wizgell
17-08-2007, 08:27 PM
A tall, balding and slightly bedraggled looking man stopped me this morning and asked me “Do you know how?”
I looked blankly at him, half confused at his question and half shocked as I recognised this man, although he was a shadow of the man I once knew. “Do I know how to what?” I eventually responded.
A blank expression spread across his ample face, almost as if he was staring beyond me at another event elsewhere-maybe in his mind? He blinked, turned away from me and began to walk away. I motioned to call him back, but before I could utter anything that resembled a word he turned to face me, smiled and nodded “I know now….” I smiled politely, albeit slightly confused and anxious as to what he would do next.
Within seconds he had vanished from sight. A few days later I saw the man again, this time he was addressing a group of people-his follower’s maybe? I joined the back of the crowd and listened intently. “I have the answers and I will prove to you that I am the one capable of answering the questions that have been posed, and then asking some of my own!” He proclaimed to the gathered group.
They were all huddled together in a small side street, the traffic of the nearby main road thundered past but the group seemed oblivious. The large man no longer looked bedraggled; he was wearing a very smart grey/silver suit and stood in front of a set of black wrought iron gates. “I have been entrusted with making this work and I will” he continued, pressing his clenched fist against his heart “I care more than anyone knows and although I have my doubters I WILL soldier on”.
A small woman could be heard yelling with joy from close to the big mans feet. “ I love you” he went on “and you love me…” a huge smile broke across his face, as he held out his hand and the small woman near his feet, jumped at the chance to touch the big man for a brief second. “Mathematicians have asked how four become two. I know! Scientists have asked how injury and physical pain can be overcome….I know too.
A balding Scotsman and his hairy armed friend have asked how we will overcome all that lies in front of us….”“You Know” the crowd chanted in unison. He smiled contently and motioned with his arm, revealing something behind him, a large golden bird, perched upon a football. The bird stood erect and proud. The big mans body language reflected that of the golden bird.“I have dared to overcome many difficult obstacles, and I will overcome this too, because my friends... TO DARE IS TO DO!”
I looked blankly at him, half confused at his question and half shocked as I recognised this man, although he was a shadow of the man I once knew. “Do I know how to what?” I eventually responded.
A blank expression spread across his ample face, almost as if he was staring beyond me at another event elsewhere-maybe in his mind? He blinked, turned away from me and began to walk away. I motioned to call him back, but before I could utter anything that resembled a word he turned to face me, smiled and nodded “I know now….” I smiled politely, albeit slightly confused and anxious as to what he would do next.
Within seconds he had vanished from sight. A few days later I saw the man again, this time he was addressing a group of people-his follower’s maybe? I joined the back of the crowd and listened intently. “I have the answers and I will prove to you that I am the one capable of answering the questions that have been posed, and then asking some of my own!” He proclaimed to the gathered group.
They were all huddled together in a small side street, the traffic of the nearby main road thundered past but the group seemed oblivious. The large man no longer looked bedraggled; he was wearing a very smart grey/silver suit and stood in front of a set of black wrought iron gates. “I have been entrusted with making this work and I will” he continued, pressing his clenched fist against his heart “I care more than anyone knows and although I have my doubters I WILL soldier on”.
A small woman could be heard yelling with joy from close to the big mans feet. “ I love you” he went on “and you love me…” a huge smile broke across his face, as he held out his hand and the small woman near his feet, jumped at the chance to touch the big man for a brief second. “Mathematicians have asked how four become two. I know! Scientists have asked how injury and physical pain can be overcome….I know too.
A balding Scotsman and his hairy armed friend have asked how we will overcome all that lies in front of us….”“You Know” the crowd chanted in unison. He smiled contently and motioned with his arm, revealing something behind him, a large golden bird, perched upon a football. The bird stood erect and proud. The big mans body language reflected that of the golden bird.“I have dared to overcome many difficult obstacles, and I will overcome this too, because my friends... TO DARE IS TO DO!”