Audi's Race Video! 'A Kinder World'! And 'Outlier'!
- vickyearle
- May 26
- 6 min read
This is Audi's World in his first race of the 2026 racing season.
The video of the race is below.
I have preordered 'A Kinder World' by Ingrid Stefanovic, and I thought you might be interested in this much-needed book. Information and a link are included below.
This is my latest story for you to listen to. I confess I had trouble uploading an audio file to this site, so I made a video (it's a seasick-inducing pic-I apologize). But don't be concerned, I've copied the text below and listed the words I had to use in the story, so you don't have to endure the moving picture!
Here is the text. It is another word challenge story. The words I had to use are: salt; dagger; serendipity; chosen; sycophant; nourish; vellum; migration; outlier; leather; bingo; haberdashery; pharmacy; exploring.
What would you have written with these words?
Outlier
They consider me an outlier. I live on Partridge Island just off the coast and haven’t left since my retirement five years ago, even though I used to own a drug store on the main street. There’s good reason for their wariness, but I hope that will change now.
My drug store had been a haberdashery, which I inherited from my grandad. But since my chosen profession was pharmacy, I converted the dark, musty old place into a bright, shiny drug store.
The island isn’t large, but it’s expansive enough for me to enjoy exploring its shores with their craggy grey rocks and washed-up driftwood. Serendipity found me this place. I was sitting outside the café in town, nursing a large mug of strong, aromatic black coffee, when Jim, the real estate agent guy, sat down at my table and pushed a piece of paper towards me.
He told me the owners of Partridge Island were selling, and they wouldn’t consider anyone who wasn’t local. I commented on the thick paper, which felt like vellum. He whispered to me that they wanted me to buy it, so they were trying to impress. I’d been kind to them, apparently, and they knew my grandad.
I was living in a disappointing bungalow at the edge of town at the time, even though I had enough money to buy a much grander home. I knew the stunning island and the spacious log home and bought it the next day.
I enjoyed several pleasurable years here before I retired. But that’s when my life was turned on its head.
I needed to hire a pharmacist for the drug store. I still planned to oversee things, but at a distance. The townsfolk don’t like outsiders, but there was no one local. I had to advertise, and that’s when Marvin showed up. He was a pharmacist in Bellwood, a town about twenty miles inland, and he wanted to be nearer the ocean.
I hadn’t experienced a sycophant before, and he was a pro. He oozed syrupy praise. He complimented me on the success of the business and on my staff, as well as the layout of the store, and numerous other features. He made me feel queasy, and I could tell that neither of my staff took to him.
Two days later, I phoned Marvin to let him know he wasn’t the successful candidate. He didn’t say much, but he wasn’t happy.
I was sitting on my deck the following day, watching a variety of shorebirds ending their spring migration and settling mostly along the mainland coast, while some flew in circles near my island. It was a spectacular sight, but it was marred by a speedboat bouncing across the waves towards my dock. Something told me this wasn’t going to be good.
Marvin secured the boat and strode up the rocky path towards me. I stood as goosebumps popped up all over my body. My heart rate increased even though I told myself I was silly to have any concern.
But my instincts were right. His eyes glistened with hate and anger. He pointed a dagger at me and yelled abuse. I contemplated attempting to reason with him, but knew it would be futile and could even nourish his rage and irrational behaviour. Did he think I’d relent and give him the job?
Obviously, I’d done a background check before I invited him to meet me. But I admit it was superficial. Since that meeting and because he made me feel uneasy, I dug deeper and double-checked his credentials. They were fake. After more digging with the help of my pal Gord, the police chief, it was discovered that he had run three bingo halls in the States and was wanted for fraud and aggravated assault. I wondered why he thought he could fool me and work as a pharmacist. Gord found out that Marvin had enrolled in a pharmacy assistant program in Ontario several years previously but failed to qualify. Curious.
The man pointing a dagger at me wasn’t simply a curiosity, though. He was dangerous. I wondered how sharp the dagger was. I had no experience with any kind of weapon. But I was wearing a high-quality leather jacket that my grandad gave me out of his haberdashery. I treasured it. Perhaps it could protect me.
But when I glanced at the menacing blade with its sharp point, I realized I’d have to fight, somehow. But I had no clue how to tackle an attacker brandishing a dagger.
Clearly, Marvin was deranged and probably having a psychotic episode. Perhaps if I chucked my mug of black coffee at him, it would shock him enough for him to reconsider what he was threatening to do. I noticed he was wearing gloves, but didn’t think much of that until later. The mug hit his arm and smashed onto the deck. Pieces of porcelain and puddles of coffee settled on the weathered wood.
Well, that didn’t work. He screamed unintelligible words. But then he suddenly burst into a menacing chortle and told me I would regret what I’d done to him.
All I’d done was turn him down for a job he wasn’t even qualified for. But, of course, I couldn’t say it. His eyes widened and gleamed as he held the glinting dagger. It was then that I noticed he wasn’t pointing it at me anymore. He thrust the blade upwards under his ribcage, groaned, and collapsed. I called emergency services and then Gord, but it was difficult since my hands were trembling so much from the shock.
As I mentioned, this was when the trouble started. Gord believed my story, but that wasn’t enough. Bigger fish got involved and talked of a manslaughter charge. There was no suicide note. They were hung up on that. Lawyers suggested I claim self-defence, but I insisted I hadn’t touched the dagger. The bigwigs said I would have had time to wipe it clean, and didn’t I notice Marvin was wearing gloves?
So, Marvin killed himself to make me suffer. I almost feel sorry for him. He needed help with his mental illness. Services are thin on the ground these days.
Notwithstanding all that, Marvin got his wish because it’s been five years of pain for me with mistrials, appeals and so on. And I sold my drug store. I hope Grandad isn’t turning over in his grave. But it’s over now, and I’ve just opened a bottle of champagne. I don’t really feel like celebrating, but relief is washing over me like the salty waves of the beautiful ocean. And perhaps I can rebuild relationships in the town, shake off my outlier image, and enjoy a mug of coffee at the café. Here’s hoping. Cheers!
Vicky Earle Copyright 2026
'In an era marked by polarization and social fracture, kindness and compassion are increasingly treated as liabilities rather than strengths. A Kinder World challenges this assumption, reminding us that human evolution and progress have been driven not by competition alone, but by collaboration, empathy, and care.
To build a healthy, resilient, and sustainable future, philosopher Ingrid Leman Stefanovic argues that society must renew a shared ethos of kindness, both individually and collectively. Dispelling the myth that kindness signals weakness, Stefanovic critiques the “selfish gene” narrative and reconsiders the roles of aggression and competition in human development. The book demonstrates instead how moral integrity, social justice, basic civility, and human progress are reinforced through the practice of kindness. These values find expression not only in interpersonal relationships, but also in social and cultural norms, environmental ethics, and the design of our towns and cities.
Positioning kindness as a guiding principle for the good life, A Kinder World also offers practical pathways for cultivating it in an increasingly unkind world. Drawing on educational tools and behavioural strategies, the book shows that kindness is not naïve or incidental, but a deliberate practice – and the enduring foundation of human flourishing.'
The 6th Book in my Meg Sheppard Mystery Series is being promoted!
I am a founding member of bookdna.com (previously shepherd.com) and my books are featured on the site.
I'm excited that my latest book is being promoted here:
Audi's Race
Audi's World was the favourite, but you'll see that he didn't win.
Woodbine has since apologized for the condition of the track. Perhaps this was a factor for Audi. He came out of the race in good condition and is doing well.
We are optimistic that he'll have a better race next time!
By the way, the announcer pronounces his name incorrectly. His sire is Audible, so his name should not be pronounced as if he were a German car!
Better luck next time, Audi!
Friendly reminder: please send me your reviews of my books if you haven't already done so. I appreciate and value them! Thank you.
Happy reading,
Vicky
Wow I wondered what you’d write with that word list! Excellent!!!
Excellent story, Vicky. I really enjoyed it . I liked how you so cleverly used all the required words.
Laura