My daughter wrote the following tonight. She’s 10. I’m proud.
Bliss
by Elle Seiden
Bliss, resting peacefully, at ease in the sky, thinking blissful thoughts as he gazes down at our rock. But it is not our rock anymore, but their rock.
And bliss is thinking, Wow, what a diverse rock!
He thinks this as Jackson marches hundreds of Indians across the barren desert.
Bliss wants to visit our rock. Of course, he would not even conceptualize the thought of material possessions, so he heads for the stars. By the time he gets to the rock, he realizes it has a name.
Earth.
He struts right on in there.
Bliss sees many—no, all—the inhabitants dressed in black thoughts, with hung heads and sour expressions. Bliss is confused.
“Where are the stars,” he asks a man. The response is a hit to the ground. The cold, unforgiving ground.
Bliss tries many more times, with hits and kicks as responses. Finally, he spots a girl. She is in black, but her head is not hung. Bliss asks her, “Why? Why is everyone so cold here?” He readies for the force of her fist, but it is the force of her words that stop him dead in his tracks.
“It is not that we are cold, you are just warm,” she says, with wisdom and grace in her eyes.
“Why do they hit me down,” he says.
“Because you are different,” she whispers back.
“But this is the rock of difference,” he sputters.
“That’s what they make you believe,” the girl says with exhaustion.
“How do I get them to stop hitting me down,” Bliss pleads.
“Change your clothes,” the girl says, before turning away.
Jason Seiden is CEO of Ajax Workforce Marketing. Ajax amplifies brands by aligning employees' online messaging.
I'm Jason. I run a brand agency with a specialization in workforce marketing.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Your daughter is wise beyond her years! What a great story.
she writes better than i do… i am happy for her and deeply ashamed simultaneously… kidding aside… congrats.
This is amazing. It is an honor to even read it. Thanks for sharing