Relax.....

To Dream the Impossible Dream..

It was all a dream….

"Relax" the hypnotist spoke in a calm, low voice that was in fact quite soothing, "relax, you have nothing to fear. Let your eyelids go heavy and you will fall into a soft calm world where you will have no problems, no pains. Relax".

I had volunteered for the medical research project merely on a whim. The family doctor had given me the letter of introduction as she thought it might help me to relax when having my blood pressure taken. 

You see, everytime I see her take out the apparatus to measure it, I know darn well that my pressure rises considerably. Someone said that it is known as the ‘White Coat Syndrome’. So, I decided to try - just for the promised relaxation it would teach me. 

I was not even sure that it was going to work on me, but I must admit, I have never felt calmer in my whole life.

Suddenly, the sun is shining and I am in a beautiful sub-tropical part of the world. I don't recognise anyone or anything. I suppose it is one of my dreams, but on this occasion, it seemed too lifelike.

Again, suddenly, as if by magic, I am in the presence of 'The Man', none other than Nelson Mandella himself. He was talking on the telephone as I sat close to him in a cosy sitting room.

"OK, Bob. I'll stroll. You fly. You Irishmen are always in a hurry to get something done, or to get somewhere". I imagined that it was Bob Geldof who is exactly as Nelson had described him. He put down the phone and turned to me "Pleased to meet you Michael" he spoke in that lilting Afrikaner accent of his "and how can I help you?"

I can tell you, and I really mean this, if you were ever to meet the great man, the moonbeams will shoot out of your fingertips, your toes and the ends of your hair. He is electrifying and yet he has the charm of an old friend.

"Thank you for seeing me Mr. Mandella", I tried to speak without too much emotion in my voice, but I honestly think I failed. "Of all the people in the world I would choose to meet, it must be a dead-heat between your goodself and the Dali Lama". He gave me his best smile and the twinkle in his eyes ensured me that he was not offended by what I had said. "Please call me Nelson," he asked "and don't think for one moment that I am in any way offended by the comparison. He was my first choice until I met Pope John Paul. Now that was a great man, may the Lord rest his soul".

"Since you spent the best part of your life on 'Robben Island', Mr. Mandella", I could not bring myself to call him by his first name "you are still an amazing man. You are at peace with the world and have brought South Africa together as one. I am amazed at your achievements in such a short space of time". "I am nothing special, Michael", he spoke quietly, and I sensed that he spoke the truth in his opinion "but I think it's the drama in life that makes you strong".

"Was it the fact that you had a strong woman behind you during your imprisonment?" I asked, knowing too well that he was no longer married to Winnie. He looked me straight in the eyes and for a moment, only for one moment, did the sparkle die down. He continued "I mean no offence to her but I must in all truth, say that she's this highly-strung, overamped, controlling, know-it-all neurotic who let the power she gleaned from my name, go to her head. She thought she was above the law. That is the whole point, Michael", he tapped the table gently "the rule of law, Michael, that is the only way that a Nation can survive".

'Well, wait a minute" his words had struck a sore point in my reckoning "that changes everything! You see, I remember that you were once a terrorist, in a terrorist movement, dedicated to the overthrow of the South African government". "Ah, now Michael we come to pure politics" he was smiling at my suggestion "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. When fighting a totally undemocratic government, one that was elected by less than ten percent of the population, a fight-back is not only inevitable, but it is downright necessary".

I decided to get away from politics for fear of upsetting the good man, but the smile on his face indicated to me that he was not yet ready to do likewise.

"Take for instance your own country" he pointed directly at me and with a sincere look on his face, continued. "Back in the sixties, you cannot agree with what was happening in Northern Ireland against the Catholics. It was unjust, it was unfair and to many, it was illegal. What they did could be justified by some people but sadly I must insist that I am not one of those".

"That makes two of us then Sir" I insisted. "We agree then" he said "not in your mind or indeed mine, were they freedom fighters or merely terrorists. On both sides, I might add". He was in full flow and I did not dare interrupt him. "Unthinkable good things can happen, even late in the game. It's such a surprise when it does", he sat back in his chair and sipped at his glass of water.

"May we have peace among ourselves and within our countries" he said and quite honestly, I almost said 'Amen' and blessed myself.

I suddenly heard a voice from a distance, as if it were echoing around the mountains back home in Ireland. As it got louder, I began to awaken and realise where I was in fact. Back in the room with the hypnotist.

So to end up my little adventure, all I can say is that if Nelson Mandella did not actually say what I had imagined, he should have done so, and if he ever did, I would agree with every single word that the great man uttered..........He is one of history’s Great Men…

--------Mike--------