The room was dark and alive...

[Nick Hambley]

My video response

The room was dark and alive with the sounds of heavy short breaths and odors of panicked sweat. I could make out eight other bodies; all of us closely huddled together as if we were caught in a large snow storm and were trying to keep warm. I guessed that we had only a few minutes before he found our hideout and then it would be up to him to decide what to do with us. The sounds seeping in from outside our door spelled out a gruesome scene, and it became clear to me that it would be a sad mistake to let him determine our fates. Even though the room was darker than a moonless night, I closed my eyes with the intention to quiet my racing thoughts and come to an inner consensus on what to do next. “Do you hear that?” “I think someone is walking towards us.” “What should we do?” “Don't let him hear us.” I gradually opened my eyes and turned towards the middle of our clumped mass, whispering to no one in particular, “I am scared and anxious. At the same time, I realize that we must act quickly and calmly to get out of this mess. If that man opens the door, I am going to jump for his weapon, buying you time to either escape or help me subdue him. Please do your best to leave your fear in this room and act with steadiness and strength.” All faces shot towards the door as the handle slowly turned counter-clockwise. I crept next to the widening wedge of light coming from the opening door and poised myself to spring...

* * *

“Well Nick, it looks like you did it again. If you and your team hadn't been able to close this deal, I think it is safe to say that we would all be looking for new jobs. I know how hard and how late you worked on this project, and to show my appreciation I am giving you a $100,000 bonus. I am sure this will help you put a down-payment on that snazzy new house you have been talking about.” I shook my boss' hand and turned to walk out of his office. A growing sense of shock and excitement reverberated throughout my body as I made my way towards the elevator.

In between the 20th and 19th floor, I reached out and pressed the emergency stop button bringing the descending steel box to a halt. In the newfound stillness, I closed my eyes with the intention to quiet my racing thoughts and come to an inner consensus on what to do next. Sure, I was perfectly happy in the quaint two bedroom house we now lived in, but my heart jumped at the thought of how my wife would react when I showed her the new place we could now afford. Still, something about this fleeting excitement didn't feel right... I gradually opened my eyes and rode the elevator the rest of the way to the 19th floor. I strode through the desk littered hallways towards my cluttered office and signaled a coworker who had been working closely with me on the project. “I just got back from the big cheese's office and he was extremely pleased with our work. I want you to call together the rest of the team and tell them I have an announcement.”

Within minutes everyone had assembled, awaiting my impromptu address. “I want to let you know how proud and honored I am to have worked together with you guys on this last project. Although I was given the official role as leader, I am well aware of how integral each of our contributions was to the final success of our endeavor. I just came from the boss' office where he offered me a $100,000 bonus in appreciation of the deal we all worked so hard to close. I have spoken with my assistant and he is currently in the process of splitting that amount into 22 equal checks for each one of you...”

* * *

“Senator Hambley, you have two people waiting outside your office. One is from the Pro-life advocacy group and the other from the Pro-choice organization. Both want to speak with you about possible legislation around the issue of abortion.”

“Great, instead of meeting them one at a time, will you please let them both in now.” As she left to summon the two advocates waiting outside, I closed my eyes with the intention to quiet my racing thoughts and come to an inner consensus on what to do next. “Welcome, and both of you please sit down. Why don't you start by telling me why each of you are here.”

“Well, Senator, I have heard you speak of the traumatizing and lasting affects that abortion can have on the women that go through with them and also heard you testify to the devastating loss of potential life that abortion inevitably causes. I have come hear today to ask you to sponsor legislation that would make abortion illegal. I understand that the Supreme Court would most likely challenge such legislation, but before it was struck down thousands of lives would be saved and the issue would be forced upon the American conscience.”

“Well, Senator, I have heard you speak of the constitutional and moral right that women have to decide what to do with their bodies, so long as they do not intend to harm themselves or any other human being. And since it is also your belief that a fetus does not classify as a human being, women have every right to choose to abort their baby at any point before pregnancy. I have come here today to ask you to sponsor legislation that would drastically increase funding for abortion clinics across the country”

“Thank you. The two of you are correct in your assumptions about my outspoken beliefs surrounding this important issue. The reason I brought both of you into my office today, is to see if we can leave here with legislation that will make headway for both of your causes. Instead of focusing on where you disagree, let's hone in on where you two can find consensus. I am certain that each of us can come together around the notion that abortion is an undesirable option and should only be considered after all other reasonable alternatives have been exhausted. (both nodded without hesitation) With this in mind, I propose that we do everything possible to decrease the amount of abortions by increasing the amount of awareness surrounding this issue, improving the availability of birth control, and making adoption a more viable and humane option. Such legislation would give Pro-choice groups even more funding for their programs while at the same time thousands of abortions would be prevented, even more than if it were outlawed for only a short time. Additionally, if such legislation had support from both of your interest groups, it would be unstoppable. So, what do you two think?”

* * *

I sit quietly in the safety of my own home. I close my eyes with the intention to quiet my racing thoughts and come to an inner consensus on what to do next. I am aware of the potential to rise to each occasion presented above yet am content with not yet having the need to do so.

Note: All of the above snippets are fictitious accounts intended simply to highlight parts of my ideal self.

[libertytexan]

What did you and Jordan decide that your entries this month were going to be creativly artistic and therefore a practice in the betterment in your ideal self?

[bangde92]

R9 Compact Shape

R9 TP heads are similar to the compact shape of the Tour Preferred ishiner? irons (which are the most popular and successful discount golf clubs irons on the PGA Tour today), yet the R9 TPs offer a larger hittable face area due in part to differences in the way the head blends into the hosel.