I had this chance meeting with a man of wisdom. His features had aged beyond recognition but his eyes sparkled like two of the brightest stars in the sky. His speech slurred a little, which I found quite charming as it gave me time to digest and understand all that he was saying. This wise old man had experienced all the extremes and opposites of life - love and hate, wealth and poverty, inferiority and superiority - the list was endless. I sat there, enraptured by his tales of wonder like scholer learning for the very first time. Samson, for that was his name, traveled with me, in time, into his cave of knowledge. The season changed, the leaves fell from the trees, the sun came out but he carried on. I was thirsty and hungry for this knowledge as it made me understand more about life. After a long time he stopped speaking and I came out of my semi - trance back to reality. He asked what I felt and all I could say was that I was amazed. He smiled, a smile that would have lifted any heart, and said, "One day you will sit where I am and relate your experiences to others and you will have your very own cave of knowledge to share. I wish that for you with love, with kindness and, most of all, with peace. We all have our very own special experiences to learn from."

Today, twenty years later, I sit and remember and know that this is the truth to be shared with one and all.