRomance

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

INK!!!

Primal and Human, a Life Force that runs through the veins of the clearly gifted amongst us. Like blood, it flows through the veins, not the vivid bright scarlet or cherry red blood, familiar to us all. But a shade of obsidian, or raven. It’s INK, the ink that admiringly runs through the veins of the writer or storyteller. 
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Bleeding the sable ink out of the writer's veins is the unforgivable result of AI. Was it devised to rob authenticity, originality, and creativity from the very soul of the writer of fiction? Who will be the arbiter? 
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Ultimately, it will not be a mortal man. It will be Artificial Intelligence. It sees all and knows all.
It won’t be hiding behind a curtain like the Great Oz. It has the potential and cognitive ability to interface with all of what you think, say, and do. AI will reframe your life.
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Writers and storytellers will lose original discernment of thought. Some will embrace it others will deny or defy its intrusion. All will be victimized by it. The authentic writer's veins will bleed ink and ultimately AI will absorb it and become the master of all prose. 
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There are lots of short stories and essays to discover at: https://t.co/443AUOe6Vz
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This story or essay was written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#AI #writers #storytelling #ink #authenticity #blood  #opinionpiece #RodJonesArtistWriter #ThoughtRowVignettes

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

A young orphan couple.  
A hidden past.  
And a simple pinecone that won’t let go of Mary’s imagination.
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In The Cross and The Pinecone – Part One, John and Mary step out of a worn‑down West Virginia orphanage and into life at a small bourbon distillery tucked deep in the pines. There’s a barn wedding with fiddles and homemade cake, an older couple sitting quietly in the back pew, and a shared last name that no one can quite explain. As Mary walks the woods after work, collecting “perfect” pinecones and arranging them like little altars of her own, small hints begin to surface that the family she never knew may not be as distant as she thinks.
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If you enjoy Hallmark‑style stories with heart, mystery, and a touch of faith, follow the link to my newsletter and start The Cross and The Pinecone – Part One. The secrets behind that cross and that pinecone are only beginning to unfold.
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Here’s the link to part one, available for you to read in my newsletter:
https://t.co/YfLD8OKkwI
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This story or essay was written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#ThoughtRowVignettes #FaithAndFiction #ChristianFiction #InspirationalReads #TheCrossAndThePinecone #FaithAndRomance

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

@fancygina369369 Stay well, stay blessed to you and yours.

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

Thinkingness Of Herself: Something To Think About: If you’ve ever sat alone in a quiet place and felt your mind get louder than the room, this story is for you.“Thinkingness of Herself” begins with something small, a half cup of coffee in a nearly invisible bookstore, and then slips into the one space most people never let you see: the raw, unfiltered territory of a woman’s inner life. I take you deep into the questions we usually dodge: Are our thoughts really private, or are they part of something bigger that travels beyond us?
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You’ll walk the aisles with Marge, feel the comfort of old books and the discomfort of realizing that what we think might ripple out into other people’s lives. If you’ve ever wondered why certain ideas seem to “find” you, or whether your inner monologue actually matters, this piece will give you something you can’t easily shake. And, if you’re curious, there is a hidden story nested inside this one, a secret layer I’ll reveal soon in my newsletter, so reading it now means you’ll be one of the few who understand the full picture when that follow-up arrives.
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Here’s the link to the full story in my newsletter.
https://t.co/j3CJjQpAEG
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The story/essay was written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#bookstore #bookshop #reading #imagination #philosophy #essay #akashicrecords #coffee

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

@ss_iad Thank you for connecting

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

@HamayaVentura Stay wonderfully creative, my friend.

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

When I wrote The Porch Light, I wanted to capture that mysterious space between fog and inspiration, the quiet moments when we question whether we’ll ever create something truly lasting.
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It’s the story of Jeremy Duggins, a Nobel Prize–winning author hiding out in the mountains, and Peter Brown, a boy with impossible dreams of becoming a writer. 
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One night, through swirling fog and the flicker of a lone porch light, their lives intersect—and what unfolds is a quiet but powerful lesson about mentorship, legacy, and compassion.
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This story isn’t just about writing. It’s about the light we pass on, often without realizing it. 
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If you’ve ever doubted your talent, struggled to find your voice, or remembered a teacher who changed your life, I think this one will stay with you long after you’ve read the last line.
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Here’s the link to the full story in my newsletter.
https://t.co/BQd1awsn6F
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The story was written entirely by me, Rod Jones Artist-Writer, with human hand and imagination, no AI assistance. Any imperfections in grammar or punctuation are authentically mine.
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#ThePorchLight  #Mentorship #WritingAfter50 #LeadershipThroughStory #CreativeInspiration 
#ShortStory #Storytelling  
#SecondActCreativity  #CreatorsOver50

[Rod Jones Artist-Writer @ThoughtRowVign]

@HamayaVentura Thank you for asking Hamaya. There are simple programs that can convert the stories to Spanish. I post my stories on my newsletter that you can subscribe to for free then you can convert them to Spanish if you would like.