GROUND ZER0, New York, N.Y.--Jan. 29, 2004 -- Imagine looking up at huge snowflakes parachuting down on New York City and a beautiful little five-year-old girl, with her head arched skyward, her arms spread wide, standing on the sidewalk exclaiming to her grandmother:  "Look, G-Ma, the angels are throwing snowballs!"

         That was the scene the other day as New York City braced for a snowstorm.   The little girl had just stepped off a bus with her grandmother.   Huge snowflakes, the size of dollar-pancakes, lilted downward, great white mushroom shapes that indeed looked like snowballs.
         I thought about what the little girl had said:  "Angels throwing snowballs."   It was a beautiful message.   There was no cap on this child's imagination.   More importantly, her grandmother stood with her, arching her face toward the army of giant snowflakes, and let them land on her face in symphony with her granddaughter.
        I wondered about the Vigilance shown by the little girl's parents and grandparents.  How beautiful it must be to instill in a child the idea that angels exist, and that they are present in the everyday events of life.
        What kind of love did it take to help a child see angels high in the sky tossing snowballs the shapes of giant snowflakes?
        As I stood watching the scene unfold, I imagined the Beast of Terror scuttling about, trying to dodge the "angels' snowballs."    If the angels were throwing snowballs, they were targeting the Beast of Terror, laughing at him as he ducked and weaved, like some neighborhood bully caught exposed by the people of the community who had had enough and were rallying against him.

        I thought of the Beast cowering, trying to duck a Snowball of Courage zeroing in on the Fear he tried to implant into the community.
        There was the Snowball of Conviction, flung at the Beast's desire to Intimidate others, to make them feel less than, not as good as, not as worthy as others.
        Most importantly was the Snowball of Right Actions that benefit the Children's Children's Children.   It smacked the Beast right in the breadbasket, hitting the Beast's reservoir of Complacency geared to drive people and communities into thinking they are powerless over change, that they can't make a difference so why try.
        "Angels throwing snowballs...."   Yes.   But for what purpose?    To quench the fires of Terrorism within one's mind and soul, I thought.   To symbolize the beauty of Hope and the magic of Vigilance.
         I realize that for a child or adult to see the beauty of life and all its majestic bounty, the Beast of Terror must first be shooed out of its roost, driven from its lair within one's thoughts.
        The angels' snowballs were part of that process.

       I knew the little girl had Parents of Vigilance who taught her how to see life's beauty, not its underbelly.    Some children might look up and see snowflakes falling and think of them as rocks, pelting them, just another example of how their lives were ravaged by Terrorism.   These children may not have Parents of Vigilance.  They may go to bed at night fearful of the dark, seeing bogeymen in the shadows of the closet, under the bed, and wondering if they were loved enough.
        It was refreshing to hear the child's exclamations.    It was more refreshing to see the grandmother join the little girl in sharing the magical moment.
        And, it was wonderful to imagine the Beast of Terror being pelted by the Snowballs of Vigilance.
        You can help your children and loved ones throw Snowballs of Vigilance at the Beast of Terror.

       Think of the Pledge of Vigilance as a snowball.   Each day, you can pack the Principles of Vigilance--Courage, Conviction and Right Actions for future generations--into a nice, firm snowball and stick it in your pocket.
        Don't worry, if you live in Florida or Southern California, Snowballs of Vigilance won't melt.
        Then, when you're going about your day and the Triads of Terrorism--Fear, Intimidation and Complacency--try to make you slip and slide on the icy path Terrorism, you simply reach into your pocket and fling your Snowball of Vigilance down the throat of the Beast of Terror.
         The Beast doesn't like snow.  It's pure.   It quenches the fire and smoke that the Beast likes to exhaust like a flamethrower.   He can't singe your self-worth, or use his fiery breath to make you cower in Intimidation, or roar like angry thunder and drive you into a state of helpless Complacency.
         It may be good to pack three snowballs in your pocket each day.   One for Courage to neutralize Fear, one for Conviction to ice over Intimidation, and one for Right Actions that benefit the Children's Children's Children to drown out any conflagrations of Complacency that might try to strangle you into inaction.

       And, most importantly, if you have children, don't forget to pack their lunch boxes with Snowballs of Vigilance--at least three of them.
        Let them know they are armed to battle the beast of Terror.
        Let them know that the Angels of Vigilance will help them drive the Beast of Terror away, just as David was able to defeat Goliath, with their Snowballs of Vigilance.
        And, if for some reason you're not into snowballs, just give your kids a big hug and let them know you love them.   Your love will be the biggest Snowball of Vigilance.   
       

Jan 28--Wrestling The Beast Of Terror To Victory