scotslad60urn:uuid:7a77da58-77b7-f2ae-288a-e9b0057584f72009-07-26T09:11:22-04:00scotslad60What mattersurn:uuid:2543087a-2cb5-f174-821d-89bc9df5da292009-07-26T09:11:20-04:00
What matters in life, then is to enjoy the life you have here, to learn and live in love and - to have fun! It really IS that simple!!
When you are having fun and enjoying life you feel positive, happy and less inclined to get bogged down in trivial unimportant stuff.
Moreover, when you are happy and walking in the light of, you are more inclined to show love, to spread it, to give it away freely and THAT is what matters, what REALLY matters most in life!
Your light shining on others, will grow exponentially, until this whole world rivals the sun in its intensity of light.
Think about that for a moment!!
It is possible. It can be done - if we have the will to do it]]>Seen and Unseenurn:uuid:b47b1f5b-cbe3-d0b5-54df-c823372c43672009-07-26T09:10:32-04:00
All that we see here, all that we think we know with our limited, restricted physical senses, is false, an illusion. In latter years, science has begun to begrudgingly accept that some things unseen cannot be adequately proven nor explained away.
Yet even that which remains as unseen is in fact able to be seen by all. To see both the seen and unseen however, requires faith, belief, understanding and an awareness that does not come easily to many, for we are taught to ignore the unseen, in favor of the seen, and thus, live our lives half blind.
“There are none so blind as those who will not see“, it is said and this holds true for all time. To know and acknowledge the seen and unseen then, see with your mind and listen with your heart.]]>Unconditional Loveurn:uuid:4ead88a6-27ef-23a0-1b1d-33c912f59d5e2009-07-26T09:09:37-04:00
Unconditional love is mostly what we give to our pets and animals, or so we think. In fact though, we show unconditional love in even the smallest, most insignificant acts of interacting with others. We just don’t recognize it as such.
We expect love to be some sort of huge, complex thing, but it isn’t. We use the word lightly, to mean all sorts of things and, in doing so, we demean the word in our minds. But love, unconditional love isn’t a huge concept to grasp and it cannot be demeaned no matter what we think, say or do. It simply is.
There is a danger in over-intellectualizing about love, for it is feelings and who can adequately define what lies in the heart?
We are needy, social creatures though and only the best amongst us can truly offer (and receive) unconditional love but it is a worthy goal to strive for throughout one’s entire lifetimes.]]>Joys Of Homeurn:uuid:343bccf1-e8de-e009-9d58-840a502d69dc2009-07-26T09:06:59-04:00
A building, a group of people even, do not make a home. A home can be made of any sort of materials. Can be inside a building, outdoors even a cardboard box or a space beneath a bridge, for some. A home is not made of bricks and mortar but of love, warmth, acceptance, compassion and a willingness amongst the occupants to share their lives together in the one place.
It is a good idea to travel, to see all the wonders of the world, meet many of the people on the planet. It is even better though when, having exhausted oneself of traveling, to ‘come home’ once again.
It is not our eyes that see home nor our minds that identify it as such. It is our hearts that feel and know it as home and therein lies the Joys Of Home for, truly, Home is where the heart is!]]>For All Generationsurn:uuid:a6f0722e-e6e8-05ab-f517-5f3dff1a91822009-07-26T09:06:10-04:00
The older generation are who we will become, and the younger generation are who we were. It really is that simple!
Older folks say, “We were never like that” yet, in essence, we were. The parents of those older generations thought they were but, with the passage of time, they forget the wildest of their wild days.
Younger folk claim the oldies are always complaining without realizing that they complain because they are losing the vitality of youth. They want to be the people they are complaining about!
The younger generation think that they will “never be” like their parents, like their grandparents, like the older generation but then, over time, they find that they already are and maybe always were. It is a subtle change, like the red clouds of a morning that fade and transform into a blue sunny sky.
Then, we realize, that all generations, like all of life, are one. This is the lesson we must learn and this is the message To All Generations!]]>Footprintsurn:uuid:7e15a53b-121a-5cce-092b-b0e30097df6e2009-06-03T14:35:03-04:00Footprints are the marks we leave as we pass through life and through the life of others. In the space of a heartbeat we briefly pass through the lives of countless others, often not even acknowledging their presence, nor they ours. Without even pausing to consider what impact, if any, we leave them with.
In the space of minutes or of years, we leave footprints of our passing through life.
Yet, our footprints are also our memories and as footprints in the sand shall disappear, so shall our memories, therefore, it is important to keep as many memories as you can, alive for as long as possible. Not only for you, but for your children, yourchildrens children and even further, for any who may just find it interesting.
In this way, your footprints will remain long after you have gone and may even still have the power, the ability to touch others' lives profoundly. All our footprints and all our memories are unique, not only to us but to those who share them with us.
Wherever your footprints may go, remember to tread softly through life.
Peace ]]>Everyday prayerurn:uuid:2d7eea5a-ef9f-2d47-43ba-acd7c75225622009-06-03T14:26:46-04:00Prayer is not merely words alone for words can only convey the intent, the feeling, the emotion.
Everyday prayer does not mean simply saying and repeating the same tired old words to praise a God who may, or may not, even exist. Your everyday prayer, your praise of the Creator, of life should be shown in your actions, your deeds, your thoughts.
Anyone can go and sit in a church or temple and say prayers and appear to be pious, devotional, religious. Some may even be so but there are those who quietly, tirelessly, give of themselves, their belongings, their time, to help and assist those in genuine need. These are the ones who really know the true definition of everyday prayer for their everyday prayer IS their life and what they choose to do with it.
What is your message, what are you saying with your daily life?
]]>The worthwhile lifeurn:uuid:fb576e1e-bf74-347c-c8ec-529dc604e5ba2009-06-03T14:17:29-04:00When you make anothers' life a little happier, a bit more bearable, brighter or hopeful, then your life has been made worthwhile.
All life is worthwhile though, ALL of it!
All life is sacred too, and the worst thing to do, ever, is to end or take another life needlessly. We no longer need to hunt and kill for food and there is NO such thing as 'hunting for sport', although I know the hunting community would dsgaree with that.
Every living thing can think and feel. Every living thing is related and connected to all other living things and, in most cases, they are someone's mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or cosuin. Even within the animal kingdom. Think about that!
To those who love the indvidual concerned, that life is woirthwhile even if they don't "do" anything with the life given. Just being alive, just being there, being part of the family IS enough. Of course, true families don't always grow up under the same roof and are not always tied through blood!
Just be who you are for those that love you will love you regardless, and that alone makes your life worthwhile!]]>Life's ripplesurn:uuid:7c4985a6-dad0-6c68-2aeb-11a77ca26d852009-06-02T16:43:48-04:00Like a pebble dropped in a pool of water, however you impact the flow of life will create ripples which flow outwards before returning to you.
Always remember that ripples return higher and stronger, so it is best if they are ripples of love, of hope, of potential.
Sometimes you may never know the full effect of the ripples you create so it is best to be always mindfully aware of all you say and all you do.
Let your ripples wash over others like a cool, refreshing wave in the midst of a tropical heatwave rather than the cold, wet, fearful wave washing over a drowning person.
When others ripples come to you, let them wash over you knowing they will move on, leaving you unscathed. You can no more hold on to life's ripples than you can stop the sea from flowing.]]>Contribution to peaceurn:uuid:0e41809a-0ce9-5448-c5c0-4687e82ee6b12009-05-27T11:05:15-04:00This is an extract from the teachings of the Rosie Croix or Rosicrucians. Wise words to aspire to and strive to attain, dont you think?
I contribute to peace when I strive to express the best of myself in my contacts with others
I contribute to peace when I use my intelligence and my abilities to serve the good
I contribute to peace when I feel compassion toward all those who suffer
I contribute to peace when I look upon all as my brothers and sisters regardless of race, culture or religion
I contribute to peace when I rejoice over the happiness of others and pray for their well being
I contribute to peace when I listen with tolerance to opinions that differ from mine, or even oppose them
I contribute to peace when I resort to dialogue rather then to force to settle any conflict
I contribute to peace when I respect Nature and preserve it for generations to come
I contribute to peace when I do not seek to impose my conception of God upon others
I contribute to peace when I make Peace the foundation of my ideals and philosphy]]>The way I see it......!urn:uuid:dfc40c12-2c3e-0264-b3aa-c87e0589ee742009-05-27T10:52:21-04:00Starbucks had a thing running a while back where you could send in your thoughts on something, anything, with the starting line of, "The way I see it.....". I never did send anything in but these are some of the things I wrote, inspired by that.....
The way I see it......... Politics is like terrorism. It has never changed anything much for the better, no matter which party or cuase has the power.
The way I see it......... Sex is over-rated and abused. Without the love of a committed partner, it's just cold and meaningless. Like eating week old rice pudding!
The way I see it......... Religion is a man made invention, designed to keep people living in fear and thus, under control. God made man, man made religion!
The way I see it........ The present system of law protects only the criminal and suspects the innocent. People go along with it because they feel powerless to change it and believe it to be the best way for their own protection.
The way I see it........ Money is misunderstood by the majority. Those bits of metal and peices of paper are only a means to an end. Nobody really wants more money, they just crave what having more money means to them.
The way I see it........ Life's purpose is to enjoy sharing love and just being here. It's easy but people make it harder than it needs to be because they obstinately refuse to believe it can be that easy.
The way I see it....... Relationships are as varied and unique as the myriad facets of a crystal cut diamond. Most are as reflective too, if we would but notice the beauty in them!
The way I see it...... Global warming is a real phenomena and as dangerous as it's said to be. People have raped and abused the earth for thousands of years so how can there not be a time when we must payback for all that we've done!?
The way I see it...... Nationalists ought to be less terriotiral and remember that this planet IS big enough for all of us, no matter what country you "belong" to. From dust you were created and into dust you shall return so we all really only "belong" to Mother Earth. In the end, that is the sum total of what you are, physically - a handful of dust! Nothing more!
The way I see it...... Culture is only the things that our ancestors did and which we do now, which marks us as being atypical of a certain location, having accepted it as 'normal practise'. In the end, it's only worth preserving culture if it is of any real lasting benefit to the future generations.
The way I see it....... Adults and children are more like each other than either would admit or like to believe. Both are phases we pass through, nothing more, and sometimes we move between the two. All thats of importance is acknowldeging that we can, and should, learn from each other!
In a nutshell, thats the way I see it! ]]>Anon poemurn:uuid:f5aefc73-014f-41ca-f613-83a6b7eaae832009-05-19T17:26:44-04:00One of my sisters in the UK sent me this and thought it would be nice to share. It is not my work and I don't know who the author is. My sister doesn't claim it was hers either. Enjoy!
There's a certain kind of closeness, that only families know
it begins with chldhood trust, and increases as you grow
It's a very special feeling, to know your families there
it's a tie you can rely on, a bond you'll always share
As a member of this family, we know that we belong
we're proud to say we're family, together we are strong
Of all the blessings we may have, our family means the most
and whether we live near or far, that bond will keep us close
Unfortunately some families, are not as close these days
all too many of them, go their seperate ways
I'm glad to say we're different, in many things we do
and we will always cherish our family ties with you
There's a place within our hearts, that no one else can fill
so remember that we love you, and we always will.
]]>Only memoriesurn:uuid:08df7e3c-e071-bd5b-4133-cd35a2d0b9782009-05-19T17:15:54-04:00Prserve and cherish your memories, especially those from childhood as they are the ones you will look back on most fondly, when you are an adult.
You wont remember everything but what you do remember are the things that were so important, had such an influence on you, that they have stayed with you, like old friends, long after all else has faded away into nothingness.
Often your childhood memories will be the ones filled with happiness because, as children, we have not yet learned the negative, petty traits of adults which so taint their world and breed cynicism amongst them.
Preserve and cherish your childhood memories for they can be neither bought nor sold. They are priceless and they are yours alone, to share, or do with as you please.
When all the material, physical things are gone, you will still have your memories.
Preserve and cherish them. Forever!]]>Fear of changeurn:uuid:0723cb9e-5219-450e-f01b-d0664034b25d2009-03-13T13:15:59-04:00Time is running out for those who love to spread darkness through fear, hatred, mistrust..... and they know it...... and they are afraid. They want to spread their fear to others, across all the lands, all the peoples, saying that there is no better way than that which has been, than that which they preach.... but they are wrong!
There is, at this time, a growing number of people who are becoming inceasingly aware of the light, increasingly having experiences outwith the domain of religion, which no religion can adequately explain, and where religion cannot explain it, they call it "the work of the devil". How ignorant!! Yet such is the depth of their fear!
The times they are a changing, but we must all remember the darkest hour comes just before the dawn of the new day, yet come it will. Just as surely as you take your next breath. It is coming.
Embrace change; Do not fear it. It is coming!]]>Which is it?urn:uuid:521f21dc-5ad6-9eb4-a55f-fc15ff61bcae2009-01-26T11:19:58-05:00I had a bit of a break, enforced break almost because for what seemed like the longest time, I was working and doing overtime on 2nd and 3rd shift at the hopsital and when I came home, I was too tired to get on the computer. Then the next day it was up and out again....
Its been a hard winter and there's been a lot of bugs and viruses and breaks going around because of the snow and ice and whatnot so the hospital has been very busy for almost two months straight now.
But, of course, I missed my thoughts. Was having withdrawals and even managed to pop in very briefly once or twice just to see what was going on. I realise I missed a LOT but....
I'm back now.
So, if you think about.....
a) You cant keep a good man down?
b) Keeps turning up like a bad penny?
the question is, in my case.....
Which is it?
]]>Sailing to the other sideurn:uuid:be99705a-19fd-5c5f-3fbd-c833dfac262f2009-01-26T11:10:23-05:00I came across this in a book and thought it would be nice to share it. I agree with it's view, but I did not write it .....
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says, "There! She is gone!"
"Gone where?"
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar and sail as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There! She is gone!", there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying!
From the book "Gone from my sight: The Dying Experience" by Barbara Kopnes]]>Happy Turkey Dayurn:uuid:d931b8d2-1cd5-c466-3126-2f5bceaf8c672008-11-26T13:47:59-05:00To all my American friends and to the friends I've yet to meet........
Have a Happy Thanksgiving y'all!
]]>Just a quick catch up urn:uuid:bf01fe13-cf50-149a-1068-5e2b955539512008-10-12T11:56:35-04:00I haven't blogged in such a long time - but the withdrawals are there becauee I have wanted to, so much. The reason I haven't is that there have been other things getting in the way. Other things getting in the way of a writer writing? I know, right! So, here I am back again.
I can only go so long without writing something and I still have those oidd ideas and notes jotted down here and there that 'someday' I'm going to use. If I don't write for a while though, I do seriously get withdrawals. That might sound crazy to some but it is like a need to write something but not just anything, it has to mean something to me. I primarily write for me and if anyone else is so bored or desperate or whatever that they actually take the time to read the mad meanderings of my wasted mind - then so much the better.
Lately, with having a new job, a new baby, and a new life in the United States, there has been a lot of stuff going on and a lot that I could write about and that I hope to, but I haven't, as yet of course. With moving to the United States a lot of the stuff that has gotten in the way has been immigration stuff. I know that's a real hot potato of a subject for some but as a paying legal migrant to the US, I never thought for a moment that it would be quite as difficult as it has been. A lot of that has had to do with bureacracy and red tape and even some aspects of 'small town America' mentality with local organisations - but that's behind me now. I'm here to stay and they have to get used to it.
For those that don't know - I'm here because I fell in love and married the most beautiful American lass who agreed to be my wife (poor her) and now we have the cutest little baby boy, who is an American by birth too, so we're established as a family now.
I'm getting back into my profession of healing by working in the local hospital here and I'll be aiming to move on and progress with that by, eventually and god willing, pratcising privately in the healing arts. No, not the medical field but what is referred to as the Complementary or Atlernative therapy fields. Specifically, Holistic healing and Energy manipulation. I'm not going into details here as I'm not trying to plug myself but suffice to say, it's looking good for the future so far.
It's been a tough road to get to here but I'm happy where I am now. With my wife and son at my side and the real, genuine, good friends I have made here on Thoughts, there's not much else I could wish for. (Ok, maybe a lucrative publishing contract.......), but apart from that - nothing. lol
Anyway, this is just a 'catch-up' to let those who know me and those who care know that I'm gone but not for good. I may step outside more often but I'm never far away. :)
Best wishes and good blogging to all. ]]>911 Story - Part 2urn:uuid:d365fb2a-1181-c00c-3e19-8b5ac4b8877f2008-07-14T12:56:58-04:00Warning/ Disclaimer - The idea for this story came to me shortly after the dreadful events of that day. It is a fictional "what if" short story and is not intended to offend anyone nor raise painful emotions. If you think this could describe you, concerning the 9/11 event, please be very cautious about reading further. If not, all feedback is acceptable.
“This is it”, Ali said to himself. He knew that when he opened that door to the roof there was definitely no going back. The act of opening the door would send a signal to the main security desk to alert the security that the door had been breached. Nobody was allowed on the roof without the security being informed first and workmen had to have a guard escort them for safety Sometimes the wind at this height could easily pluck a man to his death so, each person venturing out on to the roof had to be strapped on to a safety line which the security guard could use to “reel them in”, if they got into difficulty.
Taking a deep breath, he depressed the bar and pushed the door outwards. The sudden blast of cool air that he’d expected never came and he realized it was very still out there. Almost unnaturally so. He decided to test it and carefully stepped out onto the roof, holding on to the door frame, just in case, but there was no wind, not even a breeze. Despite the height he was now at, he could just as easily have been walking along at ground level.
Knowing that he had to move quickly now since the door alarm would have been sounded, Ali made his way over to a small metal box and dropped his bag. With a sense of urgeny he removed a small explosive device and sat it on top of the metal box then carefully placed six military smoke grenades next to it. That done, he began to work on unlocking the door on the metal box which held the pump apparatus for the buildings main air ventilation.
Thinking over what he was about to do, he smiled to himself at the confusion and panic he was about to create amongst the people in the building below him. Of course, they wouldn’t know that he was bluffing and that the colored smoke was harmless. He would make them believe it was a deadly poison he had spread and they would have to evacuate the entire building.
Nobody would get hurt, of course, but by evacuating everyone, the greedy, corrupt companies that did their dirty trade deeds would lose millions in the time it took them to realize that he’d fooled them. He would be arrested of course, he knew that and was prepared for it but he also knew that, by the time they got to the ground, the media would be there and everybody would see him and know what he had done. Today, Ali Bousaid would have his fifteen minutes of fame!
Deciding to have a cigarette whilst he waited for the imminent arrival of the security guards on the roof, he sat back and leisurely blew smoke out into the bright, clear, morning air. With time to spare, he looked around, savoring the view from this vantage point. It really was rather beautiful, he realized.
Suddenly, the building seemed to vibrate then sway, then it moved alarmingly making Ali slide away from the metal box at his back. It took him a moment to recover and he saw that the smoke grenades had fell to the roof all around the ventilation shaft. As he looked to his left, he was shocked to see a thick column of black, acrid smoke rising up the side of the building. It was obvious that something had gone horribly wrong as the smoke was too thick and swiftly rising to be a simple fire in one of the offices below. That amount of smoke indicated that something bigger, maybe even an entire floor, had caught alight at the same time.
“That’s impossible”, he thought to himself, “there’s nothing in the building that could have done that!”
Carefully, he made his way to the edge of the roof, intending to lie on his stomach and look over the edge to see if he could identify where the smoke was coming from. It was all he could think of to do, such was his confusion. The smoke was too great though and he couldn’t get close enough to the edge. Standing, Ali moved to the corner of the building where it was relatively clear and lay down again before crawling forward the last few yards to the edge.
The sight that greeted him was one of devastation and horror!
As he looked over the edge, he could see that windows just below and to the left of him had been shattered the blinds within the office were hanging out, moving slightly in the updraft from the smoke. Now and then, flames appeared, curving over the top edge of a window and, as they did so, he felt a hot blast on his face. There was also smells which he didn’t recognize at first but as he concentrated, he realized that, mixed in with the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh was the smell of Fuel. He couldn’t understand how that could be but there was no mistaking the very distinctive smell of aviation fuel. It made no sense.
As he peered over the edge again, he was startled to see a person five floors below suddenly leap out into the air and fall away from him. There was no scream, no sound and Ali watched in horrific fascination at the speed the body fell away from him towards the ground far below. He was too high to see an impact, and the smoke obscured his vision anyway but he could imagine it, even although he didn’t want to.
Twisting around, he lay on his back, his breath coming in short gasps, his heart racing. When he thought he heard a voice, he twisted back around again, in time to see more people escaping the fire by jumping from the windows.
None pf the people had been on fire, he realized and it slowly dawned on him that if they were jumping that meant there must be no other way out. The fire stairs must be blocked off, or on fire. If that was the case, then that meant he too might be trapped here and, worse, no one even knew he was here. If the security guards hadn’t arrived to get him off the roof then maybe they weren’t coming and…
His train of thought was abruptly cut off by the sound of an airplane close by, it’s engines racing. Turning tow3ards that sound, he caught sight of it, low over the buildings and followed its progress as it drew closer and closer. Unable to tear his horrified gaze away, Ali watched as it first impacted then tore through the tower block next to him. He was shocked to see the flames, the smoke, the glass, the papers all being blown out and falling away but what was burned into his retina was the sight of several people being thrown out into the air and, mercifully, swiftly plummeting out of his line of vision.
“Oh my god”, he said silently to himself.
Rising, he ran over to the other side of the building to look at the tower block next to him, which was now also on fire with a large black cloud of thick burning smoke blotting out the skyline. The beautiful morning he had been enjoying only a moment ago had turned into a nightmare.
Suddenly feeling very weary and weak at the knees, Ali returned to the ventilation shaft and slumped down beside it. He had wanted to cause some trouble to the people in the office blocks below him, had wanted them to lose money, but this? He had never wanted this. This was something else altogether.
The sight of the people, the fire and the smoke was all too much for him. He realized that the best thing now was to try and head back to the ground and slip away quietly in the crowd. His thirst for vengeance had gone and now all he wanted was to go home.
Standing, he closed the door on the ventilation shaft and lifted the smoke grenades into his bag. With one last glance around him, he headed back towards the staircase, noting as he went that a wind had picked up now, brought on by the firestorm raging below.
Then it happened.
With a thunderous cacophony of creaking and roaring, the next tower block began to buckle and twist inwards. Spinning round to look, Ali was horrified to see a gaping chasm appear in the roof as the whole structure began to fall in on itself. In a second, it was gone, leaving behind a rolling, thick tower of smoke, dust and debris in its place.
Rooted to the spot, Ali stood there for what seemed like an eternity, staring at the space which was occupied by tower two, only a few moments ago. He couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe that the whole building had collapsed just like that. It was like a living nightmare that he’d been unwillingly thrown into. Then it struck him - If it had happened to that building…..
Turning, Ali raced towards the open doorway at the stair case, throwing his bag aside. It made no difference now whether they found it or not. He was yards away from the door when the noise began again and, recognizing it now, he knew he was too late. Resigned to his fate, he watched in horrified fascination as a crack appeared across the roof, speeding straight towards him. Raising his eyes skywards, he struggled to recite a prayer as he heard a high pitched screaming close by, not realizing the sound was coming from his own throat.
Today, Ali Bousaid would not be the name on everyone’s lips after all. Instead he would simply be another unidentified male in the devastated ruins of one of the most evil acts of mans inhumanity to man! ]]>911 story - Part 1urn:uuid:26d2df3b-21c6-35df-b7ba-acea304e74c22008-07-14T12:54:38-04:00Warning/ Disclaimer - The idea for this story came to me shortly after the dreadful events of that day. It is a fictional "what if" short story and is not intended to offend anyone nor raise painful emotions. If you think this could describe you, concerning the 9/11 event, please be very cautious about reading further. If not, all feedback is acceptable.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Ali Bousaid decided that he looked the part of an average workman and hoped that others would think so too. The round, wire-framed glasses and sleeked back hair had altered his appearance very well and the tool bag in his hand completed the image. Shaving his full beard and moustache had been the final touch and now he stared at the transformed face of a stranger looking back at him from the mirror. He knew that no one would recognize him now. They had hardly even noticed him when he worked there. He knew there was no turning back now…!
The guy he had been was treated as little better than a servant to the people who flitted in and out of the offices downtown, as if they had no time to breathe let alone acknowledge the presence of another human being. Most of them had the obligatory laptop briefcase in their hand and a cell phone almost permanently attached to their ear, as they did their wheeling and dealing, making and destroying lives in the time it took him to blink.
Today, that would change though. Today, they would all have to stop and think about something else. Today, he would help to remind them that there was more to life than money. Today they would all know who he was and remember him for years to come. With one last glance in the mirror, he lifted the case and left the apartment.
It was a short cab ride to the financial district downtown and Ali passed the time in small talk with the driver as he knew that to do otherwise would seem strange and he didn’t want to raise anyone’s suspicions too early. He got the driver to drop him off four blocks away and began to walk the rest of the way, giving him time to calm his nerves and enjoy what would be his last day of freedom. It was also a lovely bright, clear morning with just a hint of the heat to come as the day progressed and, as he walked, he realized the view from the roof would be phenomenal, and found himself actually looking forward to getting up there.
Pushing his way through the glass entrance doors, Ali strode confidently towards the security desk. Hoping his nervousness wasn’t showing, he nodded towards the security man and took a pen from his pocket.
“Good morning, Sir”, he said, “Electrician. Working up on sixty three”.
“Fill it out”, the security man replied, placing a sheet of paper in front of him.
Ali briefly scanned the clearance form and was pleased to see that it hadn’t changed any since he’d been employed there. He quickly filled out the required information, using his assumed name, before he handed it back to the security guard. The security man, in turn, gave it a cursory glance before handing over a ’visitor’ pass to Ali.
“Thank you Sir”, Ali said as he pinned it to his top pocket before picking op his bag and making his way over to the express elevator. He would be on the roof in no time at all.
As he rode the express elevator up, he stood at the back, keeping everyone else in front of him and idly wondered how these people would react when his plan came to fruition. Not that he cared. This wasn’t about the individuals in the building, they were incidental. This was about mighty organizations thinking that money was more important than people and Ali was going to teach them that money couldn’t buy them everything. Like loyalty, for instance.
‘By the end of this day”, he thought to himself, I will be in jail and everyone will have my name on their lips because of what I will do here‘. The thought gave him a strange sense of satisfaction and excitement.
The doors opened on the twentieth floor and the occupants spilled out, each hurrying off in their respective directions towards another day of work, completely unaware of the man who strolled casually out of the lift behind them. All, that is, except for one!
As Ali exited the elevator, a security guard standing there looked towards him, eyeing his bag suspiciously. Ali was quick to spot the potential problem but decided he couldn’t be stopped at this stage so, taking the bull by the horns, he walked straight over to the guard.
“How you doing?”, he asked lightly.
“What can I do for you, Sir?”, the guard asked.
Ali knew by his tome that the guard was suspicious of him, despite his visitors pass. Perhaps he was just one of those over-zealous types, the kind who were not quite good enough for the police or military and adopted an over inflated sense of their power as security guards. Either way, Ali knew he’d have to tread carefully with this one and give him no reason to raise his suspicions further.
“I’m doing electrics for Cantor Fitzgerald toady”, Ali said, “But you know what those guys are like. Someplace I can grab a smoke before I go up there?”
The guard considered him for a moment before replying, “I guess you could use our place. Follow me.” With that, he turned and walked off along the corridor with Ali following close behind.
The security office was little more than a basic cupboard, with space for only two occupants at a time, and even then it was crowded. It had a small table set against the wall and an extractor fan for ventilation. The guard walked in ahead of Ali and sat down. Removing his cap, he laid it on the table beside him and then fished in his pocket, producing a packet of cigarettes.
Seeing this, Ali produced his own pact and offered the guard one of his. The man hesitated briefly before replacing his own packet and taking one from Ali’s pack. Ali leant forward and lit the guard’s cigarette before applying the flame to his own.
“Thanks” the guard mumbled, not looking directly at Ali, who knew that he had won the guard over and was in the clear.
After a moment, Ali stubbed out his cigarette and said, “Well, better get on, I guess”
“Yea”, the guard replied, “No rest for the wicked, huh?”
Flashing him a smile, Ali replied, “You got it my friend”.
Leaving the small office, Ali made his way to the first and began his journey towards the roof of the building. He was surprised to see that the lift was empty but also pleased since he could afford to relax a little. It took only another five minutes before he left the lift on the 108th floor. He knew from past experience that he’ have to climb the rest of the way.
The 109th floor was the lower level of the dual restaurant/ staff canteen and the topmost floor, the 110th was the upper level with the access to the roof. After a slow climb, he finally reached the small stairway that took him to the roof itself.
It was exactly half past eight in the morning of September the 11th, 2001!]]>
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