Since the late 1970s, James Pauley, Jr. has been jet-setting around the world as a flight attendant. During his time on this planet and in the skies, he's pretty much seen and heard it all. In Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings, Pauley chronicles his life-both in the air and on the ground-one meaningful adventure after another.

As someone whose innate filter doesn't always work, Pauley says it exactly as he sees it. Written in his uniquely humorous, poignant, sarcastic, self-deprecating, honest, and mildly outrageous style, he recounts stories of growing up different, while learning important lessons from even the most unlikely of sources: a chili dog, a nasty queen, a cursing coworker, a Porta-Potty, a stranger's judgment, a sore butt, a new piano, a tiny scar, a grieving widow, and a hateful bully. With the millions of miles he's logged in over the years, along with the thousands of diverse and colorful characters he's met and observed along the way, he knows one thing for certain: On this journey called Life, with no GPS or autopilot to help us navigate, no one truly knows what their final destination will be. And, because the ride will undoubtedly be turbulent at times, it's best to just fasten your seat belts, learn from the experience, and always hope for a soft landing.

Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings: Stories of Coming Out, Flying High, and Not Learning to Play the Piano