Eighteen Short Love Stories About Love in the Trenches of Everyday Life This book is not about falling in love with the man or woman of your dreams and riding off into a picturesque sunset. Though, in theory it can happen, that Fairy Tale kind of love is reserved for...well, Fairy Tales. Like many, I enjoy nothing more than the typical, predictable romantic flicks that end with the leading man finding his perfect soul mate, sweeping her off her feet and disappearing into tomorrow to live happily ever after. You can get that type of manufactured, conjured up, "Hollywood" love on Netflix for $9 a month by thumbing through the romantic film section. In real life, that type of love appears in glimpses, but is very difficult to sustain because unfortunately real life tends to get in the way. The love I'm speaking of is the kind that comes from the trenches of everyday life. The love in the mud of things, staged in the chaos of everyday life. I'm talking about that deep, dirty in your face love. A love that is fulfilling, yet scary at the very same time. Love that is 100% pure. Real love. Not necessarily the romantic kind of love between partners, but also the love that forms between friends, family, brothers or even strangers, as they navigate through the ugly that we are often forced to endure as we travel through the daily events called real life. We often have this strange misconception that we achieve true love only when everything is going perfectly in our lives. Enough time, enough money, enough perfection doesn't mean it is time for perfect love and harmony. Love in the trenches of everyday life is about helping the world to understand that love is dirty and reveals itself in the incredible happenings of every day. One doesn't have to look outside or seek perfection to find love. They simply have to reflect inward and realize that love is all around them all the time. Love is the mother, who accepts her child even though he has done so many horrible things. Love is the woman that stays with and supports her man even after he's fought a long battle with heroin addiction. Love is when a spouse checks out of their marriage and continues to receive support from the other even though there is nothing left to give. Love in the trenches is when a person goes bankrupt and the people they thought were there for them scatter like roaches spotting day light, while but a few remain in the trenches with them. Love is when a counselor takes a young man, who all the other counselors gave up on, to the Yankees game. Love is when a little brother from the Big Brother program is going to get expelled from school and the big brother stands beside him until he is strong enough to get back on track- that's all love in the trenches. I encourage you to enjoy the eighteen short personal love stories that follow; reflect, think, ingest and dare to share your own personal love in the trenches story in one of our future books.
About the Author: Jose A Vazquez Jr. is an entrepreneur, Inspirational Servant and philanthropist, who, while growing up struggled with poverty, insecurity, neglect and violence. Today, Jose is the founder of Inspirational Servant, Inc., Sharedstory.org, Investmentship and several other entrepreneurial movements. After many successful and a few failed ventures, Jose has aligned his work with the person he truly is; an inspirational servant. Jose was born to inspire and restore hope, faith and greatness throughout the world. Jose also shares his time as a "Big Brother". Jose resides with his wife, Tracey, and daughter, Kiana. Vazquez credits his success to the adversity that he experienced as a youth, to the strength of his mother, and to the need to set a positive example for his younger siblings. Vazquez enlisted in the Army at age 17, because he had no other options at the time. He needed to leave town immediately because he was being harassed by members of his old gang for leaving, as this was seen as an act of betrayal. Fearing for his safety, as well as his family's safety, he left for the Army, leaving his family behind. A natural leader, Jose quickly excelled and earned the rank of sergeant in the Army, leading a team of soldiers at a young age. He also earned numerous Commendations and Achievement Awards in the military. Upon honorable discharge in 1998, Jose Vazquez accepted a position at Nextel Communications as a Service Technician in Kansas City, Kansas. From his childhood experiences, Vazquez determined that abuse, poverty, and feelings of hopelessness and shame would not be a part of his adulthood. Public Speaking Overcoming continuous obstacles, Jose has developed the faith and strength to become a successful entrepreneur. Vazquez is an inspirational servant; sharing his victorious story of change and power of the human potential, he delivers messages about conquering barriers and ending negative cycles in one's life. Jose Vazquez's objective, through his speaking engagements, is to share his life stories to inspire others to their full potential and success by helping others find what they love to do and act on that love! Vazquez uses his past life experiences of growing up as a disadvantaged youth, getting in trouble with the law and having his teachers tell him that he had no chance of succeeding to inspire his audience to take charge of their lives.