Reminiscent: A Collection

These are My People

*Please note that this was written for one of my speeches, so bear with the stage commands*

What I'm about to say may be absolutely absurd.........and utterly impossible to wrap your mind around. But.....hear me out! Because it involves, well, all of you. I mean....who really knew that monsters....dragons....unicorns......even.....people never actually existed...... At least not then. (*big pause for dramatic appeals*)

Well, I did, for one

Back then, this place was entirely different. My best and only friend was a rock named Gerald and Gerald was nothing less than a jerk. Our first meeting consisted of my tripping over him, throwing his into a recently formed river, and cussing him out when he showed up again.

Despite the fact the Gerald wasn't exactly nothing........but I was, in fact, alone. I'd been here as far back as my memory went.

At first I was confused and frightened. This was obviously before I was tripped by a CERTAIN ROCK.

(*shout into the abyss*) "Why am I here?!?!?! What did I do to deserve this punishment?!?!?!

Because, I couldn't remember! I couldn't even recall who had left me here..........but they did.

You see, our kind has what you would called "shared memory". (*point sharply towards the ground*) WHAT WAS THAT YOU SAID ABOUT ME GERALD!!!

Anyways, an example would be that your mother would realize right away if you snuck out with your boyfriend last night. Nothing you thought or remembered was private. But, for us, it didn't need to be. Our kind had no secrets.

As time passed, these memories faded away to make room for mine, which, consequential to my circumstance, were, to say the least, docile. The furthest back was just.....screaming. Pain. Nothing but audible suffering. I didn't exactly know the context of this memory, though I had a few ideas. A civil war, a natural disaster, or any number of things.

I did know the events that followed. The Rebuilding........then the Redestruction....... They never did exactly recover from that tragedy........... And that's where I came in,

The latest memory I had grasped onto, my last contact with one of my kind, depicted a man. Well, I guess they weren't really a man, since we didn't adhere to such labels. They were what you would consider our chief. They were cradling a petite, seed-like object in their hands.

A beast of a different species stood nearby them, gazing upon the seed.

"Take good care of them, Hoffsgobb," the Chief uttered quietly, "Bring them to the New World, they are our last hope."

Last hope.

That's what I was to them.......... And I had realized this too late. (*with this, either sink to the ground or turn side to the audience in silence for a while*)

"What Gerald?" (*turning head to the ground, speak sharply*)

(*momentary pause*) "No, I'm not in the mood. Why don't you go play with your sedimentary friends?"

(*sigh deeply and straighten up*) "Fine, fine."

...

This was how we passed our time together now. Gerald was never the same around me again. I was left to traveling on my own once again. Strange things were happening in my world now. Changes. Only small changes, but they were definitely there.

(*small shout*) "Gerald, I'm back!"

"What do you mean? Of course I came back!"

"This is my house!!!" (*incredulously*)

"Alright get out! Get OUT!"

And that's how I finally let go of Gerald.

As I said, before I was RUDELY INTERRUPTED, my people never really did recover from that great tragedy, as I was quite certain. I realized then, as my memories faded completely, that the reason they were going away, was .....(*voice breaking*)....was......

(*show the emotions! Hand clamped over mouth*) They.....they're gone! And all that time.....

Today, I walk around in a different manner. I gaze upon this land in a different light. I enjoy every moment and look forwards to every coming instance. There's the greenery, fireflies. The trees and the grass. The innovations.Oh how the innovations have shaped your world; things that not even I could have thought of. Then there's the people. Everywhere! It amazes me so!!!

I ponder all of these things........and then I visualize of the world my people had imagined for themselves. But, there's nothing I can do about it now, so i try not to worry about it.

Every time you do something as simple as walking down the street.....taking a breath of fresh air..............living, think about me and the story, my story I've shared with you today. About the things that could have been and the world has been. I haven't done a lousy job, if i do say so myself. Don't you think that this really is a magnificent world?

(*small pause*) Well, I do.