A plaque on Cortes Island,
Bade me "Remember"
But remember "what?"

The past certainly.
But should I recall my small joys and sorrows,
Or our violent histories, with their wars and battles.

And do I hug past injustices to my breast,
Or do I look for reconciliation.
Remember what?

The future certainly.
The fan of possibilities,
That determine the world our descendants will inherit.

I cannot change what my ancestors did,
But I can alter my own life,
As always, I have choices,
And my choices have consequences.

I can choose,
We can choose,
But only in the fleeting moment.

My words can heal or hurt,
My actions can create or destroy,
I can always choose life.

So let me, above all, remember the present,
The moment of true power,
When the past and the future meet,
And our world can be remade,

As we are surprised by joy, grace and wonder.

About the Author;
Robert Theobald, from Spokane, Wa., is a speaker, consultant and writer who has been on the leading edge of fundamental change isues throughout his forty-year career. He has worked with business and labor, education and health, government and local communities. Widely published, he is the author of over 25 books that deal with change, economics, and related issues, recent titles including Reworking Success (1997), Turning the Century (1993) and The Rapids of Change (1987).        theobald@iea.com