How I Became a Visionary------a short story by R. A. Miller

   I have always thought of myself as somewhat of a visionary.  I like to entertain notions of grandure about myself in my head.  The fact of the matter always remained, however, that I simply was not.  I had not done anything out of the ordinary in my life.  I lived it as mediocrely as it seemed everyone else around me did.  This was a matter that really did not sit well in my mind. 
   I also felt a strong anger to those whom I saw achieve greatness.  I don't know if it was envy that I felt, it most certainly could have been.  These people whom I would read about in books or hear about on the news left a feeling of disgust in me.  I had a real aversion to their ways and what I felt that they were about.  This, in recollection, I felt was an ugly characteristic of mine.  When I was fully emerged in it I viewed it differently, though.  I took pride in my unwarrented disgust, I thought of myself as the rebelious leader to first discover the truth.  I wanted so badly to believe it.
   Some people say that hindsight yeilds bountys more clarity then fore sight, and in most cases I would have to agree with them.  But not today, not for the sound feeling and calmness which resided within me now.  I knew my task was at hand.  I knew that my first act of importance was just around the corner.  It was coming, and with it would come an even stronger sense of calm.  And with each passing minute my heart beat grew stronger, and my breaths became more measured. 
   Who would they liken my action to?  Some insightful and deviously brilliant satirist?  Would it be considered an act of agression?  It most certainly could not, it was actually quite legal.  Had it been done before, now there was the question most on my mind.  If it had, it would kill me inside, for that would strip away all glory attached to the ingenuity of my act.  No, I must not think about that, I had to stay focused, I had to continue believing in myself, in my creativity.
   Ah, the smile, the great inspired smile which came upon my face when the idea arose.  I remembed it with clarity, like a introduction to what was unfolding on my walk to glory.  It was over supper on a night last week, a meager supper bought with the last of my money, the last for a while.  Maybe that was the root of the idea, my lack, my need for something that everyone else it seemed had.  Yes, that most certainly was the cause, the root of this idea which would help so many deprived people around me, around the world for that matter.  I was no longer just a visionary, but a champion of the underprivilaged, a savior to the hungry.  These thoughts filled my heart with pride as my feet tromped on in the cold wet snow.  And my heart pumped ever more as my head streched higher.
   Inspired by my new found pride, my steps quickened.  My destintation was only blocks ahead of me now, with nothing in my way.  Infront of me, my newly aquired and destined future, behind me, a past filled with mediocrity.  Yes, I would make it, I would behave like I must; with true dignity. 
   As I stepped on, nearly oblivious to the world around me, I almost tripped over a soon to be adoring supporter.  It was a homeless person, a man who had been waiting for a person all his life just like me, only he didn't know it yet.  A person to lend that helping hand, a person who was on his side and would fight the honest cause with him.  And for that reason, I stoped in my tracks with the intention of informing him, letting him in on the change that would shortly alter his existence.
   "Hello there my friend, I am terribly sorry that I didn't see you there." I said to him, in as dignified a manner as I knew how.
   "Can you spare me some change?"
   "I will do better than that, sir.  Oh, if you only knew how much better than that I would do for you.  Come, follow me for a minute, sir, I assure you, it will be most worth your time.  Bring your friends over there, too.  Yes, those few in the alley." I said, hardly being able to contain my excitement.
   So now I already had a following, a crowd which would cheer me and hoist me above their heads when my task was through.  Oh, how they would adore me, I who would understand their greatest needs.  Yes, it was definitly right of me to invite them to see this.  This event which was now so close and had been planned for days. 
   Yes, I had spent hours planning.  There was the procurment of the letter, which was not such an easy task as I had imagined.  It had been necessary to use some deception in obtaining it, which was not what I had intended or wanted.  But, since there was no other way around it without blowing the element of surprise, it had to be done that way.  And then there was the selection of the perfect time.  I wanted it to be during peak hours so that many people would be around.  That way word of mouth would travel about my action, my protest.  Yes, this was a thoroughly planned event, one which I would definitly be proud of when it was over.
   So the stage was set, and my army of the unfortunate, which had gained in size since my aquisition of it, totaled 6 men.  And the task was at hand.  I opened the doors to my destiny, I seized the handle of the establisment and my enemy.  I was at my destination, nothing was left unthought of, and the time was now.  I saw my silent army file through the door way behind me, and I grabbed for the document in my back pocket.  Just then the homeless man grabbed me by the shoulder.
   "Hey, mister, are you gonna buy us all lunch?"
   "You will eat, but I will not pay.  And after today, after what I am about to show you, you will never have to pay again." And with that I walked slowly up to the counter.
   I elbowed my way up to the front, fighting the jeers and mean faces of those I had displaced in the line.  When I reached the front, the young waitress looked at me with an underpaid grimace.  She would be helped by my plan also, I said to myself.  I then asked for the manager.
   "Yes sir, what can I do for you."
   "I would like one half full glass of hot water."
   "What?"
   "I would like one half full glass of hot water," I repeated. 
   "OK, sure, whatever, here you go."
   I took the water from the man, his confused face would soon be understanding soon.  My task was half complete now, my glass half full.  I walked slowly away from the counter, a huge grin on my face.  People had started to notice me now, there were some starring at me already.  With out delay I seized the moment and jumped on top of the condiment bar. 
   "May I have your attention please.  Everyone, I want you to know that What I have in my hand is a glass of hot water, it is absolutely free.  This, " I took out my document, "is a notarized letter, from the regional president of McDonalds himself, saying that what I am about to do is absolutely legal." My speach now complete, I steped down from the bar.  I knew that all the eyes in the place were on me, the entire line had turned to face me.  I calmly reached over to the katchup, and filled the glass the rest of the way up.  I then opened one packet each of salt and pepper and poured them into my cup.  I grabbed a spoon with my shaking hand and began stirring.  While stirring, I walked over to my army, my soon to be followers.  In a supreme act of kindness, which I had only seconds before thought of, I decided to give my first free tomato soup to the first homeless man.  He took it nervously.  Checking the consistancy with his spoon, hey eyed the glass.  He slowly took a spoonful of it, concious that now all the eyes in the place were on him.  Everyone looked on in anticipation as he blew over the spoon to cool down the liquid.  When he took the first gulp I couldn't look.  I closed my eyes.  I didn't open them until after he spoke.
   "Hey, this isn't half bad."
   "Horrah!  Lets hear it for the champion of humanity!"  The cheers were nonstop, even the employees joined in.  And so, that is how i became a visionary.