28 February, 2005

The Stick



It was a peaceful night, quietness all around, you can hear your own breathing in that mysterious silence, a romantic clear sky like a ceiling you can touch, and a full smiley moon who whispers one of his poems in his lover's ears.

Although it was still winter, that night was exceptional, you would feel that winter had left in his constant traveling way, as usual I was out with a friend talking about, as we always think, important matters, we consider ourselves intellectuals, but that night wasn't for such discussions, it was different, It was as if some divinely power had created that special night for some reason.

Being late we had to go home, it was 12:00 midnight, we hurried on our way home, remembering Cinderella losing one of her glass shoes, I kept looking at my shoes until I was home safe, sadly looking forward for the next working day.

It was late for doing anything, but to sleep, I went to bed with that nagging idea on the back of my mind reminding me of the next working day, and getting up early, and routinely as usual.

At last, I went into a deep sleep with the idea of getting early in the morning, the bed was warm, there were all sorts of beautiful things, butterflies, soft singing voices, heavenly music, I was dreaming when a sudden alarm began to beep, "Beep, Beep, Beep" in a constant disturbing sound, it was like a far away shouting of a person, but when I was half awake, I found that it was my alarm clock beeping, I firmly switched it off and went on with my beautiful dream, at that moment I was in a middle of an evergreen forest, with the sun rays between the trees in a majestic scene I would never forget all my life, when something struck me from behind, it was hurting, when I turned back I found an old man with a white beard holding a stick in his hand, and threatening to beat again, frightened I woke up putting my hand on the hurting spot of my back.


Lessons learned:

  1. Wake up on time or you will be struck by a stick.
  2. Even if you are happy don't let anything has control over you, as there is always an old man waiting for you.
  3. Be proactive, be responsible for your own decisions.





13 February, 2005

Friend of the Poor


Yesterday, while I was looking for a book to read on the weekend, my eyes were fixed on a small book titled Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, I was hesitant for a moment or so before I made up my mind to go ahead with what I had just found, I never knew that it was written by Charles Dickens, I know his other books such as David Copperfield, Oliver Twist etc.

I began interestingly to read the preface of the book, it was mentioned that Charles Dickens drew attention to the bad social conditions of the poor in the nineteenth century England, Charles himself was born for a very poor family, his father ran heavily into debt, so when Charles was twelve, he had to work in a factory, that’s why he only received two years of formal education in a very poor school, and later he had to teach himself all he knew.

It was twenty four when he began writing his first novels for which he is now famous, the proactive Charles chose to be a famous novelist, to work hard day and night, dedicated only to achieving his goals, and making his dreams come true, he refused to give up to all harsh conditions that faced him, as a child he believed in himself, it was crystal clear that there was no other way to achieve one's goals without patience and pain, we have to resist being reactive, and to be free choosing our response to different stimuli, by being proactive we can be human beings.

One day, in his thick boots Charles was slowly walking with his worried father, when he suddenly stopped walking just in front of a very great palace, "one day, this will be our home, father," he told his father, his father was deep in thought at that moment, but he gave him a little smile, and they continued their walk.

Many years later, Charles was walking again near the gates of that beautiful palace, remembering what he told his father of that palace, but he never stopped, he entered and sat on a wooden chair, it was his favorite chair, he liked sitting there especially in spring, and his father never lived to be at home with him at that very moment, he wished his father was there to see his dream came true.


Lessons:

  1. We have to be proactive, as being reactive is a characteristic of animals.
  2. We have to endure pain to make our dreams come true.
  3. We have to choose our response to different stimuli.