March 17, 2026

After The Story | Episode 12

After the Story - Choices Like Rivers Episode 12

This podcast discusses each chapter of Choices Like Rivers and each episode is posted directly after the book episode. This corresponds to Chapter 5 Section 2.

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Sharon is a normal average young woman. She comes from a middle-class family. Her friends Patty and Lenny are typical young family. Sharon and Patty met at a vocational trade school, not where most young wealthy people went for further education in that era.

So, when Patty and Lenny had suggested to Sharon that she go on a date with someone that Lenny knew from work, she assumed that he would also fall into that typical, average, category.

When we go on a blind date, we never know what to expect. We assume our well meaning friends are exaggerating when they describe the blind date as handsome or gorgeous or intelligent or many other attributes. We always gird our loins for the letdown.

But when Sharon opened the door to Will, those expectations flew out of the window. He was handsome and courteous. We find out that he has a brand new BMW, so he has money.

Sharon has poor self esteem primarily from the shame and guilt that she has been carrying around for such a long time. She has demoted herself and believes herself to be ‘less than’.

She cannot imagine why someone like Will would even consider going on a date with her. She does not see herself the way Will sees her and has the instinct to automatically disregard any compliment or courtesy he provides her.

In her mind she is thinking, ‘if he only knew’. But in her heart, there is hope. Hope that it is true that her fairytale can come true.

The party is splendid. One that is rare to attend and Sharon is immediately uncomfortable. She does not live in a world where this kind of extravagance is routine or even experienced on occasion.

Once inside she sees just how the other women respond to seeing Will. He is a catch and they all know it. And she is there with him. And when he seems to still only have eyes for her, she is even more bewildered.

She knows he works with Lenny, so maybe he was not really part of this world, but was an occasional visitor. However, in the very last part of this scene we see that he actually lives in the grand house where the party is being held.

So many questions open up at this point. Do his parents own the house and is this where he grew up? That is what we assume. However, when he admits this to Sharon he seems almost shy about it as though it is a point of embarrassment to him.

We have all experienced situations where we were somewhere, a party or maybe a work event where we felt we just didn’t belong, or that we didn’t measure up and usually it is because of money or a social class situation.

Why do we do this? Why do we allow ourselves to believe that we are less-than simply because we have not had the experience of a life of wealth or opportunities?

Many times those in that world will act in a way that will cause us to feel that we don’t fit in, which in turn causes us to fell less-than.

But a person is so much more than their bank account or the type of car they drive or the clothes that they wear. In fact so often the outside looks good, but on the inside there is insecurity, sadness, boredom, and a hollowness that they do not know how to fill.

Sharon is battling both with what she has materially and what is on the inside of her. That tree of guilt and shame looms large over her, but her attraction for Will keeps pulling her back out.

He seems genuine. He seems sincere. But is he? Let us find out.