Welcome back. We’re officially into Volume 3 now, which means we’ve unpacked, found the good mugs, and decided to set sail once again on another collection of perfectly avoidable misadventures.

I may be accused of being naïve at times, but whenever I’ve visited my family doctor, I’ve always assumed my main concerns would be the doctor himself, his nurse, or perhaps the receptionist.

Deal with them, I told myself, and I’d be home free.

I did say I was naïve, didn’t I?

In this tale from Clarence Mills, a routine medical visit reveals that the real challenge may not lie inside the clinic at all—but somewhere along the way there… and, more importantly, on the way back.

There’s an old saying that getting there is half the fun. I can tell you from experience that this is not a theory you want to test.

And you’ll notice there isn’t a corresponding saying about getting back being half the fun…

If you’ve ever underestimated a simple trip…
If you’ve ever discovered that the journey had other plans…
If you’ve ever longed for the part where you were supposed to be “home free”…

You may feel very much at home here.

I’ll be right here Thursday morning with another Clarence Mills tale. And if you’d like the next one to arrive without any effort at all, you’re always welcome to follow along.