A CHANGE OF PLANS

DANIEL SPENT THE NIGHT IN HIS CRAFT AND I WENT TO THE CABIN...ORKIE WAS WAITING FOR ME AND LOOKED A LITTLE HURT.  HE RESENTED THAT I GOT TO FLY AND HE WAS NOT INVITED.   BOTH OF US SETTLED DOWN TO A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP.  WE BREAKFASTED TOGETHER AND I SAW DANIEL APPROACHING US.  HE SAT WITH US AND WE HAD SOME FRIENDLY CHAT, AND THEN DANIEL CALLED ME ASIDE AND TOLD ME HE WANTED TO TALK WITH ME.  WE SAT DOWN ON A NICE LOG AND HE BEGAN TO PROBE:  "BOB, HOW DO YOU LIKE IT HERE?"   "I DON'T LIKE IT AT ALL....ITS JUST TOO FOREIGN TO NORMAL HUMAN EXHISTANCE....NOT MUCH I CAN RELATE TO...BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING, YES.  BUT THERE IS A GREAT VACUUM.....NO LOVED ONES....NO FAMILAR HOME....MY PASSED IS GONE...STRANGE NEW WORLD THAT I NEVER KNEW."  HE ASKED "DO YOU MEAN THE MAINLAND TOO?"   "YES, I MEAN THE MAINLAND TOO.....MY CHILDHOOD JUST VANISHED INTO A WORLD OF RESPONSIBILITY...BEING SUBJECT TO SO MANY THINGS OF POWER.....I LOST CONTROL OF WHAT I LIKED AND LOST THE ONE I LOVED.....I FEEL DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHERS...HERE I AM AN OLD MAN, AND I THINK OF OTHERS AS ADULTS....SOMETHING IN ME STOPPED GROWING....MY BODY GREW...MY KNOWLEDGE GREW....SOMETHING IN ME STOPPED GROWING....I FEEL DEFECTIVE....LIKE A PERSON WHO WAS BORN WITHOUT ARMS...I WAS BORN WITHOUT SOMETHING...I LONG FOR MY PASSED...MY CHILDHOOD....I TOOK MANY TRIPS BACK TO MY CHILD HOOD HOME AND WALKED THE HEELS OFF OF MY SHOES...LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, AND I NEVER FOUND IT."  HE SMILED AND NODDED HIS HEAD.    THEN HE ASKED "HAVE YOU EVER FOUND THE ANSWER AS TO WHY YOU WANT TO GO BACK"  "NO, I HAVE NOT...IT ELUDES ME...IT IS SO VERY ALL CONSUMING"  HE THEN LOOKED ME STRAIGHT IN THE EYES AND ASKED "MAY I TELL YOU WHAT DRIVES YOU?"  "PLEASE DO."   HE SAID  "IN A FEW WAYS, YOU HAD A VERY TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD, YOU HAD WONDERFUL PARENTS WHO WANTED THE BEST FOR YOU, BUT SOMEHOW YOU READ BETWEEN THEIR LINES THAT YOU WERE NEVER ENOUGH...YOU HAD TO PERFORM...EVEN YOUR FIRST GRADE TEACHER NOTICED IT AND WROTE ON YOUR REPORT CARD THAT YOU WERE TOO SERIOUS AND THAT YOU NEEDED TO BE PRAISED FOR WHAT YOU COULD DO.   BOB, THIS ISLAND IS ACTUALLY RUN BY US...IT IS A TRAINING GROUND FOR POTENTIAL TIME TRAVELLERS....WE HAVE TO FIND OUT EXPERIENTIALLY WHAT  MAKES YOU TICK....REMEMBER, WE ARE NOT OMNISCIENT.   THIS ISLAND IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU NEED IN THE LONG RUN......LET ME ASK YOU....HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO BACK TO 1952 AND LIVE ON THE SAME STREET THAT YOU DID AND TO MEET YOURSELF AS A 12 YEAR OLD AND TO BE A MENTOR TO HIM?"   "OH GOD..IF I COULD ONLY DO THAT..I LOVE THAT LITTLE BOY"      (TO BE CONTINUED)