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5.5 x 8.5 paperback cream
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ISBN: 9781478726272
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$11.95
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Genre:
| BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Personal Memoirs |
Publication:
| Jan 14, 2014 |
Pages:
| 125 |
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 How many of us have passed by a scene, such as an accident or a car that’s been pulled over for some traffic violation, and said to ourselves “I’m glad that isn’t me”? Come on. Admit it. All of us! This book is a collection of stories about events in the lives of the participants that they would have gladly “passed by”, but managed to somehow stumble through. In spite of their unpleasant aspects, in retrospect, the experiences contained valuable lessons learned by the people involved about themselves and about life. If each of us were honest, we all have similar events that were uncomfortable, even painful at the time, but now bring a smile to our face. It is my hope reading these stories will help you realize you are not alone.
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A band of chattering squirrel monkeys notified the rainforest of our arrival as we got off the boat from Lima and walked up the stairs toward large wooden buildings along the riverbank. Rainbow-colored macaws sat on porch railings and cocked their heads side-to-side like bobble heads, studying us as we walked by. As we approached one of the main structures, a screened door opened and a man stepped out. He wiped his hands on his stained apron and frowned at a large pig-like animal standing in front of him. “Nellie,” he said waving his finger. “Don’t bother our guests. Go to the kitchen. They’ll take care of you there.” The beast looked up at him as though it understood the directions. Then it waddled past our cowering figures toward a door at the far end of a room filled with tables and chairs and disappeared. More than a little taken aback by the event, I asked, “What was that?” The man in the apron smiled. “Oh, Nellie? She’s our pet tapir. She won’t bother you.” That was the first of many occasions at Explorama Lodge in the Peruvian Amazon jungle where we realized we were intruders in an environment not dominated by humans. It felt as though we were specimens in a zoo being studied by the animals surrounding us.
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About Charles Peraino
 Charles Peraino is an award-winning author who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Ursinus College and a Masters Degree in Educational Counseling from Northern Illinois University. He taught Social Studies and Language Arts in middle schools for forty-two years and was an adjunct professor at Judson University for seven years. He is semi-retired and has taken up writing to occupy himself when not substitute teaching or on contract with the university. His writings come from his life experiences and adventures during his trips to many places throughout the world.
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