The two women had been friends for a very long time. Over 48 years in fact and even though they had been separated through the years and followed different paths, their friendship endured and overcame all obstacles and challenges. Now, this particular day, the one had come back and was with her old friend. They were together riding the roads they had grown up on and driving through the countryside as they had in time's past. Finally, they pulled into the small town they had both lived in. "You need to see this", said the one.
"Groan, it's the same old town", answered the other.
"Just wait. You will love this", chuckled the first. "Close your eyes".
The one who had returned closed her eyes, but inside she knew nothing would have changed.
"This way". Her friend led her down the sidewalk, which had been smoothed out and no longer caused anyone to trip. The one sighed and allowed herself to led.
Finally, they came to a halt. Her sense of smell had been bombarded with multiple scents; from cinnamon to onions to....wait, could it be? Curry? There had also been the scents of flowers, perfumes, and fresh air all intermingling with one another.
"We're here! Open your eyes"!
She opened them and then stared dumbfounded at all she saw. "What happened to this place"?
"Well, some new people moved in and started fixing up a few of the old buildings. When everyone saw how nice they looked, they began to do the same things. Now, look what we have"!
Her friend was right. Things could change, if people want them too. She couldn't believe her eyes, the old storefronts from the early 1900s had been restored and given rock stone sidings. The sidewalks had been raised and converted into wooden walkways with porches. Flower boxes adorned all the windows of the stores which had been turned into boutiques of clothing, perfumes, candy, candles, books, and antiques. At the end of the street, the old hotel stood proudly, not with clapboard siding, but elegant and refined with stones, brass lanterns shining on it's walkway, and a porch encircling it. It's doors burst open as people exited it and she was able to glimpse the inside which showcased a beautiful stone fireplace and a small chandeliers in a room of intimate dining.
She kept rubbing her eyes and mumbling, "I can't believe it. I can't believe it"
Her old friend smiled, "Believe it!"
A siren went off and both turned to see what was happening. The one turned to the other, only to notice that she seemed to be fading away.
The alarm on her phone was going at full volume. She rolled over, grabbed it and turned it off. For a moment, she couldn't figure out where she was, then recognition flooded back. "Just a dream. I have got to call her and tell her about it! She will love it! Plus, she will be at me about going back".
Friday, January 31, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Quiet Shadow
Quiet. It shouldn’t be so quiet, but it is. How can a city be so quiet? Deep in the recesses of the building a door shut. Subtle, but there. Finally. A few minutes later a man exited, turned right, and began walking north on 5th Ave. Bet he’s heading to the Library. The man moves quickly, not many people out on a night like this one. The Polar Vortex had brought the city to a stop. A few were venturing out into the sub-zero temperature, but most were inside. Taking shelter from the wind and cold. The man stops and fiddles with his coat. Nice, he gets a nice warm Calvin Klein Plaza Overcoat and I get a TALOS, thinks his shadow. He moves forward again, slipping slightly on the ice, but staying on his feet. His hands are buried deep in the coat’s pockets and a scarf covers his mouth. A black fedora tops his head. The shadow moves quietly and swiftly, flitting along the street like a wraith, constantly behind the man, watching his every move. He hits another patch of ice and slips barely catching his balance this time. Careful, it’s too soon to be out of the game. He stops again and checks the ground in front of him a little closer. Now what is he looking at? He moves along, but at a slower pace. The shadow follows after a moment, then kneels at where he had slipped. “I don’t see anything, a patch of ice...Ahh, well you are the smart one” . The shadow moves, this time not directly behind the man, but above. Love this equipment.
The man moves along 5th Avenue walking past the library. He turns left at 42nd and walks to Broadway. Where is he going? The shadow moves ahead of him and settles in the darkness provided by the Newsweek building at 42nd and Broadway. The man turns right onto Broadway heading north again. He glances at the windows of a building and stops in his tracks. He turns around and seems to be searching for someone or something. He moves his right hand deeper into the pocket of the coat as if gripping something, looks around again, then turning back to the north he begins moving faster along the sidewalk. He turns east on 43rd Street, crossing it and entering the Casablanca Hotel. He nods to the attendant on duty, crossing the floor to the elevator. Upon exiting the elevator, he walks down the hallway, stopping at a door, entering it, and closing the door behind him. He locks the door and removes the overcoat. In the right pocket he removes a Walther P99. In the left pocket, he removes a small package. The reason why he had been in that building. He smiles and walks to the bed, flipping on the lights and the tv. He glances out the window and seeing nothing unusual on the street below, he turns his back, smiles again and falls on the bed...
Time, A Linear Conception.
Yes, another day has dawned and is upon us. The State of the Union Address was last night and guess what? The world is still turning. The same old rhetoric from opposing sides has been flung and we the people have endured it as our Congressional leaders fill the air with insults and threats. That said, let us move on and start working toward a better present and an even better future.
So, another day and year are upon us and I wonder what will occur. Ever want to see into the future? Think of what you could do if you were able to. Oh yes, you could become rich. But then again, who would want that. Fame, riches, power. It could be yours for the keeping. However, if you did see into the future it might not be what you wanted. Look what happens in the movies when individuals can see or go into the future. They discover themselves in a world which they despair of and go back to the present making sure they never chose the path which led them to this horrendous future.
How about if you could go back into the past for just one day? Where would you go? To your past? To the distant past? What would happen if you were to go into the past? Just one interaction would change the present. Just one act and poof! Everything in the present could be gone. Just standing listening to Christ give the sermon on the Mount could change everything. Drinking a tankard of ale in England could bring a change in the colonization of America. Just one thing, one movement, one whisper could bring an end to our present. Time travel isn't only undesirable, it would be devastating!
What in the world brought this thought to my mind? Well, actually it was the SOTUA last night. No, I didn't watch it. I figured I would be overwhelmed with political rhetoric from Congress, people, and the media. Instead, I read the speech and was able to dissect it myself. Without prejudice and innuendos. The sad thing is, after I read it, I read the reactions. Now, to get on with this, the reason I was thinking of time travel is do to how some of the Congress legislators remind me so much of the legislators of the past. February 15, 1798 Roger Griswald of Connecticut charged after Matthew Lyon of Vermont with a hickory walking stick. Griswald hit Lyon repeatedly with the stick until Lyon was able to get to the fireplace where HE went after Griswald with metal tongs. Quite a battle ensued until the men were separated. Then no sooner did they try to get back to work that Lyon went back after Griswald. So, what caused this battle? Griswald called Lyon a coward and Lyon spit in Griswald's face. Big issue for this particular Congress.
May 22, 1856. Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Charles Sumner of Massachusetts to unconsciousness with his cane, which had a gold head, until the cane broke. When other senators came to Sumner's aid, Laurence Keitt, also of South Carolina, pulled a pistol and held the senators in place so Brooks could continue his beating. The cause? A speech Sumner had given concerning slavery where he compared slavery to a harlot a mistress.
Now these are just 2 violent events which occurred in the Capital Building, there are several others, but here is my point. How can we discuss the important issues of our time if we allow our legislators to carry on as these of the past did? How will events of the past control the times of our present and challenge the future? Want the time machine? Nah! Time to face the challenges and get back into the middle. Time to let bygones be bygones and move into an era of co-operation and working together. Yeah, I know, I'm an idealist, but really, what good is all the bickering, hate, and division doing? Think about the past and the violence, then think of today and the future. Time for us to be the time machine and realize the impact we have today in the present on the future. Time to learn from the past and correct the present. Time to grow, learn, create, research, develop, and expand in our vision of this great country. Time to let the eagle fly again in freedom instead of chaining it to the events and beliefs of the past. Diversity is what has impacted this land from it's inception. Diversify, education, practicality, dreams, hopes, ideals have all brought the United States to its present. Don't stop it, let it grow for by learning we can achieve anything. Even a future free from hate and war. Time is a linear conception, let it move forward not backward.
So, another day and year are upon us and I wonder what will occur. Ever want to see into the future? Think of what you could do if you were able to. Oh yes, you could become rich. But then again, who would want that. Fame, riches, power. It could be yours for the keeping. However, if you did see into the future it might not be what you wanted. Look what happens in the movies when individuals can see or go into the future. They discover themselves in a world which they despair of and go back to the present making sure they never chose the path which led them to this horrendous future.
How about if you could go back into the past for just one day? Where would you go? To your past? To the distant past? What would happen if you were to go into the past? Just one interaction would change the present. Just one act and poof! Everything in the present could be gone. Just standing listening to Christ give the sermon on the Mount could change everything. Drinking a tankard of ale in England could bring a change in the colonization of America. Just one thing, one movement, one whisper could bring an end to our present. Time travel isn't only undesirable, it would be devastating!
What in the world brought this thought to my mind? Well, actually it was the SOTUA last night. No, I didn't watch it. I figured I would be overwhelmed with political rhetoric from Congress, people, and the media. Instead, I read the speech and was able to dissect it myself. Without prejudice and innuendos. The sad thing is, after I read it, I read the reactions. Now, to get on with this, the reason I was thinking of time travel is do to how some of the Congress legislators remind me so much of the legislators of the past. February 15, 1798 Roger Griswald of Connecticut charged after Matthew Lyon of Vermont with a hickory walking stick. Griswald hit Lyon repeatedly with the stick until Lyon was able to get to the fireplace where HE went after Griswald with metal tongs. Quite a battle ensued until the men were separated. Then no sooner did they try to get back to work that Lyon went back after Griswald. So, what caused this battle? Griswald called Lyon a coward and Lyon spit in Griswald's face. Big issue for this particular Congress.
May 22, 1856. Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Charles Sumner of Massachusetts to unconsciousness with his cane, which had a gold head, until the cane broke. When other senators came to Sumner's aid, Laurence Keitt, also of South Carolina, pulled a pistol and held the senators in place so Brooks could continue his beating. The cause? A speech Sumner had given concerning slavery where he compared slavery to a harlot a mistress.
Now these are just 2 violent events which occurred in the Capital Building, there are several others, but here is my point. How can we discuss the important issues of our time if we allow our legislators to carry on as these of the past did? How will events of the past control the times of our present and challenge the future? Want the time machine? Nah! Time to face the challenges and get back into the middle. Time to let bygones be bygones and move into an era of co-operation and working together. Yeah, I know, I'm an idealist, but really, what good is all the bickering, hate, and division doing? Think about the past and the violence, then think of today and the future. Time for us to be the time machine and realize the impact we have today in the present on the future. Time to learn from the past and correct the present. Time to grow, learn, create, research, develop, and expand in our vision of this great country. Time to let the eagle fly again in freedom instead of chaining it to the events and beliefs of the past. Diversity is what has impacted this land from it's inception. Diversify, education, practicality, dreams, hopes, ideals have all brought the United States to its present. Don't stop it, let it grow for by learning we can achieve anything. Even a future free from hate and war. Time is a linear conception, let it move forward not backward.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Army of the Dead
Army of the Dead
A South Carolina Ghost Story
retold by
S. E. Schlosser
A laundress, newly moved to Charleston following the Civil War, found herself awakened at the stroke of twelve each night by the rumble of heavy wheels passing in the street. But she lived on a dead end street, and had no explanation for the noise. Her husband would not allow her to look out the window when she heard the sounds, telling her to leave well enough alone. Finally, she asked the woman who washed at the tub next to hers. The woman said: "What you are hearing is the Army of the Dead. They are Confederate soldiers who died in hospital without knowing that the war was over. Each night, they rise from their graves and go to reinforce Lee in Virginia to strengthen the weakened Southern forces."
The next night, the laundress slipped out of bed to watch the Army of the Dead pass. She stood spell-bound by the window as a gray fog rolled passed. Within the fog, she could see the shapes of horses, and could hear gruff human voices and the rumble of canons being dragged through the street, followed by the sound of marching feet. Foot soldiers, horsemen, ambulances, wagons and canons passed before her eyes, all shrouded in gray. After what seemed like hours, she heard a far off bugle blast, and then silence.
When the laundress came out of her daze, she found one of her arms was paralyzed. She has never done a full days washing since.
http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2010/07/the_army_of_the_dead.html
Friday, January 24, 2014
Jedi Archaeologist, That's Me!
Well, I just took a test. You know the type, they're on Facebook and they tell you what character in a movie you are or what your mental age is. Let's face it, they're fun and we get a good laugh from them. The one I took tonight was called: "What kind of Archaeologist are you?" Right up my alley! I figured it would come back with Lara Croft or Indiana Jones. Instead, it said I was a Jedi Archaeologist. Have to admit that was different. Then I started thinking about when I first wanted to BE an archaeologist. Well, actually, I wanted to be a paleontologist. I loved dinosaurs! I was about 5 or 6 years old. I would look for fossils everywhere. From checking out the shale rocks and other rocks in and around a river bed, to digging little holes and searching for them there. I was a true student of the dinosaur.
By the time I turned 8, I had discovered my true love, archaeology! Yep! Back to the rocks and digging but this time with a new emphasis. I was searching for the relics of humanity. Arrow heads, musket balls, bones, whatever! I was looking for it. What is interesting about my little endeavors is how my thoughts and ideals changed through time. As I grew older and entered my teens, I found myself more interested in the buildings, foundations, and tools (so to speak) of the people who had lived in the area before me. I found the old railroad tracks that led from my town to neighboring communities to be fascinating. Men had worked hard clearing the the path, cutting down trees, sawing the wood into railroad ties, placing them and building the tracks. Yet, in just a short time, the rail service would be gone and the tracks were taken over by nature. Every so often though I would find a tie, look at it and wonder who had laid it. There was a sadness to it. A loss of progress which was swallowed up by the desire for private automobiles. Then one day I was reading my grandmother's (Cecile Peak's) diary from 1928 and she wrote of my grandfather (Ivan Peak) going up to the lumber camps and hauling wood to the mills and railroad ties to town. Can you even imagine my excitement of discovering this one little unobtrusive fact which brought those railroad ties, my grandfather, and myself together. It was a moment of joy, self-discovery, and love for those ties may have been handled by my grandfather whom I adored and miss deeply.
There were other times when I would walk into the woods or go on dirt roads and find stone fences. I would study their structure and follow them, all the while wondering who had built them and what had happened to them. Even today, I find myself going off the beaten path to look for places which have been forgotten or lost. Not for glory or fortune, but so the people who had lived and loved there, the fences, the ruins of a house, a mound of shells, or the railroad tie would come to life one more time and bring the role of humanity back into the space which had been lost. Yes, archaeology was what I wanted. Yet, I never went into the field. Stupid me listened to those who said you had to find a good job. Now, I say to all who ask me, "Follow your dream, for that is where you will be happiest. Don't listen to the naysayers, think for yourself and be yourself." I studied history, humanities, American studies as an older student. I love what I am working toward now. I've fulfilled two dreams and am working toward others. Follow the dream....archaeology, history, humanities, literature, music, whatever. There will be good and bad, but if you really want something go for it, it's your dream...Jedi Archaeologist....Hahahahaha... not too far off the track.
By the time I turned 8, I had discovered my true love, archaeology! Yep! Back to the rocks and digging but this time with a new emphasis. I was searching for the relics of humanity. Arrow heads, musket balls, bones, whatever! I was looking for it. What is interesting about my little endeavors is how my thoughts and ideals changed through time. As I grew older and entered my teens, I found myself more interested in the buildings, foundations, and tools (so to speak) of the people who had lived in the area before me. I found the old railroad tracks that led from my town to neighboring communities to be fascinating. Men had worked hard clearing the the path, cutting down trees, sawing the wood into railroad ties, placing them and building the tracks. Yet, in just a short time, the rail service would be gone and the tracks were taken over by nature. Every so often though I would find a tie, look at it and wonder who had laid it. There was a sadness to it. A loss of progress which was swallowed up by the desire for private automobiles. Then one day I was reading my grandmother's (Cecile Peak's) diary from 1928 and she wrote of my grandfather (Ivan Peak) going up to the lumber camps and hauling wood to the mills and railroad ties to town. Can you even imagine my excitement of discovering this one little unobtrusive fact which brought those railroad ties, my grandfather, and myself together. It was a moment of joy, self-discovery, and love for those ties may have been handled by my grandfather whom I adored and miss deeply.
There were other times when I would walk into the woods or go on dirt roads and find stone fences. I would study their structure and follow them, all the while wondering who had built them and what had happened to them. Even today, I find myself going off the beaten path to look for places which have been forgotten or lost. Not for glory or fortune, but so the people who had lived and loved there, the fences, the ruins of a house, a mound of shells, or the railroad tie would come to life one more time and bring the role of humanity back into the space which had been lost. Yes, archaeology was what I wanted. Yet, I never went into the field. Stupid me listened to those who said you had to find a good job. Now, I say to all who ask me, "Follow your dream, for that is where you will be happiest. Don't listen to the naysayers, think for yourself and be yourself." I studied history, humanities, American studies as an older student. I love what I am working toward now. I've fulfilled two dreams and am working toward others. Follow the dream....archaeology, history, humanities, literature, music, whatever. There will be good and bad, but if you really want something go for it, it's your dream...Jedi Archaeologist....Hahahahaha... not too far off the track.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Zombies! They're Everywhere! AAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!
Zombies! They're everywhere! Whichever way you turn, look, hear; zombies are there! They surround you and the only thing they want to do is eat you! And maybe turn you into a zombie as well. After all, have you ever seen just one zombie? NO! They hang out together in the hundreds! Maybe thousands! All sizes, shapes, and all stages of decay. They will even drag their torsos after you if that is all they have left; and their mouths are always and forever stuck in the open position ready to take a bite!
Why are we so enthralled with zombies? They are worse than vampires and werewolves! Even vampires and werewolves run from zombies! Zombies are the big bad monsters of all time. Mummies can't compare with them. Or is a mummy a zombie? Hmm, will have to think about that. Anyway, zombies are in every part of society, no one is immune from the zombie curse! Or are they? What are zombies anyway? The walking and rather hungry dead. What do they want from us? Our bodies, our brains, our blood? Humans don't taste very good. Heck, we don't smell very good to other animals and sometimes to each other. So, what is it they want?
Someone must control them. That's it. They are controlled by someone bent on destroying the human race! We will be turned into brainless, non-compassionate, easily herded cattle and led down the path to the gates to our slaughter. Then we will continue to reanimate and follow this same unthinking avenue again and again, until the only thing left of us is nothing. That's right, nothing. We will have never mattered for we did nothing but follow and be controlled. Sounds like what one political party wants us to be right now...scary isn't it?
That's it! That's why there are zombies everywhere! People who are creative, artistic, musical, individual, independent, and many other positive aspects of humanity are showcasing zombies, not for our entertainment, but to show us how not to become one! When the zombie apocalypse comes, we will be prepared! Time to grab a book and read! Go to a museum and appraise the artwork! Watch a movie! See a documentary! Go running, walking, swimming, biking, kayaking! Move! Learn something new! Don't be a Zombie! Don't be caught and become brainless and uncaring! Get involved and participate in life, even if it is from a computer. you are still a part of something better by standing up against the flow!
Zombies! They're everywhere, but so are the Zombie hunters! Don't be a Zombie!
Why are we so enthralled with zombies? They are worse than vampires and werewolves! Even vampires and werewolves run from zombies! Zombies are the big bad monsters of all time. Mummies can't compare with them. Or is a mummy a zombie? Hmm, will have to think about that. Anyway, zombies are in every part of society, no one is immune from the zombie curse! Or are they? What are zombies anyway? The walking and rather hungry dead. What do they want from us? Our bodies, our brains, our blood? Humans don't taste very good. Heck, we don't smell very good to other animals and sometimes to each other. So, what is it they want?
Someone must control them. That's it. They are controlled by someone bent on destroying the human race! We will be turned into brainless, non-compassionate, easily herded cattle and led down the path to the gates to our slaughter. Then we will continue to reanimate and follow this same unthinking avenue again and again, until the only thing left of us is nothing. That's right, nothing. We will have never mattered for we did nothing but follow and be controlled. Sounds like what one political party wants us to be right now...scary isn't it?
That's it! That's why there are zombies everywhere! People who are creative, artistic, musical, individual, independent, and many other positive aspects of humanity are showcasing zombies, not for our entertainment, but to show us how not to become one! When the zombie apocalypse comes, we will be prepared! Time to grab a book and read! Go to a museum and appraise the artwork! Watch a movie! See a documentary! Go running, walking, swimming, biking, kayaking! Move! Learn something new! Don't be a Zombie! Don't be caught and become brainless and uncaring! Get involved and participate in life, even if it is from a computer. you are still a part of something better by standing up against the flow!
Zombies! They're everywhere, but so are the Zombie hunters! Don't be a Zombie!
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