Allister spent a sizable amount of time on train station and, later, airport benches. To a naive eye, Allister was daydreaming, lost somewhere in his head. But, to the learned eye, the eye that took time to research before announcing theories, Allister's eyes were filled with intrigue. They were alive with studied movement. He was tagging each person who passed, fascinated by their presence, by the presence of so many. Old and young. Boy and girl. Large and small. He often wondered whom he would see again. Whom he would become close friends with and whom he would never see again. It was for these, the people he would never know for more than this glance, that Allister drew in each person as complete as possible. These people were somewhat a sadness for Allister and the idea of not remembering that this person graced the earth, of forgetting that he had witnessed their presence, was utter depression. So, Allister sat and tagged.
He put in long hours, often sacrificing social events for the bench. He was never lonely in this action. Oh no, that would be a mistake to believe. Allister was kept company by the possibility that any of these people could become a major figure in his life and he wanted to remember exactly when he first saw them. Also, there was the possibility of seeing celebrities. Presidents, kings, queens, actors, singers, artists. Some established and fleeing the eyes of admirers and some still in the process of being established. Some so young that they may not even have known the impact they carried inside those little hands.
And Allister knew there were too many. He could never know everyone in the world. But, he wanted to at least know everyone he saw. And he knew that even that was a lot to ask. But, he did not expect a conversation, not even a smile. He just wanted to remember everyone for who they were when they passed the bench. Who they were to Allister at that moment. He knew that a sullen face could become a bright spot in his own life years down the road. He knew that a smiling face might remain happy for a long time, but they would surely be dealt sadness somewhere and he wanted to remember that that was not always the case for them. He knew that some people were on the way out and some on the way in and he wanted to remember them all, no matter the length of time that they would play in Allister's life.
Some say Allister patented a way to tag everyone you pass. So, that when passing them again, you would remember the first time. Rumor has it that the government would not provide funding and Allister was unable to finish the product. I do not know how much stock I put into rumors. But, I do find myself wishing that this one were true and that the plans for such an invention lay somewhere darkened and dusty and waiting to be found.
He put in long hours, often sacrificing social events for the bench. He was never lonely in this action. Oh no, that would be a mistake to believe. Allister was kept company by the possibility that any of these people could become a major figure in his life and he wanted to remember exactly when he first saw them. Also, there was the possibility of seeing celebrities. Presidents, kings, queens, actors, singers, artists. Some established and fleeing the eyes of admirers and some still in the process of being established. Some so young that they may not even have known the impact they carried inside those little hands.
And Allister knew there were too many. He could never know everyone in the world. But, he wanted to at least know everyone he saw. And he knew that even that was a lot to ask. But, he did not expect a conversation, not even a smile. He just wanted to remember everyone for who they were when they passed the bench. Who they were to Allister at that moment. He knew that a sullen face could become a bright spot in his own life years down the road. He knew that a smiling face might remain happy for a long time, but they would surely be dealt sadness somewhere and he wanted to remember that that was not always the case for them. He knew that some people were on the way out and some on the way in and he wanted to remember them all, no matter the length of time that they would play in Allister's life.
Some say Allister patented a way to tag everyone you pass. So, that when passing them again, you would remember the first time. Rumor has it that the government would not provide funding and Allister was unable to finish the product. I do not know how much stock I put into rumors. But, I do find myself wishing that this one were true and that the plans for such an invention lay somewhere darkened and dusty and waiting to be found.
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