One hundred

What if I could wish for one hundred pounds of anything? I could have a hundred pounds of clay, and make a life size statute. One day I would get it cast in bronze. Do people still do that? I hope they do, real statues, real art. Not just twisty lines... A statue of human emotion, a statue that makes human emotion. Noble, tranquil, loving. Or maybe baroque writhing, crying in passion. Something that would be breathtaking. Yes I remember. It wasn't the last time, nor will it be the last time. But I remember. The Three Graces. Glowing quietly in a hall of unsurpassed beauty, shaming it all. The walls seemed to stretch away to the sky forever. Inch after inch covered in paintings, every one a masterpiece. Its a funny thing to just wander in off the street and see. I was totally unprepared, I felt like I was going to fall over. That could be the value of one hundred pounds. One statement.

I could get one hundred pounds of flowers, fresh and full of life. I could spend a day just handing them out. Would it take more then a day? A week perhaps? Who would last longer, me or them? Maybe it sounds silly, and maybe it would be. Some people would care. Some people surely wouldn't. I know I would be made fun of by a few. But I know that if I had enough, I would get through to at least one person. Really get through to them. Someone who needed it, some one who thinks that life is grey, someone who would never forget a small gift of color. That's all it would take to make it worth the effort, worth the spending of a wish. It would all be fleeting, they would all wither and die. In the end we would have one hundred pounds of dust and clouds. But that's what would make it special. The bronze would last forever, maybe inspiring years and years after I am clouds and dust. Just as Antonio Canova did for me. But the future is not mine. If at this moment, I could brighten a thousand peoples lives for just this moment, or even just that one... That could be the value of one hundred pounds. One smile.

I could get one hundred pounds of red aluminum foil. I would gather a group of volunteers and head for the mountains, with a mission. As I sit here, this very second, or this, or any second of your choosing, we could walk outside and see the planes coming in. In fact if you have sharp eyes, you will see 3 planes. One time I counted five at once. On the dry and brown hills of California, we would write a message. I guess it wouldn't even matter what we said, my vote would be for: "The cake is a lie." How many peoples lives would I affect? How many thousands soar overhead every day? If I could just show one of them that life isn't so serious, it would be worth all the stamping around in the dust. I know I could get the local P.O.E.E. involved, we would make Malaclypse the Younger proud. I know I'm getting silly here, but that is my point. Its only when we start thinking its all so serious that things get bad. And things feel pretty serious these days. The tree of life is burning. I can only fight the fire the way I know how. That can be the value of one hundred pounds. One moment of disassociation.

I could get one hundred pounds of snow. I would head to darkest, driest Africa, where I could find a tribe of natives that has little to no contact with the outside world. I would give them snow cones and throw snowballs until it all melted. Would it be better to bring them one hundred pounds of beef jerky? I would rather fill a mind then a stomach. One would just be empty again tomorrow, the other may stay full for a lifetime. I am on the fringe of so much effort on behalf of Africans. So many different agendas, so many missions, but it all feels a bit hopeless. Yes.. hopeless is a good word, I've heard the stories. Its not as though they are helpless in Africa. Its just that they are hopeless. They are defeated before they even begin. What if I could show them that there are wonders in this world? I could tell stories of blizzards and rain, and water cycles and endless oceans of ice. Of penguins and polar bears, not long for this world. Show them pictures of lamas and seals. Tell them stories of Narwhals. Can you imagine what that would be like for them? Magic and fantasy, living unicorns and dragons. What greater gift could I give someone, a living fairy tale. Wonder at a world we have lost. I can only fight their apathy the way I know how. That can be the value of one hundred pounds. A dream.

These are all things I could do, but maybe its what I've done with one hundred pounds that tells the most interesting story... lose them. Some times the absences of something is the most powerful. That can be the value of one hundred pounds. One life.