The Seventh to Succeed

 

Avram had heard stories about a new land with many opportunities, but the distance to travel and the time needed to make the trip was somewhat mind-boggling. He had already surpassed his seventieth year and his wife as well. Though they had been married for fifty years, they had failed to produce any offspring. He began engaging his friends, the children of his friends and even his father about the feasibility of making the trip.

Most discouraged him from taking on such an adventure at such an old age, but there were a few who encouraged him to never stop dreaming, to never stop making goals, and to put in effort to improve himself, his wife, and his marriage. Despite their advanced age, he and Miriam still spoke of one day having children, determined to not leave this world without continuing their family line.

Several days and then several weeks passed and Avram finally made the decision to have the conversation with Miriam about selling most of their belongings, selling their home, stockpiling food and beginning the journey to the new land of many promises. They sat together at the dinner table, and he looked into the eyes of his beloved as they grew wider and wider. He saw the joy and excitement building in her and the glow of hope continue to grow as he talked.

They stood from the table, embraced in a hug that had been a daily practice for them for the last fifty years, and Miriam affirmed his decision, promising to support him as they made this exciting new decision. After several days, they watched people come and go from their home, trading their belongings for cash, until their home sat nearly empty. A real estate agent listed their home for sale after a thorough cleaning.

Avram purchased a wagon, an abundance of canned food and bottled water. He created a travel plan for them, as the distance was easily over one thousand miles through unknown lands and possible danger. Three days after listing their home, they received an offer slightly below their asking price, which they immediately accepted. The paperwork was completed and Avram and Miriam stood at the front gate of their former home, to hand over the keys to the real estate agent. Both of them released a joyous and excited sigh, knowing that hardship lay ahead of them, knowing that they would never again step into this house that had been their home for so many decades.

Avram helped Miriam climb into the wagon and turned to find that dozens of their friends and extended family had gathered around them to wish them well and good travels. He joined Miriam on the wagon bench and as they reached the edge of town, they both turned to look one last time at a community they would never again see. A final volley of waves and goodbyes was their final image of their multiple decade’s long community.

The first portion of their trip would be relatively short, as it was already noon when they departed. Following his plans to the minute, they arrived at the next town to find shelter until they would leave the next morning for a much longer trip. Each day was like the former, moving from one town to the next, from one bland hotel to the next until they reached their destination after fourteen days of travel.

They finally reached the new land of promise, moved into a new community, became friends with those nearby, built a small home, dug a well, and began to assert themselves as a benefit to the community. As time passed, Avram and Miriam bought more and more land, digging wells in each location and building altars to their god as well. Avram began a business of providing counsel in every aspect of life imaginable. Most came for financial direction, and some came for help with questions of ethics, behavior, and raising their children.

Several years passed and Avram’s business flourished and positively impacted their new community and friends. With a robust income, Avram was able to hire a maidservant for Miriam, as her age had become a problem with maintaining their home. He and Miriam were not nearly eighty years of age and Miriam suggested to him that he take the maidservant as a concubine to produce an heir before it was too late. The suggestion stirred up hope in him but also rubbed him the wrong way, feeling like doing such a thing was a breach of faithfulness to his wife.

After Miriam insistence, Avram finally relented, approached the maidservant with Miriam and came to an agreement for the two of them to produce an heir for he and Miriam. This became a new routine for them. Each morning after breakfast, he and the maidservant would slip away to a backroom and engage one another. After three weeks of said engagement, the maidservant announced to both Avram and Miriam that their efforts finally came to fruition.

He and Miriam woke one morning to the sound of a large, angry crowd that had gathered outside of their home. Word had begun spreading that everything Avram was teaching was contrary to the wellbeing of the community, and contrary to their faithfulness to their god. Fearing for their safety, Avram began planning for a way to escape to another community. They remained silent and out of sight until the crowd dispersed. As darkness settled that evening, he, Miriam, and the maid servant loaded all their necessary belongings into the wagon, and they slipped away unannounced.

As they traveled Avram created a new plan, a new direction, and a time frame for his new offspring. They traveled for seventeen days to finally reach their new community. Seven more months passed, and the maid servant gave birth to their son. When Miriam saw the joy in both the maid servant’s eyes and in Avram’s eyes, she could feel anger and disappointment swelling up within her.

“Avram,” she said, “I can no longer bear to look upon the maid servant and her son. You must send them away. It may still be possible for you and me to have a child. We need to try for several weeks like you did with her. This child needs to be ours, not yours and hers.” Avram could feel himself withering inside at the thought of finally having a son and having to send him away. He sent Miriam from the room and called the maid servant to speak with him. He explained the situation, gave her money to travel, and apologized for the way that it had all taken place.

One year later, Avram and Miram gave birth to their own son, now established in their new community. They watched their boy grow in strength, in wisdom, and in kindness. One day as their son reached maturity, word reached Avram’s ears that the maid servant and her son had returned to the community and were demanding a large portion of Avram’s estate, for their son was the true heir of everything that Avram owned.

Once again, Avram gave the maidservant a large portion of money and again sent her away. He and Miriam grew old, watched their son marry, and produce sons for himself. The family line of Avram and Miriam now began to grow, overtake and influence the community. Many generations came and went. Some succeeded, some failed, but the family line of Avram and Miriam continued to grow and spread throughout the land.

Six generations developed over time, sometimes succeeding in their efforts, but many times failing to remain good and faithful to the original plan of growing the family line. It was with the seventh generation that a wonderous young man was born who set everything straight, organized a new approach to life and how to structure reality for his many descendants, his many friends, and acquaintances.

His brilliance, his love for others, his philanthropy, and his overall good nature became the standard by which everyone began to shape their lives. The new mantra became "Shape your life to be an imitation of Manuel.” Over time, Manuel established a new world order but refused to become involved in politics, preferring instead to focus his efforts on positively influencing his culture, helping those in need, and teaching anyone who was willing to listen and imitate him.

In a surprise move, Manuel gathered his closest friends and communicated his plan to depart from the area, leaving his best friend Honorio in charge of the direction of this new approach to life that he had established. Decades and centuries passed, and all of those who had embraced Manuel’s approach to life continued to positively impact their community, the communities around them, and even communities that existed a great distance from them.

Word began to spread that Manuel would one day return and make everything right, bringing to justice those who had rejected his teaching and lifestyle, and finalizing a new reality for everyone in every community and in every land. Those whom Manuel had left in charge, continued his work, raised up others to continue the work, and with each passing generation, peace, love, kindness, and philanthropy continued as well. Each generation documented the successes and failures of their time, resulting in a glorious history of the line of Avram.

As was promised, Manuel eventually returned, made everything right, and removed those who had opposed him from positions of power and authority, ultimately bringing peace and stability to the original community, the other communities, and the entire land at large.

Everything to Give

 

Audrey woke up early that morning feeling particularly surly. A short stream of profanity left her lips as she realized that she was wide awake, a full hour before the sounding of her alarm. She slowly sat up, swung her feet over the edge of the bed, and scanned the room for her slippers. “Why is it so cold in here?” she wondered, seeing her breath in cloud form leave her mouth as she spoke to herself. Her orange cat Frances lay curled up in a tight ball at the foot of her bed. “I guess it’s not only me who feels cold.”

Thankful for wearing socks to bed the previous evening, she hurried across the bedroom, down the hall, and into the bathroom. Watching the steam build up after turning on the water, she took a shower, a little too hot, wanting to drive away the chill that touched every ounce of her being. She waited several minutes longer than normal to begin shaving her legs, waiting for the goose bumps to disappear.

Hating to leave the glorious warmth, she turned off the water, shook herself free of excess droplets, and dried off, feeling the cold once again trying to overtake her comfortable state. “Ugh, I’ve got way too much time before I go to work,” she grumbled. She ran a comb through her gloriously long blonde hair to then work it through with a detangler. The heat of the blow dryer was a nice touch of warmth that drove away the cold.

“Stupid furnace, I guess I’ll have to call the manager again,” she said. “I cannot live like this and shouldn’t have to. Hopefully they can fix it while I’m at work.” She scrunched her hair, added some curls, and a few shots of hairspray to make herself look somewhat reasonable. “I wish I could find a man that earns a lot of money, so I can stay home, cook, clean, raise babies, and be the adoring housewife. That would be awesome.”

She hurried across the hallway into her bedroom and argued with herself about what to wear that day. The visions of interacting with her boss, interacting with her co-workers, most of whom were borderline simpletons and distracted by the stupid vanity of the world, tempted her to quit her job. She knew this was not an option, at least not until she found that perfect man who would provide for her. The club scene she dipped into on occasion provided no one of marrying value. She thought about her neighbors, the occasional man on the subway or the grocery store.

“I need to start looking somewhere else,” she said. “None of my friends have offered up anyone who I would even consider marrying. Of course, Mom always has suggestions of men from her church. I suppose a religious guy would be stable and faithful, at least I would hope so. Maybe that’s worth a shot,” she mused.

She finally decided on the blue miniskirt with a white top and flats. “I do not want to spend all day in high heels.” She finally found her slippers and padded around her cold apartment, wondering what to eat for breakfast.  “I’ve got lots of time. Maybe I’ll stop for a muffin and a coffee. Good chance there are eligible men at the bakery or the coffee shop. Here’s for hoping.”

Now fully dressed and comfortable, she returned to the bathroom to apply her makeup and touch up her hair.  “Okay, don’t take too long. If you get there early enough, you’ll have time to chat and flirt if anyone is around,” she said. She slipped her laptop into her bag, reviewed her notes from the meeting the day before, knowing that her boss would be expecting an answer to the long-standing question of how to resolve the database problem that had plagued them for the last week.

“Oh, shoot, I need to call the manager before I leave,” she said. She dialed his number, waited for him to answer, and then explained the problem. “Oh, good, thanks Carl. Yes, please send someone over today. I’ll be at work all day and I would really love to come home to a warm apartment.” She scanned over the apartment for anything valuable or any cash lying around. Seeing nothing worth stealing, she locked the door behind her, took the elevator to the main floor and walked four blocks to the closest bakery and the coffee shop.

Buying two muffins at the bakery, and a large mocha at the coffee shop, she took a seat in a far corner and tried to make eye contact with every reasonable looking healthy young man that entered. On her fourth attempt, the tall, dark, and handsome young man named Jonathan approached her at her table, asking if he could join her. She offered up a small smile and said, “Yes, please, I would love some company.” Thankfully, the conversation went smoothly, as he seemed to be well informed about everything.  They exchanged phone numbers and parted ways.

Trembling with excitement, her imagination got the better of her, as she began to create many different scenarios in her mind of their future relationship. She descended the stairs to the subway, rode for fifteen minutes and ascended to the sidewalk to cross the street and enter her office building. She was three hours into her day when her phone dinged. She glanced at the screen and saw the name of the glorious young man from the coffee shop, asking if he could take her out for dinner the coming weekend.

She replied, “Yes,” and asked for the name of the restaurant where she could meet him. After a few moments, he replied with a name and a time. She thanked him and said she would be there on time and possibly a little early. Once again, her imagination ran away with her, creating images and scenes of the coming weekend. She pictured herself introducing Jonathan to her parents, to her friends, and to her extended family.

Stirred from her introspection, her boss called her into a meeting, looking for answers for the database problem. Fortunately, she had fabricated an answer during her ride on the subway, an answer that seemed to appease him and the guys in IT. Thankfully, the meeting lasted a mere ten minutes, allowing her to return to her fanciful imagination about the handsome Jonathan. “God, I would love to get together with him, quit this boring job and be the perky, happy housewife,” she thought.

The first date took place and could not have gone any better. Which was followed by a countless number of lunch and dinner dates, an introduction to her parents, and a weekend in Paris after six months. They stood together at the Louvre. She watched him drop to one knee and her heart crawled up into her throat. She heard the words she had hoped to hear, and she quickly answered, “Yes.”

They returned to the states and immediately began planning for the wedding. “We need to give ourselves and everyone else enough time to prepare for this. This is a really big deal,” she said.

“I’m thinking that six months should be enough time to make all of these decisions,” he said. “We need to reserve a church, pick out the flowers, the attendants, and create the guest list. Of course, the guest list should come first so people have enough time.”

They sat together at his dining room table, writing down notes, planning for everything they could imagine, and she dreamed of this new future she had so long longed for. “Can you give me a ride home? I really don’t want to navigate the subway like this with all of my luggage.”

“Yes, of course, “he said. “We need to tell our parents right away. Oh, also, I have a great plan for our honeymoon. I want it to be a surprise for you. I promise, you’ll love it.”

After the short drive to her apartment, he walked her to the door, kissed her goodbye, and she watched him walk down the hallway toward the elevator. “Oh wow, this is actually happening. It’s too early to tell my boss that I’m quitting. I need to give my two week notice like a good employee.” She closed her door, sat down on her couch and began dreaming of the new life that would become a reality after the next six months.

“I’ve given so much to that stupid job,” she said. “It seems like no one there appreciates how much I’ve sacrificed the company. Now I can pour myself into being a housewife who gives her all to make her husband happy.” Images of a happy home life, babies, and decades of fun and faithfulness filled her head.

“Oh, so good,” she said. “Now this is just a matter of staying focused on my work, on planning for the wedding and I wonder where he’s thinking about for a honeymoon. I will be that good, loving, faithful wife, who creates a house of peace and joy when he returns home each day. This is so good. I cannot wait to tell my parents.”

“I’ve poured everything into work for the past six years, and now I can pour everything into a husband, a home, and children. It doesn’t get any better than this.” She looked around her empty apartment, saw her cat, and wished that the six months would quickly pass, allowing for their union to happen sooner than later. “We need to be one,” she thought.

Work Life Balance

 

Even into his thirties, Andrew would often think back to his childhood, his parent’s and being an only child in a military family. Both of his parents were decorated Navy Seals, ridiculously successful in their multiple deployments around the world. He was born in the United States and moved from military base to military base, in more countries than he could count. He grew up among adults, attended school in Afghanistan, South Korea, Syria, Germany, and Columbia, all of which required him to learn the languages of his classmates.

After eighteen years of military life, surrounded predominantly by military personnel, he moved away from home upon graduation, longing for a normal life among normal people in the safe and calm United States. With a brain full of self-defense skills, gun expertise, and five languages, he was a raging success in every avenue he pursued in the free world. He had never actually known a normal childhood, but instead only ever thought like, spoke like, and acted like an adult who assessed every situation, every movement, and every room he entered.

After completing university, he had no desire to enter the military. The thought of sitting behind a desk and working on a computer seemed insanely boring to him. Instead, he chose to enter into the vocation of a bodyguard. Having weapons training, self-defense skills, and fluency in multiple languages made him an incredibly value resource for the rich and powerful who traveled the world. As each month passed, he watched his bank account grow at a surprising rate, which prompted him to consider taking a lengthy vacation with any of the hundreds of girls that sought his attention.

When his bank account reached half a million, he notified his lawyer that he would be taking a break from his work for a couple of months and do some traveling. His lawyer immediately responded with an email, asking him to stop by the office and fill out some paperwork declaring the exact details of his plans and how to respond to potential new clientele. As it was only two in the afternoon, Andrew stopped for a coffee and drove to his lawyer’s office.

The four-page document covered every possible detail of his vacation plans, his date of return, and how to respond to potential new clients. He drove home to an empty home, found a map of the world, and began to plan his next five vacations. “I need to see quality art, I need to be somewhere warm, and I would love to visit those places the military did not bring us,” he thought. “Now I need to think about which girl to invite for each trip. Two weeks with each one, in a different place, would be a great change of pace. It would be nice to have different company for each vacation.”

“Some of them like the heat, some of them like art, and some of them like to just travel and most love to be spoiled with shopping and fancy restaurants,” he said to himself. “Let’s see, Britney loves art, so she and I can go to Paris, visit the Louvre, and any other artistic or architectural wonders in that glorious old city.” He placed a phone call to Britney, invited her to join him on his trip to France, which she immediately accepted.

“I was hoping to leave next weekend,” he told her. “If you can absolutely confirm your intent to join me, I’ll buy the plane tickets, rent a hotel room, and make plans for what to do on each day.”

“Yes, absolutely,” she said. “I won’t have any trouble taking time off of work. I have quite of bit of vacation time built up, so it won’t be a problem. When you work out the details, let me know what day and time you’ll pick me up.”

In a mechanical process, Andrew continued the same process for his trip to the beaches in Ecuador, calling Madeline to join him a few days after returning from France. He wrote down every detail, in the rigid, militaristic approach to life that was taught to him by his parents. Madeline too immediately accepted his invitation, which he followed up with more phone calls, more reservations, more plane tickets, and several orders online for clothes and any other necessities.

This became a pattern for the next three vacations. Each one following the previous by a couple of days off in between, giving himself time to relax, to enjoy some solitude, and the boredom of home life. Lisa accepted his invitation to travel to St. Petersburg and a few other locations in western Russia. Like all of the others, he carefully documented each day, each evening, and he bought more tickets for shows, for symphonic performances, and the comfort of fine dining and five-star hotels.

His next call was to Abigail, whom he remembered as one who loved to travel in general. He made plans with her to hop from city to city, covering eight different cities across western Europe. Their first destination was the city of Copenhagen, which would be followed by train rides from city to city, enjoying the beauty of nature, the comfort of first-class travel, and one another’s company. He deliberately chose this fourth trip with Abigail to be the busiest. He saved his final trip with Nataliya for an African safari, knowing how much she loved animals and warm weather.

With a groan, he collapsed on his couch, his head full to overflowing with travel details, hotel reservations, numberless performances to watch, and dinner reservations in the finest of restaurants. He casually flipped through his notebook, reminding himself of the basic flow of life for the next twelve weeks. “Phew, this is going to be one heck of a summer,” he thought. “I need to get hold of the bank about getting me the right cash for each country and for each city.”

“Okay, I’ve got eight days before I need to be ready for the first trip.” After a quick shower, he watched a movie, enjoyed a bottle of Malbec with a meat and cheese tray. His mind was a whirlwind of details, which he wished he could suppress and ignore. He finished his movie, finished his meat, cheese, and wine and went to bed to rise early, knowing that he had almost numberless details to address.

Late the next morning, he visited his bank, ordered cash for each trip, and a specific schedule for when the funds would be needed. The Euro would cover his needs across western Europe, he would need an obscene amount of rubles for his trip to Russia, as well as the American dollar for his trip to Ecuador. He was uncertain of his monetary needs for Africa, so sought guidance from his banker in that regard. With everything in place and scheduled, he left the bank with plans to return in three days to retrieve the abundance of cash in the form of the Euro.

He returned home, placed a call to Britney and gave her the details for their trip, the day and time he would be picking her up at home. He readied himself for weeks of inane conversation, ridiculous spending, and spoiling these silly, immature, and distracted young women. He appreciated Britney’s love for art and always enjoyed conversations with her about the different artists, the different composers, and the fine dining they would enjoy.

In each location across the globe over the many weeks of travel, he made of point of financially supporting the homeless people they encountered as they traveled from place to place. Each girl was the same, except for Britney. Each one chastising him for giving away money to lazy people. He full well knew that this would be their response, and he reminded them that he was spoiling them as well. That it was his money and there were people who had needs and how it was good and right to help others, especially when there were children involved.

Two weeks in Paris was followed by a two-day break, which was followed by two weeks in Ecuador, which was a nice change from the cool and rainy French environment. He took three days off after Ecuador to prepare himself for two weeks with Lisa in Russia. He took four days off after Russia, knowing that city hopping for two weeks with Abigail would be exhausting. Which was followed by three days off and a trip across Africa with Nataliya.

Each vacation was the same. Ridiculous amounts of spending, perfect comfort, fine dining, performances, and the giving away of money and necessities to the many homeless and needy people in each location. He and Nataliya returned to the United States from Kenya. He gave her a ride home, and collapsed on his bed at home, thrilled to be done with so much travel, so much play and so much ridiculous conversation with small minded and vain girls who were several years younger than he.

He lounged around his house for three days before calling his lawyer. He put together a financial plan that shocked his usual spending sensibilities. “This was a great balance of fun, comfort, entertainment, and helping those in need,” he thought. “I really should do more for those in need and less for the shallow comforts of these ridiculous young women. It is nice to get out and do fun things with other people. A break like this every couple of years is probably a good idea.”

Feeling rested and relaxed, he phoned his lawyer, informing him of his return home and his plan to return to work within the week. “Please go ahead and schedule the next client, if there is one. The vacations were great, but I really feel the need to get active again. Thanks for keeping my work life on the rails while I was gone. Call me when something comes up.”

“Yes, Andrew, of course,” he answered. “There were a few phone calls while you were away. I know some of them planned well in advance, so you most certainly have work lined up. Mr. Darlington has requested your services in four days from now. So please be ready for his needs. He said he would forward the details to us. I expect them tomorrow. Have a good day, sir.”

Lost on the Palouse

 

            Peter had just exited I-90 onto exit 245 heading into the tiny town of Sprague to see a handful of homes, a restaurant, a gas station, and a cannabis dispensary. He had heard stories of the beauty of the rolling wheat fields, the endless, non-descript curving roads touched only by rock and sparse brush outside of the fields and could not resist the temptation to take the drive to see it for himself, thrilled at the prospect of walking through such glory.

              At just below a quarter of a tank, he pulled into the gas station to experience possibly the slowest pump known to mankind, scrubbing the multitude of bugs from his windshield as he waited, but finding that he still had more time, he washed the rear and side windows as well. Waiting even longer still, memories of buying bags of weed from the stoner kid in high school tempted him to pull across the street and indulge in an activity he had not partaken of in years, following the recommendation of the young girl behind the counter, a pungent, lemony strain, promising increased cerebral activity and an energy boost.

              Returning to his foray into the swirling, winding chaos of the open Palouse, he found himself surrounded by rocky, uneven, barren fields of sagebrush spotted by the occasional bovine, coyote, and deer. Rounding an uphill corner, he was forced to quickly swerve around a dead and bloating porcupine in the center of his lane, fortunate to meet no other traffic in his abrupt swing into the other lane.  Thirty minutes into his drive, he departed from the highway to a side road that, if his memory served correctly, led into the rolling wheat fields had been promised.

              Staying true to its word, the landscape rapidly shifted from barren rocks to wheat fields, which seemed to have no end, until he came across a wide turn off that allowed him free access to safe parking and what seemed to be the highest hill within shouting distance. Retrieving his single pre-roll encased in glass, a lighter, and several bottles of water, he walked to the top of the tallest hill and surveyed the surroundings, developing a plan in his mind of distance and direction that would hopefully prevent him from becoming lost in this rolling, directionless, and unhindered freedom of brown hills and blue sky.

              In a perfect balance of ascent and descent, he was thankful to see that most locations lay within range of a cellphone tower, and he puffed his lemony goodness, noting the sharp contrast between the tropical flavored smoke and the wheaty, dusty surroundings. Frequently glancing back to the high point that marked the beginning of this journey, he kept a second eye on the movement of the sun, triangulating his path, his point of origin, and his basic speed but soon came to realize that everything suddenly looked the same, having lost direct sight of his starting point. Cresting the zenith of his current hill, he sat down and surveyed everything surrounding him, his emotions a whirlwind, a fight between the possibility of being lost and the calming effect of the cannabis, while at the same time, feeling energized to continue his journey.

              Minus the few minutes he spent ruminating on his current condition, he noted that he had been walking for just over ninety minutes and found himself torn between two different directions to find his way back to his car, the road, and the way home, as visions of himself as an emaciated, dried, and slowly swelling corpse lying in the dust, harassed by crows, by worms, and the occasional fox, having fallen into a dead zone with no cell coverage, his family tormented at his unexplained silence. Shaking his head and focusing on a brighter future, he made a decision and began walking back, he guessed, to the direction from which he had come.

              Forty-five minutes into his return, he still felt completely disoriented but continued his path based on his interpretation of solar movement, trusting that the road would soon appear, hopefully fronted by his vehicle, growing hotter as the early summer sun beat down upon its closed interior. He finished his last bottle of water to joyfully recognize the black snaking asphalt still a fair distance ahead, breathing a sigh of relief, he eventually stepped through the ditch, with no car in sight, either his or any other, now faced with another decision, uncertain of the wisdom of a left or right turn, his sense of direction completely absent.

              Scraping a shallow divot with his heel, he planted an empty water bottle to mark the location he reached the roadway, before turning to the left hopefully find his car sooner than later, with every stretch of road containing nothing to stir his memory of the drive. He walked along the white line keeping track of his travel time and after thirty minutes he stopped, dug another shallow hole, and planted another bottle to mark his progress, frustrated with the realization that he had just spent the last thirty minutes walking in the direction opposite of his vehicle.

              The idea of aimless wandering, lost on the Palouse, and never seeing his family again crossed his mind more times than he could count and with no other option before him, he reversed his path, to walk another thirty minutes back to the first planted water bottle, to only continue on, finding his car no more than a mile beyond the point he had escaped the endless rolling hills. Sliding his back down the side of the car into the small block of shade he sat to enjoy a brief reprieve from the oppressive heat, wringing out his shirt, while feeling both ridiculous and thankful for resolving his potentially fatal situation.

              He jolted awake at the sound of aggressive sniffing, to see a fully grown cow only inches from his face. He made a mental note of the semi-darkness in which he now sat, concerned and confused how he had fallen asleep in this hot, dry, barren wasteland. His tongue felt as if it had swollen to three times its normal size, his rosy, red skin felt as if had been absorbing far too many hours of direct sunshine, and he knew that his family, now so far away would have grown concerned at his long absence and his failure to call or send the occasional text.

              Tired, sore, dry, and ridiculously thirsty, he rose slowly to his feet and considered the multi-hour drive that lay ahead of him. The thought of driving over the pass well past midnight was not a happy consideration but he knew that he had no other choice. Driving until he picked up enough bars on his phone to send a text, he stopped in front of someone’s driveway and sent the message that he was on his way home and wouldn’t be there until very early morning.

              Looking at his watch more times than he could count, he determined that, all things being equal, he would arrive home around three in the morning. His speedometer continued to climb higher and higher as he pushed his luck, hoping to get home sooner than later. Pulled from a semi-sleep by flashing red and blue lights, he pulled to the edge of the road, turned on his dome light, waiting for the officer to appear at his window.

              Knowing the routine, he rolled down his window, spoke calmly and respectfully to the police officer, and handed him his driver’s license and his proof of insurance. Watching the minutes click by as the officer took his time inside of his own vehicle, Peter sent another text message, confessing his crime of speeding, his being pulled over, and a reassessment of arriving home somewhere closer to four in the morning.

              He received the speeding ticket, apologized profusely, and set his cruise control at seven over the speed limit. He stopped for an extra-large coffee, and continued his mind-numbing drive home through the dark until he saw the first rays of early morning light appear on the horizon beyond him. The ever-familiar cul-de-sac embraced him as he reached his hometown. He pressed the garage door opener, entered the garage, closed the door behind him, and collapsed on his bed to have his wife leave him alone for the next several hours.

              Feeling frustrated and foolish for his lack of responsibility, his speeding, and the loss of funds from the ticket, he rose from bed just past noon, knowing that an online payment was his next chore, having no desire to go to court to have his traffic ticket reduced. Thankful for the weekend, he knew that one and a half normal days would get him back on track.

Known But Unknown

 

Athanasios graduated from high school two years early, having been advanced twice in his middle school and high school years. His mind was an inescapable trap that retained every detail he studied, every detail he was taught, and every word that he read. He earned his bachelor’s degree, his master’s degree and his PhD in seven years. He earned his doctorate at the age of twenty-three, and was chased by more women that he could count but he kept a level head, knowing that their interest in him was solely financial.

He took on the dual role of university professor and legal counsel for multiple judges across his home state. He had signed an NDA with the legal system, providing a level of secrecy and trust as he offered his interpretations and understanding of law with particularly difficult cases. His greatest joy in life was in helping those who had been overlooked by the legal system, had been cast into unfortunate and seemingly inescapable situations through accidents and hostility from others.

He lived his life through his forties, and into his fifties, knowing that no woman was genuinely interested in him, seeking only a sugar daddy to feed their empty and vain lives. The thought of being trapped in a relationship with someone shallow, basically ignorant, and less than academically challenging made his stomach turn. “I need someone who can intellectually stimulate me, challenge me, ask me questions, and provide love and stability to my ever-grasping mind,” he told himself.

As his life continued on toward old age, he found himself moving from one home to the next, to the next, and to the next, each one becoming more and more extravagant and luxurious. One evening as he sat alone in his library, staring at the polished hardwood ceiling that pinched him between itself and his hardwood floors, he wondered if there was anything more he could do to make the world a better place. “It seems like no matter how many cases I win or advise on, there always seems to be more and more wrong building up behind it all.”

At most times of the day, he would hold conversations with himself, asking questions, and then answering them, wishing for someone else with whom to dialog. Like a rocket chained down to the launchpad, he ached to do more, to learn more, to understand more, and to make more of a difference. “Give me problems to solve,” he cried out, though there was no one there to answer him or challenge him. “All of this money, all of this education, and all of this stuff merely gathers around me. There must be more I can do to help more people.”

“Financial rigor in the face of so many problems will certainly make an impact,” he said out loud. He opened his investment portfolio, compared it to the ridiculous amount of money he earned each money and immediately made the decision to create private foundations and nonprofit organizations that could make good use of this money, rather than him merely collecting it in bank accounts, in antiques, or in precious metals.

Athanasios spent the next nine months selling all of his possessions, collecting the cash, and eventually selling his home, keeping enough clothing and necessities in several storage units across the city. As the academic years drew to a close at the university, he announced his retirement for the coming year. He genuinely loved interacting with the other professors, the students, but at the same time was becoming more and discouraged by the loss of academic rigor and lowering expectation levels for the students.

He bought a small condominium in the center of town near the courthouse in order to make his legal interaction that much easier. He watched his investments grow, his nonprofit organizations make an impact across the world, and his private foundations provide medical care for those in need, educational grants for those who proved themselves worthy, and the construction of small single-family homes for the truly needy and hard working families, which reminded him of his own childhood and the struggles his parents had gone through.

Despite his ever-growing passion to do more, to help more, and to influence as many people as he could, he watched his friends, and former colleagues slowly drift away from his radically changing lifestyle. He was no longer the polished, classy, rigorous friend to his high-level group of wealthy, and self-centered people. His massive home had been sold, his artwork, his library and his expensive cars were all gone. Athanasios now lived a life of basic necessity and regular comfort and ease. He could no longer stomach the idea of comfort and wealth when he knew that there were so many who were struggling to pay for their basic necessities.

After two more years of offering legal advice, he finally stopped all of this work, all of his monthly income, and instead began focusing on how to live relatively comfortably with the interest he was earning from his former investments. Now with a great deal of time on his hands, he found his greatest joy in watching the positive impact all of his investments were making in the world. He received weekly updates from the many nonprofits, small businesses, and private foundations. Finally feeling like he was doing what he knew he should have been doing all of his life; he made the decision to personally impact the lives of those in the city around him.

His new home was completely paid for, the income from his investments easily covered his basic needs. All of this allowed him to buy groceries, pay medical bills, and help with mortgage payments for those in terrible need. Athanasios would spend the majority of each day walking among the homeless, visiting the sick in hospitals, and visiting those in prison, offering both his financial help when he knew it was needed, and his legal advice for those who had been wrongly imprisoned.

Knowing the greed and animosity of so many people, he maintained a low profile, presenting himself as a regular, friendly person who could offer help to those who needed it. He was the nice, old Greek guy who was friends with everyone. He would spend Sunday afternoons in the park playing chess with the other old men. He made a regular habit of buying food from the food carts, tipping well to help these small business owners.

Every Sunday and Wednesday evening, he would make grocery runs for a large number of families who were desperate to feed their children and keep their houses warm. He began to visit the power company and offered to pay electric bills for anyone who was behind in their payments. He refused to make himself known to those he helped in this way, imagining the joy each family felt when they learned that someone anonymously paid their bills.

There came a point in his life when he was no longer strong enough to travel, visit the sick, the incarcerated, or the grocery store. He started a new small business to take over this work of small budget philanthropy, encouraging those who took his place to continue the work with his abundant income. He transitioned his financial situation away from himself and toward the small business.

He hired a lawyer to draw up legal documents that would continue to invest his money into the small business and start similar small businesses in other surrounding cities. His transition from extravagant, wealthy businessman to a plain, generous smiling old man brought a surprised response from so many who knew him. Athanasios grew older and older to prepare his last will and testament, knowing that everything was in place to keep his plan for positive impact upon the world continuing for the next many centuries.

Though he had never married, never had children, and remained relatively distant to most who knew him, hundreds of people from around the city, from around the state, and even some from distant countries attended his funeral. It was an event he was sad to miss, wishing that he could warmly embrace and greet every one of them, as a last goodbye.

Four Years in Eternity

 

                The day had grown uncomfortably warm, and the young man paused at his front door, drenched in sweat and was easily fifty pounds overweight. Slipping the key into the lock, he entered, walked to the bathroom, splashed some water on his face and looked at his sad visage in the mirror, wondering how so much had gone wrong so quickly.

              The beautiful, intelligent, gifted and once happy young man sat down at his desk, rolling the bottle between his fingers, hating his present reality, struggling to find some avenue of escape, he unscrewed the lid, dropped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it with a shot of apple juice. Whether it was a psychological reaction or a genuine physiological response, he was uncertain. He could feel the ambient temperature begin to drop, his body relax, and an incredible urge to sleep come upon him.

              “Ugh, I should probably lie down,” he thought. But before he could make the transition from chair to bed, he slumped over with his forehead resting on his arms. An incredible feeling of freedom, escape, bliss and joy came upon him, a cornucopia of feelings he had not experienced in many, many years. The multitude of substances he had ingested over the years initially provided a sliver of escape and fleeting happiness, but this new experience was unlike anything he had ever before felt.

              He could feel himself growing colder and colder as the next few minutes crept past. He seemed to lose all sense of time or being, wondering if he had finally found the answer for which he so desperately sought. His mind was a whirlwind of activity, wondering about his current state, why he was so cold, and if his beloved cat Froggy was okay.

              The sound of the front door opening caught his attention, as well as someone calling his name. He could feel himself slipping from the chair onto the floor and from that moment forward he could see nothing, he could hear nothing, and the cold completely overtook him. The sense of joy and freedom only continued to grow, like the embrace of a dear friend who loved him regardless and never judged him.

              The feeling of his entire being radically changed from what he had felt just a few moments before. He felt fit, he felt strong, he was comfortable and thoroughly energized. He opened his eyes and found himself lying on a patch of lush, green grass, staring into a glorious blue sky.

“Oof, what his going on,” he wondered. He lifted himself from his prostrate position to lean on his elbow.

“Guess I better figure out where I am and what I can do now, because this place does not look familiar at all.” Rising to his feet, he looked in all directions and could hear music coming from the north. “Can’t go wrong with music,” he thought, so he started walking and came across a large group of people on the other side of a small hill. Within seconds of his arrival, four people about his age approached him, hugged him, welcomed him and invited him to join them in making music. As he blended into the crowd, he realized that he had never felt this happy ever, as long as he could remember.

All sense of time and location seemed irrelevant, and he poured himself into interaction with his newfound friends. All of them contributing to the musical process. The longer he interacted, the more he realized just how many people surrounded him in this joyous, energizing event. He exchanged names with those who originally embraced him and began to weave through the huge crowd of people, to be approached by many others, some his age, some much older, and many seemed to know him. He felt a connection with a few of them, with some of them looking very familiar.

Many called him by name, though he had not told them his name. They glowed with joy at his arrival, they encouraged him to reach out, to connect, and to embrace this new reality. He would occasionally catch glimpses and memories of his family, his friends, his pets, and his many, many activities from the past. It all seemed so unimportant now, with the exception of his family and friends, many of them he hoped would join him in this beautiful, new, joyous place.

The joy he felt enveloping him only continued to increase the longer he was here. The crowd that had embraced him began to move as a single entity further north, drawing closer and closer to what seemed the be the source of light, of joy, of completeness and a final destination. The further north they moved, he noticed that some within the crowd stopped in their place, seemingly unable to move any further.

The crowd grew smaller and smaller as they moved but he continued on with the few that remained. “Why are they stopping?” he wondered. “All of this is so wonderful, so fulfilling, so warm and happy. Nothing is stopping me from reaching the end point.”

He and those with him continued to tread a path through the rolling green hills until they reached small wooden fence line with a single gate. They all shifted into a single line and passed through the gate to be embraced by a number of beautiful, smiling, and welcoming older men and women. They all seemed to know him, hugged him, welcomed him, and one of them, a man named Andrew hugged him with an intense ferocity, encouraging the young man to reciprocate.

Having passed through the gate, most of his memories of everything from before began to fade and he relished the joy, the beauty, the warmth, and the happiness of this new place. Andrew embraced him from the side, inviting him to join him to meet a particularly special friend, who was waiting for them further north.

As he and Andrew continued their walk northward, he began to wonder about what it was that made him so sad and empty before he had arrived here. “Why didn’t I come here sooner?” he wondered. “This is so good, so right, and so fulfilling. I know that eventually I’ll see everyone I’ve known and loved in my previous reality. I really don’t have the words to describe it all.”

“Oh, look there he is,” Andrew said.

“Oh, my beloved, you have finally arrived,” the man said. “I am so sorry for the struggles and pain you’ve experienced over these last few years. But now that you are here, it will all begin to make sense.”

The young man received the man in a warm embrace, marveling at how short he was. The young man had never felt such love and acceptance as he did at this moment.  “Thank you for bringing me here,” he said, nearly choking on his words as tears filled up his eyes. “I wish I could’ve come sooner. I feel like a completely different person, it is as if all worry and self-condemnation have disappeared.”

“Yes, I completely understand,” the man said. “Your response is the same as most who make this transition. As I said, you will eventually come to understand why you passed through the struggles you did and why you arrived in this place at this time.”

“What do I do now that I’m here,” he asked.

“There is nothing required of you now that you are here,” he said. “All we ask is that you love those around you, welcome those who arrive just as you have arrived and pour your heart and passion into whatever you choose to do. This a place to create something beautiful and immerse yourself in love and joy. We all encourage you to meet as many people as you can. Some have been here for a very, very long time and can give you good advice, wisdom, guidance, and suggestions on how to spend your time.”

“This sounds very good,” he said. “There is so much music that I have been wanting to create. There are many pictures that I have been wanting to draw and paint. I hope I have the opportunity to do so.”

“That is exactly your calling,” the man said. “Andrew here will help you get settled in, he’ll show you to your living space, your creative space, and will connect you will others like minded. Create, love, connect, and push the boundaries to challenge yourself. We are all so happy that you are here. Now you can be yourself, now you can love, and be loved in return.”

The two men began walking toward the living spaces, which the young man realized were set up in groups of seven domiciles. “We believe that community is very important. Having others around you to help you, to direct you, and to provide regular, consistent interaction will make all of our time here that much better. This is your personal space where you will sleep and keep your things, but I really encourage you to spend as much time as possible interacting with others. The thoughts and ideas of others will help refine and challenge your creative output. I am so happy that you have joined us.”

“Thank you so much, Andrew,” the young man said. “Hopefully we can spend time together in the future.”

“Yes, we certainly will,” Andrew said. “You and I have a special connection that makes us inseparable. Enjoy your time here, relax, and create something beautiful. Also, don’t forget to rest and enjoy the beauty and good company.”

Accomplishing Much, Accomplishing Little

 

                Robert and Mary married young, having become sweethearts in high school and throughout university, they both pursued the path of corporate success and growth, waiting until they were in their early thirties before having children. The decision was made for Mary to step away from her job after they learned that she had become pregnant.

              They had built up an impressive financial cushion for themselves, making life relatively easy to continue with only Robert’s income. With the birth of Richard came excitement, joy, a new sort of busy and a new set of responsibilities. Two years later, Mary became pregnant again, and they watched their family grow from three to four with the birth of Jonathan. Mary beamed with joy at her success of providing two sons for she and her husband.

              “I’m excited to see what kind of men Richard and Jonathan become,” she said.

“This is a huge responsibility to raise two new humans to follow the path of success,” Robert answered. “I know we’ll do just fine. When you consider how well we’ve progressed in all things important.”

Richard began to develop his role of big brother very early on, doing his best to train, influence, and guide Jonathan in everything he considered important. Both boys embraced the practice of leadership, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Taking on small jobs as soon as they were old enough, they both became part of the baseball team, the basketball team, the chess club, and student government all throughout high school.

Jonathan watched Richard graduate, feeling proud of his brother’s achievements. Seeing him off to university, they stayed in contact, encouraging one another, sharing facts and achievements and challenging one another to take on new adventures and areas in which to better themselves. As Jonathan reached his final year of high school, he began to ask questions about what was truly important and how to make himself a better human being.

Following in his brother’s footsteps, he too began university, pursuing a degree in criminal law, aiming for the goal of finding justice, correcting the many wrongs in the world, and committing to put time and effort into helping those who were impoverished by a system that took advantage of their misfortunes and cultural differences.

As Jonathan completed his second year of university, he traveled across the state to attend his brother’s graduation. Richard had earned a degree in business, to receive a job offer from a major corporation. With these two events taking place, Richard began his path of pursuing wealth, comfort, the dating world, and mastering the skill of investment for his company and for himself.

Jonathan watched in sadness as Richard continued on this path, a path that was radically different than the one he was beginning to pursue. Jonathan knew that four years of university would not be enough to reach his goals, so he pushed further forward to earn his PhD in law. As he announced his plans to his family, he received a phone call from Richard the following weekend, warning him about taking on too much debt from student loans.

Jonathan convinced his brother that he had no concerns about debt and would earn more than enough money to pay off the loans within ten years. As he continued his academic path, he met a young lady at the coffee shop he regularly frequented, sharing his ideas, his plans, and his goals. To learn that he and she were nearly identical in their thoughts about money, about people, and about making a difference in the world.

After six months of dating, Jonathan and Alice from the coffee shop, made their relationship official. He proposed and received a yes, with plans for the wedding to take place after he earned his PhD. Between her modest income and his part time job, they lived comfortably and dreamed of the day when their marriage would be final. Alice suggested that they move in together, in order to save money by having only one rent to pay instead of two.

Jonathan disagreed, saying that because they were not married yet, the marriage needed to bring about a change in their relationship. Moving in now would take away the special moment of two becoming one when they married. He helped her out financially whenever he could, pouring himself into the relationship with transparency and honesty, maintaining a connection of trust and making future plans.

The day of graduation finally arrived and shortly thereafter Jonathan received a job offer that paid even more than he imagined he would earn. Within two weeks of graduating, they set a date for the marriage ceremony. Knowing that many decisions would need to be made, that their families would need to send out invitations, and knowing that scheduling for the ceremony too soon would make all of this that much more difficult.

With only three months to make all of their decisions, Jonathan and Alice worked hard to bring everything into line. The day finally came when Jonathan watched Alice walk down the aisle, holding onto her father’s arm. He could see his brother as his best man standing to his left, as well as the other three groomsmen with him. The ceremony was glorious and beautiful, accompanied by a small ensemble of violins and cellos.

Jonathan and Alice spoke their vows, exchanged rings, and kissed as husband and wife for the first time in the presence of a massive gathering of family and friends. They walked back down the aisle and entered the large room for music, drinks, and great food. Enamored with his beautiful, new bride, Jonathan could see Richard lingering about with a girl far younger than he. “That is not a good path there Richard,” he muttered to himself.

“I’m sorry, Jonathan, what did you say?” Alice asked. “I was just commenting to myself that Richard is on a bad path. He continues to date these girls that are much younger than him. He won’t find true joy or happiness that way. It seems like he has a different girl every time I see him. Honestly, he never actually looks happy.”

“Yeah, I agree,” she said. “He certainly doesn’t have what we have. He’s made a lot of choices over the years and none of them seem to be for the best.  I don’t think there’s anything we can do at this point.”

According to plan, Alice quit her job at the coffee shop, Jonathan paid off his school debt within ten years and they watched four children enter their life, bringing with them immeasurable joy and satisfaction. They maintained connection with their families, watched everyone around them grow old, feeling incredible grief over the lifestyle that Richard had chosen.

“He’s really just a sad, old man now,” Jonathan said. “It is really frustrating to have the answers, to see the path to joy and truth, and know that others simply won’t listen.” Richard is destined to be alone, and he has waited too long to find someone with whom to spend his time and money.”

“Yeah, we’ve had this conversation many times,” Alice said. “There is nothing we can do for him.”

“The joy that you have brought me cannot be measured by any financial means,” he said. “You and the kids have fulfilled me in ways that nothing else could. Sadly, we’ll watch Richard grow older and older, alone, frustrated, sad, and empty.”

“Let’s just focus on raising our kids, being a good influence upon those who are willing to listen, and always do what is right,” she said. “We can form our kids to be good people, to make good decisions, and to sacrifice for others.”

They watched their children grow, finish school, finish university, marry, and have children. “Our family is growing in incredible ways,” Jonathan said. “We have made an impact on this world in ways that Richard never did or could. His focus on wealth and comfort only left him alone.”

Jonathan arrived home on a Thursday afternoon to find Alice in tears at the kitchen counter. “Honey, I’ve got really bad news,” she said. “Your mother just called and said that Richard took his own life, leaving behind a note that said that he no longer saw any purpose in continuing what he was doing.”

“Damn, I did not see that coming,” he answered. “I wish we could have done more for him.”

“We did all that we could,” she said. “If someone begins down a path based on wrong assumptions, there is usually nothing anyone can do to help redirect that. Your mother said that the funeral would be next weekend.”

Jonathan, Alice, their four children and their spouses and their multiple grandchildren sat together with his parents. “This is so sad, Alice,” he said. “There is literally no one else here but family. I guess that means that Richard never connected with anyone in any meaningful way. All of those women over all of those years and none of them are here.”

“He chose of a path of pleasure and comfort, using people for what he wanted, and this is all that he is left with,” she said. “We’ll need to carefully talk about this with our kids and grandkids. A life that is lived for only self leads to this kind of emptiness and solitude.”

After the funeral, Richard’s lawyer approached Jonathan, inviting him to his office on the following Monday. “I wanted to inform you that your brother left you all of his money and possessions. You’ll need to come to my office to fill out the appropriate paperwork. The office opens at nine. Call then and make an appointment.”

Jonathan and Alice drove home, discussing the surprise of such an act on Richard’s part. “I think that we should divide up the money between our kids and grandkids. This last act on Richard’s part is a great act of kindness that is surprisingly unlike the rest of his life. I have no idea how much money he has, so this will be interesting. What a sad way to end this relationship.”

“That is so like you, Jonathan,” Alice said. “I would not have expected anything different from you. I like that idea.”

A Glorious Gift

 

While most considered them an unusual couple, a surprising union of two remarkably different people, they grew together, planned big, and created amazing dreams to achieve. Child number one arrived, to be shortly thereafter followed by child number two. This became a beautiful pattern of wonderful, obedient, and intelligent children. The home continued to grow through the application of wisdom, hard work, and sacrifice.

Much to everyone’s surprise, this ever-blossoming family struggled even more to bring in another child who had no one, who had been rejected, and one for whom no one could see any kind of promising future. The little bundle of joy brought great joy but also great struggles to his new brothers and sisters. As the years passed, he found himself unlike all the rest, which proved to be a great blessing for him, for them, and for everyone with whom he interacted.

Never coddled, never babied, and never treated any differently than the rest of them, he struggled to find his place, to find a place to land, and put down roots. He was good and kind in a way that was different from all of the others, having a genetic foundation radically different and purposefully distinct. He eventually embraced his place, found connections, and learned to adjust as different struggles came his way.

He had a mind and a heart that painted him into a different kind of person that anyone else he knew. Generosity, kindness, forgiveness, and a willingness to overlook the disdain of some and the unkind words of others, he formed himself into someone who could always find the good. He acquired skills that he did not learn at home, from his parents, or from his siblings, becoming an incredible asset and gift to them and to many others.

A different kind of brilliance challenged the rest of them to consider themselves, to reconsider him, and to adjust for the better. Surpassing them all in all of the categories that were actually important, he grew, he matured, he connected, and he helped anyone and everyone. His social skills, his gift for conversation, and his ability to see what no one else could, brought out the best in him, and in everyone who knew him.

He acquired skills that made him even stronger, stronger in ways that he could not find anywhere else. He eventually began to travel the world, bringing light and joy to those he met, to those who connected with him, and those who initially found him somewhat intimidating. His massive girth was matched only by his laughter, his smile, and his willingness and desire to be kind to everyone.

Having visited most of the states in North America, several countries across eastern and western Europe and a few countries on the continent of Africa, he continued to expand his copious connections, making friends everywhere, even in those places that knew little of the English language.  His best friend, a little old man, always watched his back, gave him advice, and helped him whenever he could. His other friends, “the blob” from Ukraine, and “the grinch” from Russia, kept him honest, encouraged him to continue growing and improving, and challenged him to always be more.

Always one to give away what someone else needed more than he did, he eventually met a young woman who could see the gold within him. Her personality, her wisdom and her kindness created a wonderful connection for him, rounding out certain areas of his life, and making him complete. With similar backgrounds, they eventually married, became settled, had two children, and raised those children to love others, to sacrifice for others, and to always think of the well-being of those in need rather than catering to their own passions and desires.

Though they struggled a bit in terms of money, he acquired more skills, used his charming personality to build a clientele that remained faithful to his private business. As the years continued on, they eventually overcame their financial struggles and established themselves in their own home, buying instead of renting. As he and she began to age, their children continued to be the good people they were raised to be, giving of themselves to care for their parents.

The children grew to be brilliant, loving, caring, and generous individuals who succeeded in everything they did. With goodness of heart, generosity, and brilliant minds, they both earned incomes that allowed them to settle comfortably and provide a stable, comfortable home for their aging parents. They watched them slowly age, slow down in their approach to life, but still continue to be generous and kind to everyone they knew.

What started as one little boy with an amazing opportunity to grow and develop eventually turned into a family that took that resilience, that took hard work, and a passion to love others rather than loving comfort. He and his wife continued to grow old, watched their two children form families of their own and generate the next generation of grandchildren. From one came a passion for others, to then be joined by another, from whom would come two more, who were raised to love others.

As they grew older and older, they saw the arrival of nine grandchildren, who eventually would marry, and create over thirty great-grandchildren, all of whom followed in their great grandfather’s footsteps, understanding the importance of giving, of serving, and of self-sacrifice. The remarkably ancient couple watched with joy as their passion for others grew into more than just their own actions, the actions of their children, and the actions of their grandchildren. Eventually, their generosity and kindness became well known through their part of the state, greatly impacting and benefiting others.

In the comfort of their own home, taken care of by their grandchildren, they both knew that they had done well, that they had brought glory to the family name, and did for others what so many others refused to do. To everyone’s surprise, the ancient couple lived year after year, surpassing one hundred, then reaching one hundred and ten to then reach one hundred and eighteen, still taking walks and enjoying the visits of their thousands of friends, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

As they reached their hundred and twentieth year, they began to receive letters in the mail from the families of their friends from around the world. With each visitor, with each letter, and with each email, they both kept careful track of each one, building an ever-growing address book of names and locations. With each physical visitor, they took photos and began to write letters to everyone they could remember from their many years and their many travels across the entire planet.

They could see the end approaching and made appropriate plans for their sooner than later funeral. They both knew that they would repose together and made their funeral list with all the names of their loved ones. Invitations were to be sent out on the day of their mutual repose. Fourteen days after their mutual demise, over seven thousand people arrived for their funeral, overwhelming the small town in which they lived. Creating a social setting that was spoken about for the many decades that followed.

Their oldest great-grandchild created a shrine for the ancient couple, carefully documenting everywhere they had traveled, everyone they knew, and the incredible impact they had upon the many thousands over their many years together. The photo album and history of the couple was kept and cherished by each generation, being passed down from one family to the next, as a reminder of the importance of loving others, of caring for others, and not pampering oneself when others were in need.

The Tool of Manipulation

 

               The little boy held his right hand over his eye, struggling to keep the blood from dripping onto the floor. He was no stranger to his father’s fist or belt, having been on the receiving end of each of those far too many times. After being knocked to the floor or into the wall, he would curl up and go into hiding, to then listen to the cries of his mother as she too received the same blows.

              It took him a few years to learn how to answer without sounding disrespectful. His father was not an intelligent man and little Jeremy eventually learned how to twist and manipulate his words to convince his father in the direction he wanted him to go. This became a skill that he learned to use on others outside of his household. Saying the right thing at the right time often proved to be beneficial, especially when it came to making others think he had answers that could make them wealthy.

              He began leaking bits of information about supposed treasure that was in certain places around the county, that could be found by using magic stones that only he could read. He began to earn large amounts of money from those who believed his imaginative stories about buried gold, buried jewels or ancient civilizations prior to the arrival of the white man.

              He could see the greed and selfishness in the eyes of every man he met around town. He saw them come and go from the tavern, from the brothels, and from the multitude of churches, an odd combination of locations that puzzled him. He knew what many of them claimed to believe and he also knew the kind of lives many of them led, all of it a maelstrom of contradiction, that he knew he could use to his advantage.

              As he interacted with this collection of men, he began to ask questions of them about their faith, about their practices, and about their families. He began to paint a picture of a young man who was interested in religion, who was seeking after god, and wanted answers about the location of genuine religious truth.

              Over time the image he created of himself gained him a number of followers who considered him wise and humble, willing to ask difficult questions about topics that few were willing to breach. As he grew into his mid-twenties, he began spending more time alone in the woods, dropping occasional hints about visitation from angels and other beings who gave him wisdom and the location of hidden treasures.

              During one of his visits to the woods, he found an abandoned shack which he chose to convert into a headquarters of sorts. This became his new home that served as a foundation for his new ideas, his imagination and his teachings to others about his angelic visits. After many months of this type of activity, he began to share a story about a certain angel that told him about secret gold that contains messages about visitors to this part of the country long ago. He claimed the language was written in an ancient, unknown dialect from Egypt, which the angel taught him to interpret.

              With the angel’s directions, he found the gold, brought it to his secret hideout and began to translate the words. He finished the work after many month’s time and began to share the message with followers, who despite never seeing the original documents, confessed to handling them themselves and claimed to have assisted him in his translation work. After so many years of telling stories, of manipulating people’s ideas, and presenting himself as one who was wise and skilled, he began drawing people away from their current beliefs and into his own.

              His skills of manipulation had become so strong that many believed him, especially large numbers of women, who were easily convinced of his religious devotion, his willingness to contradict what was considered acceptable, and being willing to push the boundaries of the current moral code. God had spoken to him, and no one was going to tell him anything different. With the ability to emotionally control people, he gained a massive following and eventually put together a council that repeated his stories and agreed with his findings.

              After several years of telling these stories, he would often find himself thinking back to his childhood and his ability to manipulate his father. “This is really no different,” he told himself. “Everyone seems to be about the same, willing to believe whatever makes them feel good or in control. Everyone seems to love having the option to follow their passions, be comfortable, and use others to be in control.”

              He also thought back to his later years, watching the men from the town come and go from taverns, brothels, and churches, all of it a ridiculous hypocrisy. He then understood that people will believe whatever they want to gain whatever they want, regardless of it being inherently contradictory. Sex, power, pleasure, control, and money were the foundational beliefs that moved most people. Coming to this understanding allowed him to fabricate a moral/immoral system that put him in control, that allowed him to convince others that god was on his side and was moving he and them toward this ultimate truth.

              He wanted power, he wanted wealth, he wanted control over women, and he didn’t want to be limited to one wife but instead, fabricated a story about the legitimacy of wives, girlfriends, concubines, and lovers, all at the same time, pushing the story that lust and passion were what made man truly happy. He knew that all men were moving along these same lines of belief but what surprised him the most was that so many women were willing to go along with this twisted lack of logic.

              While his newly invented religion was wildly popular, there were still a number of men in town that saw through his lies and manipulation. Eventually his small hideout became too small, requiring that he find a new location in town that would allow for more people to attend his meetings and times of teaching. Two years into this newfound faith, Jeremy, now the head of a new church was arrested by the authorities in town and placed in jail. Three days after being arrested, several of his followers broke him out, packed up everything they owned and fled the town for a safe place in the wilderness.

              Jeremy and his followers moved from town to town, gathering new followers, to then be driven out of each town, to then move onto the next town, and find new followers there as well. It seemed as if word was moving around ahead of them as they traveled, a warning of sorts that something new and corrupt was growing in the East. Finally, this newfound faith fled into the desert, far, far away from their place of origin. With enough followers and enough money, they built their own town in a place that no normal human being would want to live, knowing that secrecy and control would allow them to exist as their own entity without having to answer to some other power outside of god.

              The heat, the lack of water, the lack of actual authority, and the oppression from government authority began to make their lives difficult. They began demanding the right to believe and practice what they claimed were words from god and refused to submit to the laws of man. As time passed, the world outside began to leave them alone, knowing that they did not want to turn Jeremy into a martyr in a land that claimed religious freedom.

              Eventually Jeremy passed away and was replaced by another who held the same beliefs and was willing to push harder again outside authorities. The new leader refined their belief system, worked harder at establishing their independent town in the barren wilderness, and found new and better ways to pull water from the earth, grown crops, and redefine morality. Though Jeremy had two wives, the new leader began to push for even greater freedom and license, taking for himself four wives and encouraging those on the council to do the same. For, as he said, “this is what all men want.”

              This pattern continued from one leader to the next, to the next and to the next, until the federal government finally stepped in and forbade the practice of polygamy, claiming that it was contrary to the health of everyone involved. Massive “families” were broken apart, bringing about anger and retaliation from this odd town in the empty, salty, barren wasteland.

              It all finally came to an end and the original writings were changed to match the current mindset of the day. Those on the outside marveled at how easy those in this odd town were willing to go along with the changing of the original writings, having proof that change was made and made willingly and deceptively.

              Centuries came and went and this odd town, now a city, eventually imploded on itself to be replaced by something much more reasonable and selfless.