The Road Ahead (Thoughts of A Solo Traveler)

I am right back on the road I started. It seems like everything has come full circle. I have tried to avoid this road, but it has been very persistent. As I stand here in silence, I begin to wonder, Am I ready to walk down the road? I have made it this far and yet I want to turn back around. This road is kinda scary looking from this vantage point. I promised myself that I would be open to travel this road free of any preconceived notions or expected outcomes. I promised to be open to the road and let it lead me where it wishes. But, for some reason, the mere idea of surrendering myself to the road ahead seems too daunting. What about all of my dreams, ambitions, and ideas of what I want and need? Do I have to give that all up in order to surrender to the road ahead? What if there is more loss, disappointment, unneeded distractions, and detours ahead? I have surrendered to these forces before, which is why I left the open road in the past. I know that we each have our own path/road to walk, but why is it that when walking mine I feel so alone? Is there anyone walking beside me or am I too focused on the road ahead to even notice? My mind is running a mile a minute, with no second to spare. I take a deep breath as I continue to contemplate taking my first step because we all know that a still ship can’t be guided. Therefore, I have to move.

Am I finally willing to walk ahead no matter where it leads? Am I ready to focus on the road ahead of me without being distracted by my own ambitions, lust, desires, personal agenda, and ego? My ego has been such a huge part of my willingness to take needless detours. My ego oversold my capabilities and told me I could go it alone just as long I focused on my own needs/desires. However, the road that I walk is a very complicated one, in which others are required, as well as the willingness to humble myself and ask for assistance along the way. Prior to this startling revelation, I was unwilling to admit to myself that I couldn’t walk this road alone. I will need events, people, and situations to catapult me down the road I must travel.

The road ahead seems very scary considering that I am standing at the beginning of it. I have no idea of what to expect along the way. I guess you can say, that’s where faith comes into play. I have not traveled down this road yet. Therefore, I do not know how it will end. But, I must say that I have to be willing to take a chance on this road because I have seen it many times before. The ending will never take place unless I am willing to face the road ahead.

The Reflection

I look into your eyes. I see your soul. I see your beauty. I see your pain. I look at your face; I see your smile lines. I see your frowns. I see your worries. I see that speck of grey hair. I see the bags under your eyes. I see your dimple.

Today, I see your frown. I see your swollen red eyes. I see the tears streaming down your face. I see your lack of confidence. I see your red cheeks and ears. I see the sadness that permeates through you. I see the doubts. I see the despair and hopelessness you feel. I see your wounded soul. I see you behind closed doors. I see the acne and stress marks on your face and skin. I see within. I see who you wished you could be. I see the anxiety that you face. I see the feeling of disgrace. I see the thoughts of throwing in the towel. I see the creases from when you used to smile. I see the anger in your eyes. I see you and what you despise. I see your poor defenseless stance. I see you look at yourself in a trance. I see you question, who am I? I see you before you start to cry. I look closer and I see your potential, but do you?

But, somehow, you look different today! You have a smile that is so contagious. You have a sparkle in your eye. You have bright skin. You have the look of eternal youth. Your skin glows. Your hair is full. You have a prominent dimple when you smile. You can light up a room. Your eyes are so amazingly beautiful. You are dressed to impress. You look like everything I am not.  Your soul literally glows. You know who you are. You know your potential. You brought your “A” game today! You impressed me with your witty remarks and perky sense of humor. You are inspirational. Your words hold meaning and are full of life! You radiate love and peace! You finally realized who you were called to be! You are me. I am you.

I see you and you see me! I am you! I see your truest self. Whether you agree with me or not, I see who you are. I am merely the outside reflecting what is inside of you. I am a figment of your imagination. I reflect what you want to see. I am your reflection. Always remember, I show you who you are, not what you want to see.

The Grand Play of Life

“I was given a script at birth. I read through most of it, but didn’t skip to the end.” – Mercedes Tucker

We all have scripts. We each play a unique role in the “Play of Life.” Each person’s script was handcrafted for him or her, including their characters, scenes, cast mates, etc. We each have a unique role that only we are perfectly cast for. Through each scene in the “Play of Life”, we share the stage with our cast mates. Our cast mates could be our parents, friends, loved ones, perfect strangers, teachers, among others. Our cast mates could be any random person at any random time. The scene that we are acting in has already been written and cast by the Grand Director. The cool thing about this play is that each role is vital to its plot. Each character has to play their role effectively for the play to be a success. In this play, there are good guys, bad guys, and people in between. There are many different roles at many different times. Another cool thing about this play is that we aren’t always forced to play the same role twice. In one scene we may be cast as a student while in another scene, we become the teacher. Each role that we play allows each person’s role to develop. Moreover, our roles can allow another person to develop into the roles that they are ultimately destined to play. An example of this is a child who is destined to be a great leader in foreign relations. His destined role will then be supported and cultivated by the cast mates that he encounters along his journey. His cast mates in varying scenes could be: his parents, his teachers, and a perfect stranger that intrigues or piques his interest in foreign relations. Essentially, what I am saying is, that each role is crucial in this grand production.

However, problems arise when we are given a script that we are asked to act out and we choose to ad-lib or alter the script based on our own desires. An example is when a person who is cast as a Humanitarian decides to ignore their heart/calling because they feel that Humanitarian work does not pay enough. So, they skip their role and recast themselves as a corporate businessperson. At some point or another, this said person, if true to themselves, would have an awakening. They will realize that they are playing the wrong role in this production. They will then have to refer back to their inner script and adjust accordingly. If all goes well, they will cast themselves as the Humanitarian that they were destined to be. Another problem is when people choose to opt out of the play entirely. This happens when the scenes of life take their toll on a person resulting in them choosing to opt out of their role entirely. The result of this is that the play has to be re-casted, and redesigned, and maybe some roles will have to be reassigned. However, the play will still go on but it won’t be as good as the original script.

This play is ever-evolving due to the ebb and flow of free will and destiny. There are so many twists in the plot. It is best to let it unfold in front of our eyes. Some suggestions that would greatly enhance the play experience are as follows: One, don’t peak ahead to the ending. Two, play the roles that you are cast for. After all, the role was made specifically for you. Your role is vital to the outcome of the play. Additionally, your role is vital to the development of all of the characters that you will encounter in each scene. Three, don’t look at someone else’s role with envy and decide to re-cast yourself. Re-casting yourself throws off the fluidity of the play. It causes delays, unneeded distractions, and prompt improvises. Re-casting yourself may result in another cast member having to juggle several different roles or even having them stand in for you completely. Playing more than one role may be too taxing on any actor, let alone, your cast mate! Fourth, try your best to practice your role. I understand that you were uniquely made for it, but it is best to study your role so that you can play it to your best ability. Studying your role will also allow you to be the best possible actor you can be. Five, be patient with this play. It is still developing. There will be delays, plot twists, and surprises along the way. You also have to be patient with your cast mates because they are still learning their roles. Some of your cast mates may require a little coaching to play their role effectively. Six, enjoy acting! Your role will have its ups and downs, but be happy that you were cast specifically for it. Therefore, you were predestined to be able to handle your role effectively. Seven, don’t try to change the scenes or characters to your liking. This play is not about you. Although you’re crucial to this production, you are a mere piece to this puzzle. Eight, try not to overanalyze other people’s roles and actions for they are only playing their part. You also have to remember that you were not allowed to read their scripts. You only read your own. Nine, sit back and relax! This play is going on every second, minute, hour, day, week, and month, of the year. This play is in constant motion. There is always something happening! There will always be new developments, plot twists, scenes, and characters!

Optimistic Leader – MBA Leadership & Teams Case Study

Kingdom Digital, a thriving startup digital media agency with a large parent company had massive turnover and upheaval in its Programmatic team. The Programmatic team was responsible for much of the agency’s revenue. Their largest client was a luxury automobile company. When the luxury automobile business was first won, several leaders were brought on but ultimately decided to move off the business, had maternity leave, or abruptly resigned to pursue other opportunities. To address this issue, Human Resources partnered with the agency’s leaders to interview a candidate who would stick it out for the long haul. Amy was that candidate! She came into her interviews with high energy as well as fresh ideas. They offered her the role of “Director of Programmatic” with an attractive compensation package. Amy was very excited and accepted the offer right away.

On Amy’s first day, she was super excited and got to the office early to meet her new team. To understand the challenges that she would face, Amy set up one-on-one meetings with each team member as well as agency leadership. She found out that the Programmatic team wasn’t known for doing quality work. In fact, they had the lowest satisfaction scores of any of the other departments. Her meetings with her team were equally uninspiring as she found that their pain points were inconsistent leadership, poor agency communication, and inconsistent processes and standards across Tier 1 (National) and Tier 2 (Local). As reality quickly set in, Amy’s optimism about her new role began to wane. However, she vowed to turn things around for her team.

Her first order of business was to tackle the PR problem that her Programmatic team had. She took the feedback from other agency departments and compiled a list of actionable solutions. Her primary focus was ensuring that her team provided quality work. To do this, she needed to investigate and audit current work processes, reports, and deliverables. After performing her audit, she found inconsistencies across Tier 1 and Tier 2 billing and deliverables. She then sent her findings to her team in a meeting invite two days prior to the actual meeting to give her team time to provide their feedback and rationale behind their work.

Amy’s team consisted of:

Brian, Media Coordinator fresh out of college who was very extroverted and ambitious.

Linda, Media Specialist who had several years of Ad Operations experience. Linda oversaw the Tier 1 business. Linda was mostly an introvert who preferred to work alone and did things her way.

Nora, Media Specialist who had several years of analytics experience. Nora oversaw the Tier 2 business. Nora was an introvert who worked alone and was very task-oriented.

Paul, Media Coordinator who had an MBA but not a lot of work experience because he went to grad school right after college. Paul was an ambitious and hard-working extrovert who enjoyed attending and coordinating team events.

Gabe, Media Coordinator fresh out of college who was unsure of himself. Gabe tended to get overwhelmed with tasks resulting in him making small mistakes. Gabe was introverted as he tended to come in unnoticed and failed to speak up during meetings.

An unspoken norm of the team was that the two Media Specialists indirectly mentor the Media Coordinators.

As Amy began to get a more realistic view of the challenges ahead, she realized that she would need to extend herself and her team grace in the coming days due to the agency’s busy season approaching. During the anticipated busy season, her team was going to be swamped with millions of dollars worth of advertising for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 digital campaigns. Therefore, Amy understood the importance of proving that with her leadership, her team could thrive during the agency’s busy season thus showing everyone that they deserved the privilege of overseeing large media campaigns. Despite the long road ahead, Amy was confident that she could lead her team to victory!

The Life of a Pen

I am not quite sure about my origins. My guess is that it was from some sort of factory. I made my way onto the shelf at a local Novelty store. One day, a young woman came and grabbed me. At this moment, I sit on her desk. From what I can tell, she is rather attached to me. She uses me to write almost everything, such as her checks, to-do lists, signing for packages, jotting down phone numbers, etc. This was a very strange morning because she decided to take me in her purse. I think she had some appointments that day. I sat nestled inside the inner pocket of her purse. She walked into a local restaurant to meet some of her friends for breakfast. After she and her friends had breakfast, she decided that she would pay for her friends’ breakfasts. So, she pulled out her credit card. The waiter happily took her credit card over to scan it. The waiter returned but was missing a pen to sign the receipt with. My owner reached into her purse and pulled me out. She signed the receipt and returned it to the waiter. After returning the receipt, she became so distracted with the gossip she was hearing about her former friends that she got up and left me on the table. Time passed. I wondered if she would discover that she left me behind. I sat at the table until a waiter came along and cleaned the table. He noticed me and picked me up. He admired my beauty and originality. He slipped me into his pocket. I stayed in his pocket until his shift was over. He took me home and sat me on his dresser. I spent the night there. Morning arrived; his daughter entered his room and noticed me. She picked me up and took me to her room. She put me in her backpack. She was so excited because she had a new pen for school. I rode in her backpack to school. When she arrived, her teacher gave her a writing assignment. She gladly pulled me out and began writing in cursive. I love cursive. Her friend looked over and admired me. Her friend asked to use me when she was done. She said yes to her friend and handed me to him. The class ended and she forgot to get me back from her friend. So, her friend put me in his shoulder bag. I stayed there for days until he noticed me again and remembered that he had forgotten to return me to his friend. He placed me on the desk next to his computer. He left the room to visit his friend’s house. His mom came in and the phone rang. I heard her talking to someone. Suddenly, the caller asked his mom if she had a pen and paper to write this number down. His mother quickly grabbed a piece of paper and me to write down the name and number. I think it was something like “Tom at 323-555-7865 ext. 2” The call ended and his mom put the phone down and left the room with me still in her hand. She placed me on the counter near her car keys. Morning came. Everyone in the house was scrambling to leave for their varying busy days. The mother noticed me next to her car keys, grabbed me, and put me in her purse. I went to work with her that day. Her day was rather busy; it consisted of meetings and more meetings. One meeting that took place required note-taking. Before the presenter began her presentation, she handed the audience her PowerPoint outline. After being handed the outline by the presenter, my new owner reached into her purse and grabbed me. She began taking very quick and sloppy notes. My guess was that she was trying to keep up with the presenter who was whipping through her slides. The meeting ended, and back into her purse, I went. My new owner went to lunch and returned to her desk. She pulled me out again to finish her speech outline for the next board meeting. Her day ended. She decided to leave me on her desk in her pen container. I stayed there all night with the other pens. This is where it got interesting. A local custodian approached her desk to clean it. Somehow the custodian knocked over the container with me in it. I rolled under the desk. The custodian attempted to find every pen but missed me. I laid under the desk for a couple of days. After a couple of days, another custodian swept the area of the desk and discovered me. He quickly bent over to admire me. He decided to place me in his pocket for safekeeping. I went home with him that night. From there, it is all a blur, somehow I ended up on the desk of a local English college professor. My best guess is that it all happened as follows: I was discovered by the janitor who took me home, gave me to his daughter who was taking English at the local community college, she must’ve left me on her desk, the professor saw me on her desk and took me back to his office.

The journey never ends for me. I live the life of the most adventurous and desirable pen around.

Is This Seat Taken?

I stand on the crowded platform, waiting for my train to arrive. I hear above me, “A train toward downtown will arrive shortly.” I grab my backpack and rush to the edge of the platform. The train rushes in so fast that I can feel the air across my face. I approach the doors as they open. I think to myself, this cart is very crowded. I walk in and look around to see if I can find an empty seat. I spot one on the far left near the window. Unfortunately, a rather heavier-looking guy guarded it. He sat slanted with his arms crossed. I hesitantly approached him and said, “Is this seat taken?” He said, “No”. He stood up and moved aside to let me in. I can’t lie I felt a little claustrophobic, but at least I wasn’t standing. I begin to look around the cart to notice the passengers on this train.

I notice a young beautiful lady in a suit who looks like she is possibly on her way to work. She had long brunette hair, a beautiful face, green eyes, and a very nice shape. She is constantly checking her watch as if she is pressed for time. She then pulls out her phone and begins strolling through it. It looks like a Blackberry. I then see her reach into her briefcase to pull out a stack of papers. She begins frantically searching through them. She looks at her watch again. I begin to think to myself, I bet she is a businesswoman who is preparing for a meeting. She looks very nervous.

I then begin to look around the cart to find a male standing, holding the rail to stay level. This young man had a backpack, which appeared to be very full. He would look down every so often at his iPod, I am guessing he was changing songs or something. Suddenly, he begins to bop his head in a rhythm-like motion. I think to myself, “That must be a very good song. I wonder what it is.”

Moving on, I scan the rest of the cart only to find a bunch of high schoolers being rowdy and loud. One guy was standing in the middle of the circle of friends dancing and making weird motions. I think to myself, “It must be nice to be young. No worries, no bills, just fun.” All of a sudden we got to the next stop, the guy who sat next to me, rushed up and ran out of the cart. I think the stop was Crenshaw. I think to myself, “At least I can spread out.” The train starts moving again. Then suddenly, it comes to a screeching halt. I get thrown over to the empty seat next to me. Then, I hear on the intercom, “This train has faced an equipment failure, we will address it and be moving shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

I noticed the beautiful businesswoman really panic and look down at her watch. I think to myself, “She must be running late. I wish I could say something to calm her nerves, but she is a stranger, a beautiful stranger at that.” Then the most random thing happened! She gets up, gathers her paperwork, and approaches the empty seat next to me. She asks hesitantly, “Is this seat taken?” I answer, “No, please have a seat.” She takes a seat, but still appears to be anxious. I ask her, “You look rather anxious. I noticed you across the train earlier, may I ask why are you so rattled?” She replies, “This has been a very weird morning. My company has faced a major PR (Public Relations) scandal due to a product recall. I was asked at the last minute to pitch an effective PR strategy to the Board of Directors.” She continues…”To top it off, my computer broke down, my car is being detailed and I had to be in Midtown 30 minutes ago.” I look at her with great compassion in my eyes because I begin to see why she is so rattled. I ask, “Is there anything I can say to make this day go any smoother for you?” Just as I say that, the train jerks and begins to move forward. She hesitantly replies, “I wish you could. I am getting off at the next stop, wish me luck!” We slowly approach the “Crane” stop. She grabs her stuff, but just before she gets off, I ask her, “Why did you come sit next to me?” She replies, “You looked like you were curious about me from across the train, and after all, the seat was empty.” She laughs and waves goodbye as she approaches the door. I watched her leave. My heart dropped. In disbelief, I asked myself, “Did she really see me watching her?” I wonder who she was? Why didn’t she tell me her name? Will I ever see her again? I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful her smile was.

The seat next to me is now empty again.  My mind begins to wonder, “Who was that woman?” I begin to pick my brain for clues. I vaguely remember glancing at her phone. It was a Blackberry with a red gel case. I wonder, “Did I see any clues on the papers she was reading?” I saw an outline of a PowerPoint presentation. The slide she was studying had a pie chart with percentages on it. I didn’t get a chance to notice exactly what they represented. Wait, I thought! “I think I saw a logo on her bag. Maybe a blue circle? I wonder what company has a blue logo?” I begin to feel a sadness that I have never felt. This stranger has taken over my thoughts. I am practically obsessed with her and I don’t even know her. I kick myself for not asking her name. I didn’t want to come off too forward. I figured, if she wanted me to have her name, she would have given it to me.

I became so distracted by the possibility that this woman could be the one that fate hand-delivered to me. I look out of the window and notice that we were at my stop. I quickly gather my belongings and rush out of the doors just as they were closing. I grab a quick seat on the platform to gather my belongings. I notice a paper that wasn’t mine; it looked like the handwriting of a woman. Could this be the handwriting of my mystery woman? I analyze her writing, but on the back, I noticed a number scribbled in red. “212-555-9090.” I pull out my cell and I call it. The phone rings and rings, then it says, “The number you have reached is no longer in service.” I sit for a moment in complete disbelief. I missed her again. Guess fate wasn’t on my side with this one.

Another day passes, and I can’t stop thinking of this woman. I decided maybe a run would take my mind off of her. I get up and put on my clothes. I rush to the door. I ran through the park as usual. I get to the middle of the path and bend down to rest on my legs. I look over at the other runners. I zero my attention on the woman stretching. She appeared on my right side. All I can see is the side of her face. But, she looked familiar. I could spot that face a mile away. I walk over to her and say, “Haven’t I seen you somewhere?” She says, “Yes…”

A Penny In Hand

Sebastian was a very wealthy man, who would soon find out how poor he really was. He was born into wealth. He attended the finest universities that the world had to offer. Undergraduate at Harvard University, Graduate School at Stanford University, and PhD. at Oxford. All this before the age of 35! Sebastian was very used to living a life of luxury and excellence. It became the standard to which he was accustomed. But, today, he was destined to learn what “true” wealth means.

Sebastian awoke to his normal routine of an elegant gourmet breakfast with his wife Cindy, followed by a quick shower, and lastly, the morning scroll through his walk-in closet filled to the brim with this year’s latest fashions. It was a good mix of the top designers in men’s fashion. Sebastian happened to be married to the Heiress of the Diamond Bound Dynasty. Cindy and Sebastian met in grad school at Stanford. They immediately fell in-like with each other and respected each other’s socio-economic status. But I digress; let’s get back to Sebastian’s destined day. After breakfast and a quick shower, Sebastian chose his attire: A nice MK blazer, black pants, and KC shoes. He got dressed and stood admiring himself in his full-length mirror. He loved his attire. He then decided to spray his cologne. It gave him the feeling of being a Greek God amongst mere mortals. After getting dressed, he kissed his beautiful wife Cindy, and headed to his Aston Martin. He pushed started the engine and got in to adjust his cockpit. His car greeted him, “Hi, Sebastian, where are we headed today? How can I be of service?” He responded, “We’re headed to the County Center for my 10:30am appointment with a potential client.” His car responded, “Ok, let me get the coordinates and adjust your route.” He thought out loud, “I can’t imagine life without you, Ashie!” Ashie is the nickname he gave his car. Ashie responded, “Ok, we are ready. First, turn left on Brinner Street…” He obeyed. Ashie eventually led him to the front door of the County Center. What he didn’t know was, that someone at the County Center would serve as his personal Guru for the day. He pulled up, parked his car, got out, and push-locked his door. He walked towards the entrance of the County Center…

A very older gentleman greeted him with a smile. The older gentleman, let’s just say his name was Josten for the sake of this story, admired his suit and vehicle. Josten, exclaimed, “What a lovely suit and car you have! You must be loaded!” Sebastian looked at him astonished; he really didn’t know how to respond. He was used to people admiring him but he felt kind of offended by the way Josten said it. Sebastian responded, “Well…thanks, I guess.” Josten smiled and said, “I was sent here to meet you.” Sebastian looked perplexed and said, “What are you talking about?” Josten responded, “You will see in a bit. Let me explain!” Not sure whether to run or stay to listen to Josten’s explanation, Sebastian looked bewildered. He had no response. Josten continued, “I have a challenge for you if you are willing to take it!” Sebastian nodded and said, “What’s in it for me?” Josten said, “A very powerful lesson, if done right.” Sebastian responded, “Why do I need to learn a lesson? I am very well educated.” Josten said, “I think you will appreciate this lesson. It will be one of those lessons that could alter the way you see your life. Are you up for the challenge?” Sebastian nodded. Josten said, “I am glad you agree. Now, let’s get started. Hand me your car keys, wallet, and Rolex watch.” Sebastian shrugged his shoulders and frowned his face. He said, “Are you out of your mind?! Why would I do that?” Josten replied, “It is a part of the challenge. It is a test of trust. Can you release your prized possessions to a complete stranger? What if my life depended on it? What would you do?” Sebastian looked up for a moment. For some reason, Josten’s challenge seemed intriguing. Sebastian continued his contemplation. He finally said, “If I released these items to you, what reassurance do I have that you will be here to return them?” Josten responded, “That is a part of the challenge. Take it or leave it!” Sebastian stood a bit longer as he considered whether to leave it or take it. Sebastian really wanted this client. Josten said, “Ok, time is ticking! Are you in or out?” Sebastian looked at Josten as he unlatched his watch, reached into his pocket, and got his car keys and wallet. Sebastian then stacked them together and hesitantly handed them over to Josten. Josten reached out and grabbed the items and said, “In exchange for your items, I have something to give you.” Josten reached into his pocket and pulled out a very shiny penny. It appeared to be barely circulated. Sebastian outstretched his hand and received the shiny penny. Josten said, “This item will be crucial to your lesson. Bring it back to me to get your items.” Sebastian studied the penny. He wondered what was so special about it. Josten noticed him studying the penny and said, “This penny has taught me so much. It is worth millions of dollars, if not more, to me.” Sebastian looked at Josten as he continued to speak, “Your test is… First, you must find true happiness and purposeful identity with the clothes on your back and that penny in hand. Second, you must uniquely help someone. Third, you must return to me with an item that you found valuable along your journey.” Sebastian immediately felt overwhelmed. Will he be able to do that? Most of his identity was in his possessions. He continued to think before he was interrupted by Josten asking, “Are we clear on this? Do you have any questions?” Sebastian wanted to ask more questions but he had his pride to preserve. He said, “No, Josten, I get it. See you in a bit.” Sebastian turned and walked away from Josten pondering which task to complete first. He decided to pursue uniquely helping someone. That seemed like the most immediate task. He walked the streets for over an hour searching for his lucky recipient. Just as he was about to give up, he bumped into an elderly gentleman. He appeared rather fragile and maybe blind. Sebastian couldn’t tell, because the older gentlemen walked around stumbling. He almost bumped into several poles. Sebastian walked over to him and asked, “Sir, do you need any help?” The elderly man responded in a very crisp voice, “Yes, I actually do! I was asked to help find my granddaughter. She is rather young but has wandered off. I am partially blind, but I do know the sound of her voice.” Sebastian thought, “Bingo!!!!” Sebastian said, “Ok, I am here to serve you. Where did you see her last?” The elderly man responded, “First and foremost, my name is Nathaniel. May I ask your name?” Sebastian responded, “Sebastian.” Nathaniel then said, “I last heard her at home. But, I do know she loves trinkets and robotic toys.” Sebastian responded, “Ok, great, what’s the nearest toy store around here?” Nathaniel said, “Because I am blind, I can only describe it to you.” Nathaniel began to describe the toy store and its surroundings. Sebastian was very familiar with the surrounding areas of the County Center. He said, “Ok, follow me! I think I know which store you are referring to!” Just as he said that he grabbed Nathaniel’s arm and led him down the street for what appeared to be an eternity, but was only five blocks. They both approached “Trinkets and More Trinkets.” Sebastian led Nathaniel into the store. Sebastian remembered that he hadn’t gotten a description of Nathaniel’s granddaughter. How would he know if he found her? Sebastian said, “I forgot to ask, how does your granddaughter look?” Josten began to describe what he felt about her. For, he had never fully seen her face. He only touched her face and arms as he interacted with her. Based on Nathaniel’s description, Sebastian panned from left to right searching every nook and cranny of the store. Unfortunately, he didn’t see a girl that met Nathaniel’s description. Sebastian let out a disappointed sigh as he said, “I don’t see her! Do you know where else she might be?” Nathaniel paused for a moment and replied, “She really loves bodies of water and rock hunting. What place do you think she could find water and add to her rock collection?” Sebastian thought for a moment, he knew of Lake Superior. Lake Superior was one of the places that Sebastian visited to reflect on his life. It was a very quiet and peaceful place. Nathaniel interrupted Sebastian’s train of thought asking, “Did you think of anything?” Sebastian responded, “Yes, Lake Superior! However, it is a mile away from here. Are you up for a walk?” Nathaniel nodded in agreement. Sebastian and Nathaniel left the store and headed to Lake Superior. They walked and talked. Sebastian learned about how Nathaniel lost his sight. Nathaniel was an army vet who served in the Korean War. Nathaniel was a highly respected Fighter Pilot who lost his sight during a practice simulation. Nathaniel revealed that his entire identity was wrapped in his role in the army. After he lost his sight, he lost his career. He struggled with years of depression. The one thing that brought him out of a life of sadness and hopelessness was the birth of his granddaughter. Melody was her name. Sebastian never felt so connected to a stranger. Unfortunately, Sebastian couldn’t relate. For, he had never had anyone who meant that much to him. At that moment, he wondered what his wife Cindy meant to him. After walking arm and arm, Sebastian and Nathaniel made it to the lake. Sebastian immediately thought of the place he normally goes to reflect. He exclaimed, “I think I know where she may be! Walk with me!” Nathaniel complied and walked with him. They walked over to the shaded area by a particular willow tree that was surrounded by a rock garden. All of a sudden, a young beautiful girl exclaimed, “Grandpa!!! You found me! I didn’t mean to scare you. I normally come here to add to my rock garden!” Nathaniel excitedly responded, “Come here, Melody! You scared me to death!” Melody approached Nathaniel and embraced him. Melody looked over at Sebastian and introduced herself. Nathaniel was intrigued by Melody. He didn’t know she was so beautiful and intelligent. Sebastian asked, “Can I ask you what this rock garden means to you? I usually come over to this exact area to reflect. I always admired the rock garden…” Melody replied, “This rock garden is a collection of unique rocks that represent the needed virtues of life! I just added the “peace” rock to my collection.” Sebastian nodded in amazement. It seemed that this young lady knew more about how to live a fulfilling life than he did. Melody continued, “Each rock is unique. I am so grateful that you helped my granddad find me. I want you to have this…” She bent down and grabbed a rough and rugged looking rock and handed it to Sebastian. Sebastian looked at it and thanked her. She said, “That is my “imperfection” rock. For it is very rough looking. I learned that the beauty of life is delighting in our imperfections. We are all works in progress. Therefore, we should not be too hard on ourselves.” Sebastian was completely in awe of Melody. Sebastian stood speechless because he spent most of his life trying to be perfect. He wanted the perfect life, perfect wife, perfect job, etc. Sebastian began to tear up. He couldn’t hold back his tears. Melody looked at him compassionately and said, “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted to show my gratitude.” Sebastian reassured her that he was not upset. For once, he felt free. Free to be imperfect. Meanwhile, Nathaniel stood silent as he listened to his wise granddaughter. He couldn’t have been more proud of her at that moment. Sebastian said, “I have to head back. Are you guys ok from here?” Melody and Nathaniel in unison said, “Yes!” Sebastian reflected as he headed back to the County Center with his prized possession in his hand. It appeared that he killed two birds with one stone.

Josten, as promised, stood at the entrance of the County Center waiting on Sebastian. Sebastian looked at peace, and Josten noticed right away. Josten said, “From the looks of your face, I can tell you passed the challenge.” Sebastian nodded as he began to explain how he helped an elderly gentleman find his granddaughter, how the elderly gentleman’s granddaughter helped him find his identity, and how the young girl gave him his most prized possession. Just as Sebastian finished his story, he handed Josten the “Imperfection” Rock. Josten admired it and said, “See! I doubted that you would pass my challenge, but you proved me wrong!” Sebastian thanked him so much as he exchanged the penny for his car keys, watch, and wallet. For some reason, they felt different in his hands. Josten said, “Now, do you see why I was scheduled to meet you? I was not your client, you were mine!” Sebastian smiled and exchanged goodbyes with Josten. For today was the beginning of a new life for Sebastian. He would never forget that day. He would forever treasure his “Imperfection” rock. He couldn’t wait to get home to explain his destined day to his wife Cindy.

Headphones (Part 1)

It was that time again, 6am! Madison was awakened from her sleep in the middle of an immersive lucid dream by her glaringly loud alarm. She hit the snooze button and rolled on her side in her dark room. The sun was peaking through her window. The hint of sunlight hit her face like heat-intensive lasers. She said to herself, “Guess, it’s time to get up! I can’t extend this any longer, I see!” She crept out of her bed to the bathroom. Her roommate and she had a bathroom schedule that they followed religiously.  Due to Madison waking up late, she rushed her bathroom routine in an attempt to be polite to her roommate. After grooming herself and throwing on her clothes, she grabbed her backpack and darted out the door.

The weather was pretty brisk this morning as Madison rushed to her train. While running, Madison realized that she still had her headphones in her hand, she adjusted them on her head just barely before she headed downstairs to the crowded subway. As she approached the platform, she was brushed in the face by the gust of wind that carried her train away. She missed the train by a millisecond. Trying to not be discouraged, she checked her phone for the next one, only to find that it wouldn’t be arriving until twenty-five minutes later. She closed out of the train app and opened her music app. “How about some M83 “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” while I wait?” She thought. As she stood patiently waiting for the train while pacing to and fro, she noticed that the train platform was getting very crowded. “I wish this train would hurry up!” she thought to herself. In the midst of her self-reflection, a stranger walked up to her and began talking. She couldn’t hear a word that he was saying because her music was on full blast. She nodded her head and kept her headphones on hoping that the stranger would get the hint and move along. He didn’t. Madison removed her headphones a bit agitated, while asking, “How can I help you?” The stranger responded, “Do you happen to have the time?” Madison looked down at her watch and said, “A quarter till nine.” The stranger thanked her. Madison put her headphones back on and thought to herself, “I can’t believe he interrupted me for that?” The train finally rushed into the station, Madison fought her way to the front only to find that the train was super crowded. Standing room only. The train ride seemed longer than usual, but eventually, she arrived at her stop.

Madison walked into the lobby of her building, showed her badge, and entered the elevator bank. She looked down at her watch and noticed that she was thirty minutes late. She hoped that the elevator ride would be a seamless one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The elevator was crowded and stopped at nearly every floor. She finally made it to her office and put her stuff on her desk as she ran to her boss’s office only to find that her boss decided to hold an impromptu meeting for her team. “How embarrassing is it that I will have to walk in late. What are the odds that my Type A hot-headed boss will call me out?” She anxiously thought to herself as she rushed to the conference room. Lucky for her, she was able to slip into the back of the room without her boss noticing. “What a great start to a day?” she thought to herself with a sigh. The remainder of the meeting was her boss complaining about the team not meeting the monthly benchmarks. Her boss, Corinne, VP of Business Analytics, looked over at Madison as she began to hand out weekly assignments. “Madison, you’re doing the monthly analytics dashboards and PowerPoint deliverables. I need them on my desk no later than Friday morning! Is that clear? No exceptions!” Madison nodded her head as Corinne moved on to the next person. “There goes my nights this week. No writing or art class this week, I guess.” Madison thought to herself.

After divvying out tasks, Corrine dismissed everyone to their desks. Madison rushed over to her desk as she began to type her tasks into her status doc. Madison was a very organized and methodical worker. Her desk was neatly arranged and so clean that you could eat off of it. Madison was a woman of few words. She mostly kept her headphones on all day. Her coworkers knew very little about Madison due to her being very socially awkward. Moreover, all her coworkers knew about her was that she was a creative type who happened to stumble upon an analytical job. Today was no different than the rest, Madison submerged herself into her work skipping her lunch and barely leaving her desk for bathroom breaks. By this time, Empire Of The Sun was blasting in her headphones as she barely noticed that the day was coming to a close. Madison was the second to last to be in the office. She grabbed her backpack and headed to the elevator. On the way to the elevator, something grabbed her attention. She looked through the large glass windows across from the elevator bank and noticed a dark figure dragging a body-sized garbage bag out the door. She thought to herself, “That seems weird. I wonder what it is.” The elevator arrived and broke her train of thought. As Madison boarded the elevator, she completely dismissed what she had just seen.

Another day, another late night, another sighting of a dark figure struggling to drag a body-sized black bag. Madison couldn’t help but notice that this was occurring again. “Am I having Déjà Vu? Is this a dream?” She thought to herself. “Should I investigate what could be in the bag?” She quietly hit the elevator button to exit to the lobby. Upon making it to the lobby, Madison took a brief detour to the dark alley to see if the body bag was there. She arrived at a garbage bank with tall cans with “toxic” labels on them. Madison was hesitant to open one of the lids. Who knows what it could contain. She slowly approached the garbage can at the beginning of the bank and opened the lid very slowly. As the lid opened, a glowing green substance leaped from the inside of the garbage can into Madison’s nostrils. She slowly fell to the ground unconscious where she lay until morning. She was awakened by a stranger standing over her, saying, “I knew you would come, Madison.” She frantically raised herself up while asking, “Where am I? Who are you? What happened to me? I can’t remember what happened to me!” The stranger quietly reassured her by saying, “I’ve been following you. You’re one of the special ones. Be calm!” “Be Calm!!!!” Madison yelled! “Are you crazy?” Wait…” You’re the stranger from the train who asked me the time. What do you want with me? Why am I special? Without giving the stranger a chance to answer, Madison rushed to her feet and ran toward her office lobby. The security guard at the office’s front desk noticed Madison was disoriented. He came from behind his desk and asked if he could help her. Madison began to explain that she works in the building but was unsure of what happened to her last night. The security guard continued to try to comfort Madison and even offered to call for help. Madison refused. As she refused the security guard’s help, the stranger entered the entrance of the building saying, “Madison, wait, I need to explain!…” As Madison reluctantly approached the stranger, she began to sway and feel dizzy. She slowly descended to the floor unconscious….