SPACE: Above and Beyond
No infringement of the following characters and situations is intended. The Characters and situations of the TV program
"SPACE: Above and Beyond" are the creations of
Glen Morgan and James Wong, Fox Broadcasting and
Hard Eight Productions, and have been used without
permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning: Rated [PG] Contains adult themes.
Introduction:
You know you can never possibly see enough 'Space: Above and
Beyond',
when...
Recently, while watching the news, I sat up and actually began paying attention because I had just noticed a young Marine, in cammies patrolling down a deserted city street.
As he passed an old shop, these words became visible, on the glass.
Coop Hardware
A change of Attitude.
A short story by Brendan J. O'Brien. 1996.
All implied and actual copyright is maintained.
A Change of Attitude
I walk into the deserted Hardware store, curiously. I need some batteries and fast, or I will be without my Jazz, on the Bus.
I stand at the deserted counter and look around. The shop is quite dusty and I am beginning to wonder if this is the best place to buy batteries. I look to my right and notice movement from the back of the shop. Someone's coming. I select the batteries and wait.
A tall man approaches the counter confidently and stands with his palms flat, on it's surface. He leans forward and looks me straight in the eye.
'Is that all?' he asks quietly.
I am suddenly struck by this mans baring. He has a weary kind of confidence that I have never seen before. I swallow, quickly.
'Yes, er...' I stumble over the words, then surprise myself by adding 'Sir.' Inwardly, I groan. I must look like a complete pratt.
He looks closely at me then deverts his attention to the register. I feel myself relax. I resume breathing.
'Two - fifty.' he tells me and I fumble with my wallet. I resist the urge to simply give it to him and withdraw a five dollar note.
He hands me my change, then the batteries and simply turns and walks away, without another word.
I am speechless. I watch him move away with a special kind of confidence, his measured steps beating a simple rhythm.
I walk to the door and try to explain this feeling of respect I am suddenly experiencing for this stranger.
I step outside and feel a new kind of self respect growing within me, as I review everything that just happened. I walk down the street and find I am subconsciously imitating his precise step.
The day seems brighter and the noise of the traffic does not cause me anxiety anymore. I step onto the bus, but sit quietly as a realisation gradually dawns.
I have met a man that has complete confidence in his own ability. He has no doubts or unfounded fears or anxieties. Suddenly, I desperately want to be like him.
The bus moves me away from this small town and my journey continues. After a time I realise that the ability to be like this remarkable man already exists in me and in all of us. I simply have to choose a path of confidence and self respect, rather than cling to my own, poor self image and claim that nothing can change, because I am helpless.
I am not helpless, anymore than that man I just met is helpless.
My eyes light up and I feel an electric glow throughout my body.
I get off the bus at the big city and walk to the Job Centre. At it's door I pause because I am intrigued by the next shop front. I am in no immediate rush, so I decide to enter the second shop, just for a look-see.
A man talks to me and I am fascinated by what he has to say. He seems to be echoing everything that is good and positive, that I have just recently found out, was possible in myself.
I walk out with some material to read and decide that I will not be needing the Job Centre, after all. I look up at the sign over the door, which reads: Marine Corps Recruitment Centre.
The End.
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