From I Can't to I Can, A True Story

When it comes to writing short stories, a common theme that recurs is the idea of what a person can do when given a choice between doing what they "can" and doing what "I can't". In this light, from I Can't Go I Can't, David Shannon relates the story of an otherwise average person who after several years of back and neck pain, including one case in which he was awake all the way through an operation, decided that life was too short not to enjoy all that he had to offer. He retired to a life of writing, traveling, and pursuing his passions as though nothing was ever going to stop him.

Life is short, right? Life is supposed to be fun and enjoyable! The interesting thing, and the challenge, is when we reach a point in our lives when those lines between what we can do and cannot do become blurred. We know what we can do but life simply moves us further away from our favorite things.

When David Shannon took a break from working on his short stories, he made some life-changing decisions. First, he decided to give up the nine-to-five job and pursue what was really important to him by pursuing his passions instead. Second, he decided to get back into shape, which meant getting back into active engagement with life. Third, he decided to quit relying on prescription pain killers to help alleviate the suffering of his chronic pain, which meant, among other things, that he would no longer depend on the prescription pain killers for comfort, but on healthier forms of exercise and relaxation techniques. As you might expect, living a truly fulfilled life and a long life span is easier than many think.

Through his experiences with the terminally ill and cancer-free David Shannon discovered that life is sometimes worth fighting through what the odds might dictate. Life does not have to be all that it is cracked up to be, after all. While tough times come up all of the time, they are an opportunity to learn and grow. Life does not have to be all that it is cracked up to be, after all.

David Shannon's short stories are as beautiful in their simplicity, as they are in their life lessons. In addition to the great stories he has given us in his many short books and screenplays, he also gives us in this collection The Man Who Could Not Get Love, the touching true story of the love that died in childbirth. This short story is a wonderful way to share the sorrow of loss with those one holds dear. If reading about a loved one who passed on is difficult, sharing that loss with a beloved child who was there when it happened might make it easier to remember how important the person was to you, and how you want him or her to be remembered.

While many books try to reach the same spiritual conclusions as The Man Who Can't Get Love, those books try to reach a different audience, one that is more in touch with life and its joys, rather than the sorrow that are so easy to take for granted in stories such as these. David Shannon is a masterful storyteller and artist, and this collection of short stories is no exception. His gifts as a writer are well known, but his heart is probably even more treasured by many. When you read his lovely stories, feel the heartbreak, hope, and laughter that he shares, and then put your own feelings into those, you will know why you cannot help but feel like you need him to write more.