Walking Away

by Robert Rayner

As an adult, it can be easy to lose track of high school friends who attend different universities or enter the workforce. After all, it’s a time when many walk away from one life and towards another. Running into an old friend can bring back long forgotten memories.

That’s what author Robert Rayner reflects on in Walking Away where he weaves together different elements of his high school years to tell the story of Keith, an old high school friend he bumps into at a conference. Robert thinks back to one particular rough patch that Keith went through. After his principal “suggests’ he leave high school, Keith quits to enter the workforce where he struggles to fit in.

Walking Away is a story about facing tough choices, discovering who you want to be and — just as importantly — who you don’t want to be.

Twenty per cent of proceeds from the sale of Walking Away will go to Excellence in Specialized Care Fund (IWK Foundation).

T - Teen 13 and up: May contain violence, crude humour, suggestive themes and/or strong language.

Strong language - Frequent use of profanity

PFD

First published February 11, 2013

About the author

I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve worked as a journalist, a teacher, and an elementary school principal. Now I teach music at home. I like to walk, read, ski, feed and watch the birds, watch soccer, photograph, listen to and play music (I play keyboard and saxophone in a band) and, of course, write, usually in the early morning. I live on the Magaguadavic River in St. George, New Brunswick, Canada.

Reviews

[Rich Meyrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find it hard to believe I only recently discovered this wonderful short story about growing up and mental health. Well, better late than never, I suppose. Thoroughly engrossing.