{"title":"Karen Pickens","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"the-boarding-pass-paperback","title":"The Boarding Pass - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe world and how we perceive it has changed drastically, even in my relatively short life span. The planet has gotten smaller and simpler to traverse. Stereotypes have been discarded and new ones erected. Definitions of success, family, and happiness all have undergone massive renovations, but there are a few truths that hold.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe still glorify the special moments in life, those with measurable quantities of interest. And we shun and almost dread the ordinary. It seems that we must be reminded that even in the most exemplary life, a snapshot may reveal that which is static and mundane.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo how would it be possible to find a true cross section of life among ordinary people? That would probably depend upon your definition of ordinary. Maybe it's running to the grocery store to pick up food for your family for the week. Maybe it's standing in line at the bank to deposit a paycheck. Maybe ordinary is pushing a lawnmower or a swing. Maybe it's sitting in a classroom, a traffic jam, or an airplane seat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough our actions and even our words cannot always be revolutionary, even the most cynical among us cannot deny that chance encounters and other so-called ordinary events have the potential to change our little piece of the world. These unsuspecting snapshots may not start or end a war. They may not crumble an empire or spark a new dream. But that they exist is cause for research into the human condition, those warring desires for stability and change. Only a little dissection will show that everyone has a story--a past, a future. Every person has a place of origin and a destination, as well as somewhere in between. And somewhere on this journey, for every blessed one of us, there are moments--more frequently than you would expect--when we are the direct opposite of ordinary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68217957646559,"sku":"9781546212140","price":21.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/u9EO84FfOc9781546212140.webp?v=1792576295"},{"product_id":"gate-to-gate-trilogy-stories-from-the-seatback-pocket-paperback","title":"Gate to Gate Trilogy: Stories from the Seatback Pocket - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn architect. A young boy from a broken home. A bride on her honeymoon. An Iraqi war vet. What could these people possibly have in common? Absolutely nothing, except they shared the same airplane seat throughout the course of one particular day. Everyone has a story, but those stories don't always take the course we planned or end how or when we had hoped. Each person we cross paths with is at a different place in their own personal journey, but these seemingly random meetings have the potential to alter our course and take us to places we had never imagined. Pack your bags, settle into a comfortable chair with a bag of pretzels and a cold drink, and let your imagination soar along with our eight passengers. Your flight is just beginning.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68371691405535,"sku":"9781952155918","price":19.42,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/BRCKJf3PgF9781952155918.webp?v=1793764306"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/karen-pickens.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}