All Comments on 'That Highway 60 Drive'

not spectacular, needs more nuance, the players and situations were too straightforward/cut and dried: add some depth to the people and their actions, make it more than two dimensional. Good work though.

...someone did a story about some place I know something about. Next time add some more local flavor and perhaps something from the local countryside as well. Was a very good story and I expect to read more in the future.

A morehead boy

name on SOL or are you posting some other writer's efforts???

Really enjoyed this read

I loved the story and Loving Wife was the right place to post it. The story depicts relationships found in more marriage than the perfect ones often described in this category.

It's great when there are people who can help. I have lived it. Remember when the cops called it a domestic problem? Even with a large extended family, sometimes there is nowhere to go. Luckily, depending on how you look at it, I took the brunt of it. Good thing they changed the laws. I liked it...the story that is.

With both love and hurt plus hate for the man that married his ex-wife.

It was a shame that they couldn't get back together, with a little help from counseling they may have made it.

Thanks for the nice sweet story.

You describe a couple that were soulmates. They have a kid. No one cheats. They both love their kid and are good parents. The romance cools but they like each other. She wants a divorce and he agrees w/o question. She marries another guy and takes physical abuse and subjects her son to an abusive person. Yet she does nothing to get away.

William saves her ass, they reconcile - he seems to have no life - he does nothing to fix things but the story does not explain why he suddenly has no feelings for her. WTF?

Why did you write this story? What is the point? William was raised to do the right thing. Since there is no one else in his life, why wouldn't he do everything to bring his ex-wife and son back?

You are dealing with real life in your stories but this was a miss. Please keep on writing.

I think it was in the right category. Don't let Mr Anonymous get you down, he could have stopped reading if he didn't like it and it is obvious that he doesn't recognize a good story when he reads one. He apparently was looking for a sex filled story and was disappointed. I gave you 5 stars and look forward to more of your work.

Your description of the characters and the ongoing circumstances led me to feel that not only did they like and respect each other but, they really did love each other.

I wonder, if you had them each in counseling and the counselor asked each of them to close their eyes, pretend she never got pregnant and they had continued with their education what may have happened.

They were an exclusive loving couple.The suggestion made to each of them would be - imagine you were still single and exclusive, would you still really love each other, would you still be in love and want to spend the rest of your lives together - would you want to be soul mates for life? Asking each to do the same and consider what their feelings might have been, what would they have wanted.

Feeling like they did what society dictated they must do dampened their youthful love, distorted the aura they had and the euphoria they once experienced so...POV, they may have felt deprived of the opportunity to slowly progress to being married, denied by circumstance the love they had be allowed to flourish. Her pregnancy made them feel obligated and...they really were in love!

I'll bet they both would have realized there was more than enough love, your story but I think they really belong together, as lovers, ecstatically and happily married and happy parents.

Just a thought!

Really liked your story - Thanks!

Well written story with great character development and a very enjoyable warmth. Loved the touching relationships either with family or with the husband and his ex. Just a fun, "feel good" story.

she's not gonna stay head-over heals w jenkins either. those like her just eventually get too old and tired to keep on looking for that 'special one'. (my first was speacial-as in special olympics-mentally). strange that this wife admitted she wasnt in love with clarence like she was with him but they got along. well, i thought her and first hubby were gettin along after 5 years of marriage. maybe shes not the sharpest mom around. i'm sure all the sampling around will b good for the boy too, but mom needs someone she can 'get along with'. rc

Not what I expected. Worth reading, but you need a serious copy edit. I can't tell if you want your character to be country-boy, so if you do ignore what doesn't fit. Here come the quibbles:

“father drug me over to” should be “father dragged me over to”

“Having shaking both of” should be “having shaken both of”

“Things went good for” should be “Things went well for”, unless you are trying for country-boy first person speech.

“You did good son. William” should be “you did good son.” William”. Close your quotation marks before resuming narration, or you confuse your readers.

“my parent's house.” should be “my parents’ house” unless the house belongs to only one of your parents. And even if your Dad put the house in your Mom’s name for business reasons, it’s still your parents’ house.

“Clifford went done hard” should be “Clifford went down hard”.

“You leave them alone” should be “You leave them alone.” Put in the period to end the sentence, or you confuse the reader; is there missing text?

“He spit some blood” should be “He spat some blood” unless, as before, you are trying for country-boy speech.

“wheel barrel to” should be “wheelbarrow to”, unless you are going beyond country-boy to redneck.

“parent's.” should be “parents’”.

“Mom shooed Robin and I” should be “Mom shooed Robin and me”. When dealing with accusative phrases with self and another person, drop out the other person and see what’s left. Do you prefer “Mom shooed me” or “Mom shooed I”?

“sickly green and yellow in color.” Why “in color”? In what else were they? Wasted words.

“Will said, "We'll tell him to sign or you'll bring charges against him."” Why change from first person (I) to third person (Will)? You can’t mean William, he’s four years old. Worse, threatening criminal prosecution to obtain an advantage in a civil litigation is a felony where I come from; it’s called extortion. Don’t do it! Even if you went to school with the Sheriff, the deputy and the county prosecutor, don’t do it. You don’t know who Clifford went to school with. Maybe the Judge; maybe the Attorney General; maybe Tony Soprano.

I found the story real enough, because people don’t behave as you’d expect. I can buy into Robin not getting back together with Will. They were young, in what they thought was love, and the baby held them together. But people change. Love changes, or rather, what people think is love changes. And neither people nor love fit your job descriptions or mine.

I liked it. William and Robin got married young and because she was pregnant. The statistics were stacked against them from the start. But even though they are divorced he loved her as his first love and the mother of his child.

Sure she married Clifford for the wrong reasons but she was a single mother who had never been on her own. She thought she found a nice guy who she liked even if she didn't love him.

And it was never said that she was in love with Jenkins. It said that they are dating. She is single, has a job, and has learned to stand on her own two feet. Third time may be a charm.

Not exactly the ending I expected but I did like it.

First, you're an excellent writer, and this was a well-written tale.

Second, though, there should've been more. It was almost a summary of a story. Sorry, but I really think you could've fleshed this out a lot more.

Third, as a divorce lawyer, the initial split was more typical than most people would think. I can't count the number of divorces where the spouse says "The fire's just not there anymore" or "The spark is gone" or "We're just living together." Though I make my living, it still disgusts me. Guess what? Every night's not the fucking prom night. If you want a marriage to last--and even get stronger--then you need to work at it. Yes, they were young when they got married, but they should've worked on being more in love by year 10 than they were in year 1. Instead, they mutually agreed to end their marriage--thereby breaking up their child's home--so they could go out and find their respective "true loves." How incredibly sad, and how all too common.

Keep up the great work.

Substitute my name for William, Sr, and it could almost be the story of my life except that it was too late by the time I was able to get my daughter out of an abusive relationship with her stepfather...

From start to finish....first she dumps the perfect guy because she doesn't love him then marries a loser she doesn't love.....not buying it.

You got to live the diversity of your readership. From love to hate for the same story. Personally I really enjoy stories of People with strong upstanding charactor

You needed just a touch better editing in places, but nothing major, and I've seen well-established authors with large fan followings make blunders much bigger than any you committed. My one major complaint has been stated already by another commentator, and that is that this story reads in several places more like a summary than a story. I'm convinced (having read other work by you) that you can do better, and I hope you will as you write more stories. I look forward to reading you!

We have this stupid notion married life will go from one emotional high to the next. Love is a work in progress and is a choice. If the spark is not as strong as it used to be, then work on it. Spend time with each other. Fall in love again. Do for the other, touch and caress each other and the emotions will grow deeper than ever thought possible. Kiss, hug and set aside time for some sensual love making. Just because you have a few months or even years of being 'room mates' that does not mean the love has died. It only means both need to make the effort and do the things you used to do in the beginning to rekindle the affection and emotional bond. This is part of what is meant in the vows we take, 'to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death.' This does not mean only if the 'fire is still there' or if my wife stays thin and sexy or my man can drive me crazy 4 times a week for 4 hours each time.

I think you had the basis for a deeper story, especially with some more background and more lead up to the initial divorce. However, that might just be me wanting more. It was one of the few stories that really captured that the truth that people make mistakes and there is not hate, just a sad reality.

he will need a Taser!

that the woman is such a stupid fool.

Thanks for sharing.

The story was good author but I want to comment on the comments. I agree with most. A marriage is a commitment and not sparks and fire. There are good times but there will be bad. I have had both, even offering to leave at a very low point. But the promise was for better or worse so we are still together. Are there sparks and fire? No but we will be having our 46th anniversary in 2 weeks and we still tell each other "I love you" every day. And it's true. I cannot immagine living with anyone else or worse by myself. Thanks for the story. Jim

Sorry about the spelling.

This is one of my favorite stories. I can read it over and over again. Good job on the writing. Keep it up.

Like Jiminab, my wife and I have been married 46 years and there were days when each of us thought that the other wanted out.

It would be good if you could manage a story for us where the couple realise that deep and enduring LOVE is what they already have for each other.

Fireworks every week is much more boring than looking into the eyes of your partner and saying "I love you." after 39/40/50 or more years.

Besides when your 70+ excitement is not a priority!

Maybe you could do a sequel?

As kids they became parents and as adults they realized they weren't in love. Almost seems realistic except there was no jealousy involved. A good read, however, and well written.

I just don't see it. I would give half of everything but once the divorce was final, she's on her own. I wouldn't fight Clifford over her either, I would protect my son by taking him out of the environment. But she choose him, let her deal with him. He was your typical wife beater but I wouldn't endanager my life or risk jail for an "ex" wife. Very well written, gave it a 4.

I'm kind of conflicted on this one. I agree he did the right thing with his son and getting her out of there. He keeps taking about how he was no longer in love with her but that's obviously not the truth. That is the only explaination on why he mad himself a martyr for someone who didn't love him. Yes, she respected him but I'm not sure that is enough for all the stuff he did for her. This was really weird and I don't think I'lll ever get a grasp on this guys thinking as a whole.

The story defies logic, however love is never logical but it justifies. The story demonstrates vividly the foolishness of love and the stupidity of it. A man needs to man up and get his act together...much easier said than done. This story seems real in the core issues. You can love someone, while not necessarily being in love. The certainty of their love was beyond reproach. The story lacked the full content of Robin's thinking and mindset on the relationship. This could've expanded more emotion to the affects of her actions.

A real Georgian story. This one those in Carter Country (Lumpkin) can relate to and actually believe.

see the handwriting on the clouds and live by its message, TK U MLJ LV NV

Well written, but left me feeling a bit indifferent. Thanks.

She married Clifford for less of a reason than she had for staying married, which she didn't.

but life isn't always like that. A man did right by his son and ex-wife because it was the right thing to do, not because he wanted to marry her again. It was also nice to see a divorce that did not degenerate into a screaming, bloodthirsty legal match. Thank you for a well-written piece of reality, breaking the standard forms.

Robin and Will were deeply in love, inseparable it was described as.

They "had to" get married because she got pregnant.

They worked and raised their son - and somehow are not in love ?

They were so in love but it wasn't worth working on to save ?

Robin marries someone she is not in love with and does not love him at all.

If she was so afraid of being alone she would have stayed married to Will.

When the sizzle, buzz, excitement, or fire, are gone, divorce is not a cure. It is not even a quick fix. If you look to outside influences as a way of putting the "it" back into a marriage "it" will never happen.

oh well.

.

They seem to have done everything on the up and up, no cheating or deception by either. Not even against the asshole second husband.

Most women would love a man who protects her and there child. Yet these two could not make it together, no marriage counselor . Just go separate ways. Strange after a brutal second marriage.

youth today have a foolish idea of love, here you had two kids you liked each other and were great friends. That is enough to base a lasting relationship on, all that is needed is a commitment to each other and love will grow. In days of old kids married who they where told to, after time a lot of them fell in love. Not the mussy love or lust written in romance novels but love based on respect and caring. It is a rare thing now days to see couples who actually like each other. Seeking your soul mate before you marry could take you a long time and based on the divorce rate not at all successful. We had been married 30 years before we admitted to each other that we did not love each other when we got married. My wife wanted to leave home and I needed a companion as I traveled from construction site to site. Now we know we love each other and are still together after 35 years, mainly due to her patience and long suffering. So marry a friend, some one you can talk to and share with, because you could be together for a long time, I hope. TK

Between the two of them they almost have as much smarts as a bag of rocks. Apparently, they wouldn't know what love is if it hit them with a hammer. As they both came from families with successful marriages, they pretty much have to be mentally deficient.

I love your work, but there's a boat load of plots on Lit that depend on unbelievable stupidity to work. I'm afraid this falls into that category; but thanks for your effort, and I'm still going to read the rest of your work.

She didn't love Segundo at all and tried to stay with him even after he beat her. In steps ex-hubby and does what he always did, he took care of the ex and the son and she rewards him by not wanting to live with him again and starts dating someone else. Sounds to me like he is way better off without her, she has issues with him that she is not addressing and he needs to take the kid and move on.

Crazy is as crazy does and what it does is usually hurtful to it's focus, which in this case was William Sr. Good story by the way.

The original divorce was because they didn't "love" each other. They just loved their son.

She stayed with a guy that beat her 'cause she didn't want to be alone. But he didn't love her either nor her son.

Sorry, the premise doesn't wash.

More rational end would be a remarriage for the son's sake. Can't see her falling "in love" with an ape deputy given what we've seen so far in the story.

P.S. Where were _her_ parents in all this?

atleast she had the decency to speak her mind.... she had the guts to say am not in love anymore, rather than cheat!... why would somebody wanna keep a person caged to them unless that person is a sadist.

if u dont love ur spouse for whatever reason, speak to them, if you feel all options have been exhuasted or you want out, then thats what a decent human will do.. divorce amicably..

eg: will arnett & amy poehler, 2 great comedians in my opinion, their personal life in not my business, but being comics whom i like, no doubt makes feel sad about their divorce. but they chose to stay as parents who live apart for the sake of their 2 kids rather than parents who hate each other living with 2 kids.

again to quote louis c.k "Divorce is a good thing, coz NO good marriage has ended with divorce"

i wish they had remarried.

Ed Grocott

edgrocoott@gmail.com

Ed Grocott

After he threatened her son why didn't she call the police. I can understand that she wanted her second marriage to work, which explains not making a report earlier, but when someone threatens the safety of your child all bets should be off.

She is a slut where. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. A tramp first class.

and a good man is not afraid of a mirror. TK U MLJ LV NV

The officer sounds like a stand up guy. Like where this is heading.

There are plenty of reasons to hit a woman......fucking plenty.

BUT you just don't do it.

The kind of thinking that leads to the statement that there is no reason for a man to hit a woman is in itself denigrating to women.

As far as it goes. Well written, and all that, but the ending was as flat as a sheet of

plywood. Maybe I missed it, is there a second chapter?

Ending seemed rushed. I don't demand reconciliation. Too often, in real life, it just isn't meant for husband and wife to reconcile. But it seems to me that all three of Robin's relationships were hurried.

And yet, females think nothing of hauling off and slapping males whenever the mood strikes.

I am not talking about the setting boundaries slap when a guy is groping them

I am talking about when in an argument they get mad and lash out because words fail them.

Females deserve equality...but too often they demand superiority.

When a female strikes a male that is assault..

there is no reason to hit a woman?

Take your feminist country and shove it, Swedish scum, your own females have so neutered your country you are barley men.

Interestingly, between 1995-2006, the Swedish government tracked gang rapes, identifying a drastically increasing trend. Unbelievably, after discovering the problem, it then adopted an ostrich-like “head in the sand” approach, terminating any further studies on them . Apparently the government’s fear of being labeled proved greater than its concerns about warning Swedish women about the threat. While no studies on gang rape have been conducted since 2006, one can assume these numbers have continued to rise.

Sweden the land of non violence and non-protection of women, because you did not tell the women in your land to fuck off, and if necessary fight back, your country is a rape mecca.

Fear of offending women has led to your downfall. You dont have to be abusive to use violence..how does it lessen a woman if you treat her like you would any other scum bag? Swedish scum, sure i could shoot the female terrorist before she kills the kids on the bus ,,,, but do i? fuck it, let them burn, if they are Swedish, let the kids burn, well at lest you did not hit a woman.

Equality over passive fem-male and feminism.

The way he dealt with the situation shows he still loved Robin and she should have the sense to realise she wasn't going to find anyone as good.

I divorced my ex because we made better friends than a married CPL. No hate just didnt work.

Another nothing story,why print?

Well, almost. It's difficult to accept a good person would turn evil, or display his evilness preexisting, over being chosen over the other parent. That's a good thing for counseling. And...I don't understand or forgot why he couldn't accept that his natural role could be either as dad or as step-dad. William was old enough to have bonded, and that should have been that. Fuck, if he wanted that so bad, he could have had another child.

But while reading the story, the emotion over the second chance didn't work overshadowed any of these thoughts. That was sad...pretty sad...maybe even more so because of how the exes accepted it. That part was written well. And the part where she held his hands, such a simple addition literally, made the effect a lot more real. That part was fantastic.

My line of advice is once an ex, always an ex, and I would not have helped this woman based on my experiences in life. Sorry. Getting out of a marriage without bloodshed can mean only one thing if you enter each other's gravitational pull again. That it can only get worse. It didn't happen here, but the more generous the woman is during divorce, the more revenge is saved for later.

Getting Married these days"Really Sucks" It pays to stick to casual sex dating (The Four F's Find, Finger, Fuck, Forget) Anyway You Get My Endorsement ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ WOOF! Oh oh oh! Another"F" Feed You. See Ya!

True to life kinda story. People get married for the wrong reasons. Fear of being given alone is the worst.

things don't always turn out the way you want...even in stories. I enjoyed this and gave it full marks.

Thanks for a true to life scenario.

The stupid bitch doesn't deserve a good man.

Sorry they couldn't make it work. Both were good people.

I get the impression Robin is a bit simple.

Their actions said?

She was trying to make the most of it all but defended him against husband and stated once she loved him

Son and feelings about each other? Could they make it and have a very good marriage way story reads they would have more than most marriages

It appears to me Robin made no effort to make her marriage to Will work and not much in her marriage to Clifford so she deserved what she got,though I think Will was too nice to her after the divorce and should have let her lie in the bed she made.It is to be hoped she puts a lot more effort in to her relationship with Boyd.

To the anon below me...fuck you, you worthless pile of shit. To say that a woman deserved to be assaulted and beaten because she didn't go to counseling with her ex husband is disgusting. You're a worthless douchebag who I hope gets the shit kicked out of you. In fact, come visit me, I'll be happy to put you down.

Refreshing to read a story that doesn't have either a reconciliation or a new woman just waiting for our hero. Sometimes life just goes on.

This might be your best writing of all. Love the story.

Spineless quitters.

That's a good man right there.

5* from me.

Read all your stories , to bad you stopped writing sometime ago. You do have a natural talent for story telling.

This story is a fine example of the myth of Romantic Love and the dangers it poses to relationships. Each person has their own mythology of love, based on their personal, family or cultural experiences. However, it is thanks to the media, cinema, literature, etc. that these beliefs have invaded the mental framework of society intensely, introducing in it ideas such as true love lasts forever, that there is only one person in the perfect world for us.

Both characters in this story have bought in to the myth that love has to be this end all burning passion for one another. These two people could have a good life together except for each being blinded by the romantic love myth which keeps them apart. Love is deep and long-spanning; passion is fleeting and superficial. Love is a very tender feeling; passion is intense. Love can sustain a relationship; passion cannot. True love is what comes after the Honeymoon period (once the Pheromones losses its effect on each other) . So, if you fall into the trap that love is just that "Hunka Hunka Burning Love" that Elvis sung about about you'll keep leaping from person to person always looking for another person that meets you mythic expectation

A very good story. I like it. AAAAAA+++++

You sure put a twist into the ending, it surprised the heck out of me - and I suppose the Grandparents too!

A good story well told. Thank you.

The sainthood is in the post

Great story about good people.

A statement by a 7-8 year old about spousal abuse especially post divorce will have any weight in court?

Otherwise good straightforward story.

Just sad.