If
You Want to Make Enemies, Try to Change Something.
“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” That was
the last thing his father said to him. Logan remembered that day ten years before
while admiring the view from his new office. His father died of cancer when
Logan was only 18. His father never did anything in his life, always thinking
there was time for it later.
Logan didn’t want that to happen to him. So he worked hard and became
the youngest Member of Parliament. And now his father’s words came back
to haunt him as the protesters chanted outside.
They were upset about the cutbacks to the amount of trees they were able legally
chop down a year. Logan thought he was doing the right thing. The greenies had
complained about the forest dying, and he thought a simple cutback would solve
everything. But it wasn’t so easy.
“Have you forgotten about your one ’o’ clock?” asked
his sectary, breaking his thoughts.
“One ‘o’ clock?” he asked confused.
“Lunch with your mother. You haven’t seen her all year.”
“Right,” Logan replied as he hurried to get his coat from the wall.
With all the protesters outside he would have to leave now just to be on time.
“Your just like your father was,” said Logan’s mother as
she looked up from her meal.
“What do you mean? Asked Logan defensively. He’d strived since his
father’s death not to be like him.
“Oh I know how you feel about ho but you’re wrong. He was once like
you, full of ambition and willing to take on the world.”
Logan was confused. He never remembered his father being anything like what
his mum was describing.
“He was assistant manager at the Kingsford electrical service when you
were young.”
Logan listened to his mother with disbelief.
“He was so full of ideas. But no one there cared to listen. They were
afraid of change. Everyone knew their place and were firmly set into their routines.
He fought to change things, and rocked the boat quite a few times. He upset
one to many people and they threatened to fire him. He was horrified by this.
It changed his whole perspective on life. About everything."
“Did they fire him?” asked Logan, hanging on to every word she said.
He never knew that his father was like that. His mother’s story was changing
his whole perspective of his father.
“No,” she replied. “He walked away and became a janitor. It
was the one thing he regretted though. He wished he had of fought on.”
His mother finished and sat back. Logan continued to stare at his empty plate.
He was more like his father than he thought. The fiasco with the loggers left
him willing to quit.
“Do you know what he made me promise?” she asked.
“What?”
“Don’t ever let him make my mistake. Don’t let him accept
those who remain stagnant and don’t let them scare you. Rage. Rage against
the dying of the light. Because without change our world will sink into darkness.”
She let the words sink in.
“Thankyou,” said Logan as he got to his feet. “You’ve
been more help than you can possible imagine. He left quickly and returned to
his office. They weren’t going to set him back. He’ll have to re-think
his actions, but he would make them change.