[ MP ] What the Wind Said

I used to walk to the park near my childhood home and lay on the hill. I'd look up at the ever-changing clouds and feel the breeze that moves them. What amazed me most was how something so weak could move such behemoths without effort, yet it felt gentle as it brushed my cheek. Persistence is key. 
 
 I revisited the park today. The trees have grown from the sticks they once were, but everything else remains the same. I sat in the grass watching the leaves dance to a random beat only nature can provide. Then, as I had countless times before, I leaned back and let the grass caress my neck. As always, my thoughts were jumbled, and even though there were more of them now, the well-groomed lawn seemed to help me sort through them. 
 
 *The election is tomorrow. One more speech tonight. Did I feed the dog? Yes. What will I say tonight? I do n't know. Well, there has to be something. * 
 
 The wind picked up again, soothing me. 
 
 *Well I ca n't do much, anyway. I'd only be a mayor. City Council proved a moot point, how will this be any different? It's a stepping stone to greater things, I guess. But the people ca n't know that. Think of it as a job interview. I ca n't see myself in five years somewhere else, lest the people find me apathetic to the position. What will I say tonight? Reiterate my platform, I guess. So indecisive. Should have brought paper to write on. * 
 
 Dried leaves scraped across the asphalt of the parking lot when the air shifted yet again. And, like the leaves, the wind moved me. Not physically, of course, though I was running to my car to rush home and begin writing. 
 
 I got home, scribbled out my speech, and waited for evening to arrive. I entered the venue just as the wind started to gust. If only I could have stayed another minute and be recharged. But in politics, there is little time to enjoy the breeze. 
 
 Before I knew it, I was nearing the end of my speech. 
 
 ``... public transit.'' The crowd cheered as I dropped the key phrase. They looked up at me with expectant, bright eyes. Big finish. Here we go. 
 
 `` To be honest, friends, I was doubting myself today. I went to my thinking spot to search for the words I am now speaking. As I pondered how best to serve my fellow citizens, the woes of public office crept into my brain, filling me with fear. I thought, being only one man, I would not be able to do much. I thought being the mayor of this beautiful town would leave me powerless to make change happen. Then, I felt the wind. Gentle, yet constant. Gusting with power, or hardly enough to blow out a candle. No matter the condition, the water always ripples, the leaves always shake, and the grass always sways. The power of the wind is not in its strength, but in its persistence. Today, I realized I am the wind. My constant vigilance is soft-spoken with gusts of assertion. But regardless, I will always change my environment. The clouds themselves can not resist my continuous nudging and prodding. I am the wind, and I say that I will make change without hesitation. I am the wind, and I say let in the breeze.''
