The moral of this story is a little bit like the expression "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all," which of course means that even if things end badly, the experience along the way brought joy and fulfillment. James got to live his dream even though it was short-lived.
Thanks for sharing your story in The Ink Well, @artworkers. And thank you for your engagement with other writers in the community. Please keep it up! We expect everyone who posts in The Ink Well to be an active member of the community and to read and comment on at least two stories for every story published. Thank you and keep writing.