At Risk of Winning (The Max Masterson Series Book 1) by Mark E Becker Read Free Book Online

love. Choose joyful love and reject crazy love.”
“OK.” Max picked up the second at random. “Worry.”
“People worry about two things. The first is the unknown. The second is that which we can’t control. Both are things that you shouldn’t waste your time about. Live in the present.”
“Responsibility.”
“In the back of your mind, whatever you do, think about the consequences of your actions on those you love and those you serve. They come first, and everyone else is beyond your control.”
“Innocence.”
“Always protect the innocents. Little children can’t be sinister. They haven’t lived long enough to be cynical. If you protect them, you will always be their hero.”
“The Core? What’s that?” Max was incredulous.
The senator continued. “Your ‘core’ is who you are and what you stand for and deserves no apology. State your opinion and your position clearly. If people agree with you, they will support your cause. If they disagree with you, they will still respect your opinion.”
“Fame.”
“Don’t seek it. There is no good to come from it. If it finds you, use it responsibly to do good or it will never improve your life or those of the ones who rely on you.”
“Wealth.”
“Wealthy people will always tell you that they are merely comfortable. In their reality, there is always someone wealthier. Never confuse wealth for being rich. Money never did anything more than keep people from worrying about money. The danger is when you have money, you might think you are better than someone who doesn’t have it. The reality is that because of money, you may lose sight of the values that make a person rich.”
“Nothing.” he looked at his father expecting a joke but found a serious look. he laughed anyway, and the more he laughed the funnier it seemed, until tears were streaming down his face. Now, he was getting silly.
“What are you laughing about? Did you think I was going to talk about nothing?”
Max smirked. “how can you tell me about nothing?” As he said the word, he broke out laughing again, and the old man waited patiently while he got it out of his system. Finally, Max paused to take a deep breath, giving his father the opportunity to explain. “My point is, you can’t think about nothing. There is always something. Something to see, something to hear, a memory that fills your mind. You’ll find out some day that everything is connected. Every thought. What you think is a coincidence is really just a part of your life. There are no ordinary moments, nothing happens without purpose. You may not understand how it all connects, but believe me, somehow, some way, it all fits together.” Leaning over, he grabbed the bag and scanned the contents that hadn’t scattered on the ground, searching for the right message. Politics. Joy. Tradition. Intelligence. Freedom. Religion. Family. America. Privacy. Fear. Loyalty. Faith . . . Then he found it. “Work and Play,” he announced.
Max was on his feet and grabbed the bag from his hands. he backed out of reach, expecting that the treasures would be ripped from his grasp. “I want to play, and you want to work, and I didn’t come up here to do nothing . . .” he paused and stared as if he was deep in thought. his hands were gathering the remaining flash drives and gently placing them back in the bag. he continued the serious look until he got the desired response.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Oh, nothing.” This thought got him laughing again, and he chuckled all of the way up the trail, pushing the old man from behind and forcing him to complete the trek to the top.
By the time they reached the clearing where Max had erected the tent, the fire was smoldering. Max fed dry kindling to the flames until the firelight illuminated the boulders that surrounded their refuge. They remained silent until the darkness was complete, content in the solitude. When the time was right, they ate hotdogs cooked on green sticks suspended