I’ve watched centuries pass by. I’ve seen wars both won and lost, and I’ve seen revolutionaries and conquerors rise and fall. Decades have wasted away as I’ve gradually retreated into my own world, building up a little corner of the universe to call a home. In a secluded spot where no one will find me unless I wish to be found, I’ve been at work. I hope not to spend eternity here on my own, but that decision is not in my hands. It is in the hands of the people, and I will only be free when everyone else is.

Immortality is strange. I don’t know who intended for it to fall upon me, or how it came to be, but I do know the weight it brings upon me. The curse of seeing the future by means of having lived the past is only useful if the ones existing in the present are willing to listen, and they rarely are. I’ve tried my hand at quelling conflicts before. I see the familiar stirrings of tension and unrest, a pattern repeated throughout history signaling the formation of various movements and wars. Some are righteous, some are not. I watch as humanity shouts the same accusations, toils through stretches of bloody confrontations, and ultimately resolves very little, only to do it all again in a matter of lifetimes. I’ve witnessed wisdom wither and fade under the face of belligerence, if one is not strong enough to uphold it.

My solutions were always too obvious or simple. When all you know is here and now, looking at the bigger picture is close to impossible. My suggested Compassion and Truth were deemed worthless and pushed away in favor of Gratification and Haste. But I welcomed them. I gathered the forgotten Hope and Graciousness into my arms and herded the rejected Dignity and Respect into my corner. Here, I have kept these things and grown them. I have nurtured them in a garden and have kept them alive until the world is ready for them.

When the people have awakened, my Compassion and Truth will reassure them. My Hope will fuel them, and my Graciousness will be their guide. Dignity and Respect will once again take their place in the heart of society, and all will be well. But awakening must be a decision made with the entire essence of one’s self, and one that can only come through the determination and desire for unity. I know this desire lives in the hearts of many, whether it’s acknowledged or not. One day, I know people will be ready to accept change. It may be a matter of months, years, decades or even centuries before the world is ready, but when the time comes, I will be, too.

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