For years I received a pay check because I was good at watching people, reading people. I enjoyed it because there are so many stories to be told on each face, each nervous tic, and each gesture. Watching is an animal instinct I believe. Watching and watching closely we learn much. Not just watching, listening…not hearing, but listening. Perhaps I could make the grand confession that I have watched others my entire life, from childhood until now. It’s not an unnatural thing to do. After all, it’s how children and adults learn. Watching is vital to understanding. This small book is a result of watching with eyes tending to look into the soul of another, or perhaps looking into my own soul. Watching my friends is not confined to external stimuli. We must watch ourselves and how we react to rejection, to lost faith, and the negativity we generate as humans in this crazy upside down world. For anyone curious about the title of my book, potato soup has been the security blanket of my childhood. In cold weather after a big day of snowball fights and slogs of sledding my mother would always have a pot of potato soup on the stove, perhaps the most warmth ever felt in my upside down youth