Perseverance

He shrugged his shoulders and looked at me.  His voice was deep and gravelly.  It had a timbre that drew your attention and could make the most mundane things sound as if they were the most important thing in the world.  His cadence, always slow, was as if he had put tremendous thought behind every word; as though each word held equal importance and could change the world if he misspoke.  He could command a room without as much as a thought.

“It doesn’t count if you’re already planning your defeat.” He finally said.  The words resonated with me.  They reached inside and took hold of something and pulled me in.  The way he drew out the word “already”, each syllable like the strum of a violin string within me.  The hairs on my neck stood on end and I felt each word in my soul.  This simple sentence, nine words, stirred something within me.  Every fiber of my being felt like it was ready to burst with the unseen energy behind his words.

I stared back at him in stunned silence.  This was clearly something he lived by.  This simple mantra was his and his alone, until this moment when he opened up the world for me to see.  The future lay before me and all I needed was to take that first step.  Slowly, I nodded my understanding to him.  His smile came as slowly as his words.  His eyes creased and squinted while the corners of his mouth reluctantly turned upward. 

“Good.  You understand me.”

There was a beat of silence.  I stood fixated, knowing what I needed to do but not knowing at the same time.  Sudden panic and doubt had flooded me.  What I was about to do, regardless of the fact that I have now been moved to complete it, was still a monumental task.

~~~

I had begun my plan so long ago, the vision seemed like a fantasy at the time.  Months turned into years and before I knew it, I was beginning to gray. Countless hours had been devoted to this, people I could no longer remember.  Lives were touched in every way imaginable.  The project had begun small and seemingly insignificant, but had quickly grown exponentially.  When it reached a global scale, that’s when I had considered myself successful and could start to relax.

The years of work were beginning to show.  Long hours had taken their toll.  Fine lines started at the corners of my eyes, creases formed on my brow.  The smile lines at the corners of my mouth were deep and gave the impression of a constantly, and slightly amused, man.  While it was mostly true, I was proud of my work and had effected so many, it was frustrating that it was near impossible to look angry when needed.  I moved a little slower than I used to, and I no longer had a penchant for late nights.  It had all been worth it in the end.  My vision had become even greater than I imagined.  

We began small, like every dreamer ever does.  A ragtag band of like-minded people looking to make a change for the greater good.  My garage was emptied save for a few chairs and some dry-erase boards.  I hung a sign with his nine simple words just above the door, and we got to work.  It was the middle of the summer and the heat was nearly unbearable but we pressed on.  Our plans were too grand to be put off by something as trivial as warm weather.

We began small, brainstorming, writing, scribbling, erasing, arguing, cajoling.  There were times when we would go days without stopping, a few of us napping while the rest continued our work.  We outlined the tenets of our plan, rules to keep us in check.  We argued for weeks on a symbol, something that seemed so simple held such meaning. 

As we worked we created, as we created, we worked. 

Slowly the garage began to fill, first with odds-and-ends, a coffee pot, a refrigerator, more chairs, and eventually more people.  So many had been drawn in within the first few months that we had grown to need more space (and a few more whiteboards).  We took a collection and began renting space in what used to be a small local bar.  There were enough that we could now work in shifts.  Some of us went home, some of us took a cot in the old cellar, and a few even took to sleeping in their cars. 

We had momentum.

After eight months we grew too large yet again.  We took another collection, this time to buy our own building.  It was a slightly dilapidated warehouse.  It needed love and work, but we all rolled our sleeves up and got to work.  Now we had room for a small dormitory of sorts and garage bays to park some of the vehicles in. 

We numbered several hundred and more joined us every day.

The one year anniversary saw us moving to an office building.  We were well enough organized, with positions and titled, that we could use the space accordingly.  There was a parking garage for us to use, and an adjacent park with multiple basketball and tennis courts for larger meetings.  This was the first time I had stopped and realized what we had become. 

The larger we were, the more our voices carried, the more people wanted to join us in our work.  

After that first year, our numbers began to plateau.  The local community as well as several neighboring towns had committed to helping.  Our reach, it seemed, had gone as far as it would.  Once again, we relocated.  This time we maintained the office building, it would keep several hundred people busy there. The original “Garage Crew” as we had come to be known moved to the local metro area and began working from there.  Our reputation preceded us and in just two weeks we had the same numbers that it took six months to gain. 

The project continued.

We continued to work tirelessly.  I had taken a penchant for speaking in public, recruiting people with our ideals and plans.  Followers flocked to us and we grew.  I overheard a few new members of the project telling others that they had come from several cities away just to see if we were truly what we claimed. 

We grew.

At our two year anniversary, I suggested we take another big step.  I booked tours to speak.  I travelled continuously, my faithful eight remaining with me until one found a city that they particularly liked.  They would establish an office, or a workshop, or even just an apartment, and get to work. 

We grew.

Year three saw me booking my first flight outside of the country.  It was an exciting move for us.  I had never imagined we could become what we had, but when you hear your name spoken by leaders across the globe, you pay attention and move to meet them.  It was a whirlwind tour.  I managed to fly to over sixty countries in nearly as few days.  I shook the hands of dictators, presidents, monarchs, and all manner in between.  I spoke to the public, I dined with the rich and famous, and I humbled myself to the lowliest citizens all the same. 

We grew.

I had never expected the call.  The coalition of states had decided, unanimously, to appoint me as the chair of their board.  They believed in my vision, they knew what I was capable of achieving.  I was more motivated to complete what I had set out for than ever before.  I was now at the center seat of the largest global table.  My voice was heard and translated into every language and broadcast to every corner of the globe. 

We grew.

~~~

It has been six years since we began in my garage.  Six long, slow years.  What we achieved is more than anyone could have hoped for.  Nearly every citizen has been shown the genius of my ideas.  The moment approaches, the culmination of it all.  The very goal that I refused to consider failure at.  I glance back at the sign above the door to my loft and turn my attention back to the window.

Overlooking the city skyline is always serene, there is peace in the chaos.  A peace that will soon be realized.  A peace on such a scale that the entire face of the planet will be forever changed.

I reach into my pocket and withdraw the key that I have been carrying with me for months.  Slowly, methodically, I make my way to the case that sits upon my bookshelf.  It is as black as obsidian, clean, shiny, and ominous. 

The glass of my table resists the weight of the case suddenly being introduced to it but I am at ease, it won’t shatter.  Not now.  As I push the key into the lock, I feel each tumbler rolling and aligning.  With a soft click the case opens.

Taking one last look outside my window, I push the button now revealed within the case. 

I can feel the earth rumble as thousands of warheads take flight beneath my feet and across the globe.  I close my eyes to shield them from the initial glow.  I smile as I breathe in deeply. 

My project is complete.