The grey mist swirled inside his head, he felt sort of bunged up - musty, legs wobbled slightly, knees almost buckled and he knew that his hands shook. He fought his own personal fears to gain the control of his own body and mind, that he knew fullwell he needed, to give his best. He thought long and hard – God , if only he could – this was important, so important to so many …..but try as hard as he might to tell himself that he could do this … and that everyone there rooted for him …he still just felt an empty sick feeling deep in the pit of his stomach , but - as unsure, and as nervous and as scared as he felt , he stood there, just as he had been invited – his chest expanded, his heart swelled with pride and feasted his eye’s , so they filled with the awesome sight that lay before him.

Never, no ever could he have imagined that an event like this should, could, or perhaps ever would be a part of his life. It was indeed an event of a lifetime for him, a milestone in his life, for he could never have dreamed in a thousand years that he would ever have been invited to such an auspicious occasion.

Yes, of course he had been to occasions of sorts, those perhaps of similar format, but most certainly never of similar circumstance. At weddings, funerals and such family and social gatherings, other people had seemingly always looked towards him to stand and give a few words, which in truth he was always fully prepared and actually self expected, to do so.

But … this was different; this was a very different situation he assured himself, knowingly. Besides being real, real life that is, rather than just someone else’s occasion, this was his – and he had more than just a role to play, a part to act - indeed he had a life to live, and everyone here – was soon to be a part of his life just as he would be a part of theirs. The thought struck home and the mist cleared.

That was it …..no - this was it …..the once in a lifetime opportunity that lived … lived inside your dreams. This was the world, a world he longed for so much, so much to be involved in, it was here, spread before him, seemingly just waiting him…and no one else. The excitement he felt intermingled with fear, anticipation and determination, heightening his senses and his heart almost skipped two beats.

He has spent hours, or more like days working on his speech, he had used every trick he could think of to ensure it was witty, full of worldly content and hopefully gained him the foothold he needed and standing with the company he was within, but he was just not sure what he had in front of him on paper was what was needed. But he was fully prepared to give it all he had, and make himself count.

He took a deep, deep breath, knowingly paused his intake of breath to allow all the splendour before him to grow, to ebb and spill into his sight line, like a dam burst to torrent and surge into his vision. Quietly exhaling between his teeth, he sucked in another deep gulp of fresh cool supply of air, seemingly to begin the process of filling his lungs as his sight took in the blossom and gleam of the occasion. Then without announcement he just knew his moment was near. Inside his brain the level of excitement grew to fever pitch, like a world-class sprinter, lurching for the tape at the winning line. Suddenly and finally everything bloomed, to fill his sight and his mind to overflowing and every sensation one could have ever have imagined screeched as they neared breaking point. Trumpets sounded inside his head like a Grande finale as the weight of the full splendour of the occasion burst the banks and flooded in – then it was with a crystal clear view that he let the sheer determination of his mind take full control of his body.

The shaking and trembling ceased and a cool calmness descended on him. He looked inwardly at himself and retold himself as he had told himself, time and time again - Yes this was more than just an occasion, this was his, his time, his moment and his life – and it was nothing more than simple …mind over matter.

Then in this new passive and controlled state of mind, as the concoxion of sentiment and seduction brewed within him to finally mature and froth to a head, he just knew how to commence and manage his address to the throng amassed before him.

So with the master of ceremonies completed his introduction of this man – a guest of honour, he stood silently, pushed his pile of notes from in front of himself onto the floor, watched by every pair of eye’s in the room. They all witnessed the event and many turned their eye’s floor ward in anticipation of an impending disaster. Then as the seconds ticked and the anticipation within the room itself grew to almost fever pitch, he finally spoke.

His voice was clear, so clear and the words so concise that those who had all down turned their eye’s, immediately reverted them back to him – and in a masterful and worldly tone, like a sermon preached directly from the mount - to his parishioners, he wove a tale, a parody of life of others and how many enjoyed the life style so rightly gained by their ability to gain a foothold on the path to personal growth and gain, but balanced by those of less fortunate upbringing, less fortunate parentage, less fortunate status, nature, education or simple circumstance. He stole under the thick skin of their individual lives, bludgeoned their senses and dealt blows to their personal pride by lodging simple criticism of mindsets that seemingly held back from helping or simply allowing others from entering the world of success, as though with nothing more than a whim.

He pleaded with their sanity, tugged at their heart strings and took their minds on a journey like a roller coaster, weaving, bucking and thrusting along a defined track held firm by it’s mechanics but yet free like a spirit to influence.

He spoke his thoughts, ever mindful that the collective only qualified his influence on the individual, which was indeed a sort of contradiction in terms, for most would see this analogy in reverse – the individual affecting the mindset of the collective by influence or perhaps indeed just belief. But he knew better – collective response would influence every individual seated before him and he simply plied his trade into male and female hearts. He spiked his words with subjective meaning that he knew would touch base with many in an unconscious way, as like a sleeping policeman suddenly creates havoc with your driving. His words, like the teensiest drips and trickles of water, seeped in between the wafer thin cracks within the lifestyle armour of the night templars of regal life that there sat before him.

Then as his narration to them sent a constant flow of words lapping and creeping into the little chinks in their armour that no one knew existed, they then like a constant drip, drip, enlarged the cracks to gaps, and then, they gurgled and gargled and finally gushed and spilled through the widening holes into the safe little lives of all before him and finally like a spurt of heated dry sand, with the collective weight of all of those individual grains, they breached the dam, breaking into a torrent and deluge, pouring into safe little worlds and effected both their thoughts and their hearts .

He pleaded his case with such verbatim and virility that the mass before him swayed with his dialogue and as he spun his web he somehow managed, without them even knowing to have brought them full circle – from hearts ruling their minds to their minds ruling their hearts and back again.and then seemingly in mid term he quite unexpectedly and even unannounced, wound up his address with a simple thank you and before anyone had even agreed or replied, he thanked them again for being so generous and having used their own imagination to further the cause of simple logic.

As his final words slipped from his lips to burry themselves deep inside their ears, he sat down and as he did so, he felt the tension from his mind relax at the same speed as his body and although he felt calm, contented and sort of tired, the adrenalin surge sprouting through his veins heightened every sense in his being and made every second of time slow to the degree that it felt like time was stood still, which just seemed to maximise and enhance his senses.

Then suddenly, seemingly without warning, like a beating of drums, the applause started and just seemed to continue and grow in intensity. The clapping seemed to resonate around the room growing in intensity, the gathered throng grew in enthusiasm and the applause seemed to continue on and on, then without even thinking about it he rose to his feet, turned in the direction of his patron, bowed his head and turning back waved his hands to the amassed and as the clapping decreased to a level that he could be heard over he thanked them, asking them all to keep their vigour and applause for the achievement of the support he knew they would give him.

The storm of clapping deceased to a final almost single slap and finally ceased within the cacophony of conversation and banter the traditionally follows such occasions - he just sat there, smiling, taking in the scene before him and languishing in the glory of his moment. Eye’s still cast in his direction he purposely made direct contact with each and every single one of them, knowingly nodded to each in turn. Then as the master of ceremonies introduced the master of the house to offer his thanks and personal recommendations to the amassed, he sat and revelled in the glories, only to once again be held on high by the whole amassed as he was thanked -not once but twice for his attendance as their most ensplendourd guest and he felt the spotlight on him again as the speaking was rounded up and the social aspect of the evening began proper.

Throughout the rest of the evening fellow dinners constantly patted him on the back asserting their support for his cause and thanked him for his words. He felt on top of the world, this was his world, a meeting of minds, people who should and by the nature of their standing, could, make a difference. And, yes - he was now part of that set, accepted in the highest of all local business society, the bull circle. This was the uppermost point of all the pinnacles in the local scene. This was where the cream of the crop, the royalty of local celebrity status eluded to be enamoured by both the ability of others within their set and of course display like peacocks their own fine plumage.

This was the place to be and be seen. He walked the white puffy tops of the clouds for many days following his triumphant procession around this wonderful new world that he lived in. He just knew that nothing would ever be the same again, and he strove to make every second count ………and make a difference to the whole world around him, but never for one moment did he believe that what was before him was for him alone – no this was his chance to effect, for the better, of course the whole lives of the many poorer and simpler lives he could effect, for the better.

Those making pilgrimage to their usual place of worship – the corner shop over the following weeks suddenly and quite unexpectedly found themselves in front of the high priest, for his preaching seemingly took on a higher plane, almost a surreal accentor, like an arch deacon in a cathedral. For his words now held a heavier message, missed by many mere mortals who called, but picked up by a few of the higher browed individuals who entered the shrine. His vocabulary had grown, his demeanour had increased and his presence filled every corner of anywhere he ventured into – he had indeed arrived at his place in time, and he fully intended to lap up every second of it, like a Cat who had indeed - got the cream.