A New Beginning

September 24 2025

Prompt by: Stories from the Jukebox

Prompt: #7 Crazy Train: Written by Ozzy Osbourne

Tony sat in class and looked at his classmates. His phone had just beeped with the news of another school shooting. His contemplation of what this meant forced him to consider if someone he knew in this room had it in him to be a copycat. He hoped not but then so thought all the other students who lived through these tragedies.

His classmates were all over this. They always were the latest news that alerted them on their phones every day. Discussions reigned. Speculation ran rampant as nerves were tested. Did you really know anyone was a common question.

After school he wandered home and turned on the tv. Updates and discussions from experts made him more depressed. 

“What are you watching?” asked his mom as she hung up her coat and set her purse on the counter. 

“There was another school shooting today,” he flatly replied. 

“Oh no. Near here?” she inquired as she slid onto the sofa beside him.

“No, but it is in a school. That’s depressing. The news is really depressing.”

His mom clicked off the tv. “Try to forget about it. It’s not around here. You are safe. It’s time to get ready for the cottage.”  

Tony wasn’t sure anyone was safe. He gave it some thought as he prepared for the drive to the cottage.  

When Tony got out of the car at the cottage he headed for the one spot where there was cellphone reception. 

His parents looked at each other. “Tony? Could you give us a hand unloading the car?

“Yep. Sure,” he mumbled, putting his phone in his pocket.

A little while later his mom saw him at the same spot holding out his phone trying to get a signal. Slowly she walked out to where he was standing.

“You need to stop watching and reading the news. It’s not helping you. It is making you feel useless and more depressed.”

“Mom,” said Tony with that well known teenage whine. “I need to know what is going on in the world. I need to know what people are talking about.”

“Really?” she asked. “You need to know that people you don’t know are shooting other people who you don’t know? You need to know there are fires in Tonawanda? You need to know there are wars going on around the world? Car crashes? That there are sick people out there?”

“There might be the names of someone I know on the news.”

“Like they got arrested for who knows what or died in a car accident?”

“When you put it like that, probably not.”

“It’s like Ozzy said. “(People) are going off the rails in a crazy train.’ Part of that crazy train is reading about and becoming too involved in events that are not of an immediate effect.” She paused in thought. “Since this is the only spot to get reception here, let's try this for the next couple of weeks. Try to leave your phone in your room.”

Tony looked shocked.

“No reception, no need for a phone. We don’t have a tv for the same reason. We are here to relax and enjoy ourselves. Read a book. Swim. Go kayaking. Go snorkeling. Go fishing. Sit and look at the clouds. Talk with us. Fill your mind with wonder. Get off the crazy train and enjoy your life.”

“Hey Tony!” called Alison from the cottage next door.  

Tony looked at his mom and then at Alison. She looked better than he remembered. He turned and handed his phone to his mom. “You may be right,” he smiled as he wandered across the lot to greet Alison.