To Believe In A Second Chance

By Ann-Lisbeth Meinstad-Massarelli

If we feel so lost, are we giving up? Have we lost all the will to try? Are people becoming a problem too? Is there any agreement on what people are planning to do? Can we take a minute and tell each other what is most important to use now? Must we choose who or what comes first? If we are alone, we will just feel we are not strong enough.

The little hope we have must last. Can we take a step in saving anything? What will comfort us more in the time we have left? Is it possible we have to learn everything we know all over again, new ways of living? How can that satisfy us when we were never on that carousel? The fast lane, it was not for everyone.

People are happy when they had a chance at surviving. With a second chance, we must figure out different ways of succeeding again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 29, 2022
• ISBN: 9781684981304

Book preview

TO BELIEVE IN A SECOND CHANCE

A-L MEINSTAD

Copyright © 2022 A-L MEINSTAD

All rights reserved

First Edition

NEWMAN SPRINGS PUBLISHING

320 Broad Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

First originally published by Newman Springs Publishing 2022

ISBN 978-1-68498-129-8 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68498-130-4 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

The poor and unwanted have a right to a life, enjoyment, a place to work. How will we find a solution? We have to. We must open our eyes in seeing that people in need of help get to be recognized. People wandering outside without any direction is just meaningless. All the needless sufferings around us—it should not exist.

Another horrible reality we must face is we live in a world where there is much great need of saving so much of what we need to survive. We must do our part in saving the animals and clean up all of our oceans. So much of life is disappearing. People are needed. We must take a closer look at what matters more and decide before it’s too late. Let people count for something.

That second chance is proof that people will believe again; no more closing our eyes to reality.

*****

Have we made up our minds on what to save?

Do people come into the picture at all? So the plan is to see if we can repair and save anything of what we have left. Can we understand what is left?

The people at the top are watching and waiting. They have the idea to take back the control when we have managed to change nothing. If they begin to lose control, are we still to remain the same? Do we have anything to hold on to? We have to save what little there is left now.

The questions is, where do we start? We have understood only all the disappointments that have followed; we can only continue and not stop. We have screamed for someone’s attention. Who is standing in the way? Why are we still not able to separate what really is important? Why is this so hard? A new generation of people is coming after us. Are they seeing all the destruction left behind us? Will they take upon themselves the big job of having better ideas for change? Do they have enough time ahead of them? They can still have time to enjoy some of the freedom we left behind; do they understand what they are? Can they see them while they open their window of opportunity to do things differently, or simply escape like we did? Will they simply pull the curtains close?

If we give up on ourselves, how long will we have? Are there enough people who we can depend on to find ways to stop most of the destruction in time? Why all the difficult questions? Let someone have some answers. People need to understand once and for all our priorities. They are…

To start this great big clean up, what possible reason do we have to wait? This outer shell we carry around us is not protecting us anymore. Why are we not feeling afraid of having next to nothing left? We will only have our memories to hold on to. Will we be able to travel to see what life is offering? Is any of it real anymore?

Can we justify having animals only on exhibits, and when they die, will we be able to get more? Can we see into the future, that is, how the environment is going to be able to repeat itself? Are people to feel the same, not being able to go truly around to see nature and animals live in their natural environment? In the end, when there is little room for both, who will win?

Are people’s welfare coming first? With our progress, why does keeping our air and water clean suddenly taking too long? Why didn’t we notice this dark cloud of uncertainty come upon all of us?

We have people who are living with hardly anything. They are the ones who can relate. What is it that people are not understanding? Have people with so much stopped going out? Because they will see so much of the truth. Can this make people feel forced to give something up? So all the screams, is it really to give up something or afraid of not getting to keep it all?

Will our last hope be to silently watch and see who wins? Who are we running against? Is there even a race that we humans can win?

*****

We need to look for people with some answers.

There is so much that can’t be explained that is surrounding us. We have opened up our eyes, and now it’s enough. We have seen so much damage, and it hurts knowing that maybe we will not have enough time to find the answers. Will there ever be enough time? There has to be something that we can repair to those who are coming after us.

This life we have now is all that we have; all this mess can’t be forever. At some time, we will need to really think ahead, make some sound decisions on what to leave behind or take with us. We need things to be simpler. People are always looking for an easy way out? Can there be one? The questions running around in our heads are will we succeed or just accept the unknown, take it from there, or just leave things as they are?. The truth can hurt because nothing much was accomplished or changed. Where the hell is the courage we need to continue? What happened to getting ourselves ready for just about anything?

Then again, we began to feel safe when everything we have is in some kind of order. People are living comfortably and have the ability to learn more. It feels so good to finally keep what we have, simple accomplishments, no big expectations from anyone. Now only on to the next step.

People are being told to change. Is there a right way or wrong way in telling people how they should accept other people’s way of thinking? Mistakes were made; are we too sure of ourselves that we don’t feel like fixing any of them? Trusting so few or none at all is why it hurts to even try.

We need to do things differently. People will have to understand and listen. Maybe there will be some kind of punishment and sufferings when things get worse. Aren’t we punishing ourselves enough when so much gets destroyed? There will always be consequences. Let us stop one minute and think.

*****

So much of the unexplained happens; the blaming game begins.

No one seems to be satisfied. People are convinced they deserve so much more; no one is to stand in their way. Who will fall, and who will remain standing? Progress has taken over; it feels like the most important subject surrounding us. What it cannot change, it rebuilds. Can the price of progress become too high? We can envision what is in sight; maybe what will scare us the most is the final ending. Are people standing in the way?

Let’s face it. There will always exist having just enough or too much. The one big game that does not go away. People stick to their crappy explanations. There are no wrong reasons. Who can judge, right! There is always a whisper of something new, exciting, and exceptional high tech, and—bang—we have to have it. So the game begins… Our mind becomes one giant sponge.

*****

People begin to feel like half a person most of their lives.

The one half wants to hold on to something true, to know it is solid. The other half wants the experience of all the new technology. Is it just screwing around with us, with people who never have enough, to only own what is new? What the heck? Did it fill in our emptiness, or did we hold on so tightly, afraid of things disappearing? Before opening your eyes again, something new is already out there. So win one for the team of technology so people—nada—for now.

What the hell was it that made us so mad? Again, we’re not able to cash one on any of this. So what choice did we have but to see how fast things caught on? What kind of benefit was there for everyone? Where people’s contribution a sort of payment for someone else? So changing a little of the old wasn’t a problem anymore? Is there a lesson here somewhere?

*****

We are people feeling lost and defeated.

We need to find other lost souls. The memory of people giving us something to hold on to. We cannot continue with some stories not being finished. Did progress do that much to simplify our lives? As for everyday people, can we afford to change? Who is there to pay when the costs become too high? When people have everything they need, will they keep paying for something they don’t have anymore?

For some, it was to show off, a statement to all. They finally achieved something. It also came at a cost—long hours away from home, forgetting family for a while. It was all a dream too big to ignore. The feeling of success was so important. No one to share that hard work with; it was all you. You worked harder than anyone. The champagne bottle is open; everyone is sharing in the new beginnings. It’s all for these moments. It could all stand still for now, that big buzz for everyone to feel good. People are satisfied, and it’s over. Over to the drawing board to continue to find easier ways. The one big journey to the unsolved future.

Hi, people, can someone call my wife? Tell her I promise to take a shower before coming home. Will my kids recognize me?

*****

People think of time as its own capsule of things happening.

People are being skeptical to what is useful. People are beginning to want more research and turn things upside down and back again. What happens if we back up a little and try to redo things that we still have?

People have access to a lot of things; can we distinguish between what we really need and at what expense? Can technology trap us into learning more of things we are not ready for? People agree so early to something new; we must not forget what we have to do to get rid of the old. If people could only continue to keep things a little longer, giving it to someone in need. It can take some time, but it is nothing to have excuses for or be ashamed of. The look on some faces should make you feel good. The sweet feeling of having it all is okay; now you know others can feel it too.

*****

People are going into hiding, wanting no questions asked.

They have enough on their plate; they haven’t made up their minds yet. Is the battle for survival too great? Will it be over so quickly, so no one wins? People cannot be erased; our social system exists but with so few people working in this sector. The help is not enough. There can be nothing worse than false hope.

People are not ready to face anymore disappointments. Their next reaction will likely be fear, and it will go to anger.

People need to hold on to their beliefs and hopes. Growing up, we went to church with our parents. Helping others who needed our help was in the main menu. People reached out and held each other’s hand on these church days. People felt safe because holding on to each other did something to us all; it was an unbreakable bond.

Now we’ve grown up, and we have dreams of getting ahead. That good and safe feeling we felt when sitting in church holding a