These stories come from Las Animas, a small town in southeastern Colorado. It is here that my grandfather J. Edward Carothers was born in 1907 and lived until he was 18. My grandfathers stories are filled with experiences that teach us that no matter what you think you are up to, the results will be a surprise, and you will have to use your intelligence to make the right uses of imposed freedom. He also taught me that in order to find that this is true you have to live into the sunset and then go all the way through the night. That way you are sure to meet another sunrise that will most likely bring some unexpected occasions with it. That makes life worth living.