When I grow up

Looking in a mirror sometimes has a strange affect. Most of the time you see the same old face looking right back at you. But sometimes you get a surprise. Sometimes you see someone else looking back at you, and that someone else is someone you will know or someone you once knew. It is you, either as you once were or as you will be. Sometimes you are looking into the future and sometimes your are looking into the past. You really hate to see the future you because it may be ashamed of you. That face knows all your secrets. That face is someone you cannot lie to. Sometimes you can lie to yourself but you cannot lie to your future. However, you can lie to your past. You can lie to the little boy with all the dreams because he doesn't know the future. He doesn't know you. He only knows his dreams. He only knows what he wanted to be. You can tell him that he made it . Go ahead and lie to him. There is no way he will ever catch you. There is no time travel. There is no way for him to see the real you. Today Joshua P. Kingsley was feeling good, he was looking at his past. A young Joshua, vibrant and full of life. Today he could look at young Joshua and he did not have to lie. He smiled. He smiled because he was happy when he thought about his youth. He had so much going for him. His family was well off. He was good looking. He was smart and he had talent, artistic talent. He could draw anything but more than that he could create. He did not just draw images that other people created. He created images that were amazing. He created images that made people think. They conveyed different meanings to everyone that viewed them. He created real art. He created art that spoke to you. He was a boy genius, the next Picasso. He loved the limelight. He dreamed of being a great artist. He was going to be a great artist. When he was fourteen he was accepted to the best art academy in New York. But, it went downhill from there. He had no structure. His was a free spirit art, created from the mind far advanced for his years. He did not like being told what to do. He did not need to learn about art from anyone. He left the school in less than six months. Looking into the mirror, his smile left him. He remembered his mistake and he felt sad. He had not fulfilled the boys dreams. In fact his life had gone downhill from the time he left the art academy. He got involved in the world of drugs. His parents abandoned him. They had no patience with drugs and they left him to the streets. He committed robbery and burglary to support his habit and of course he was caught, convicted and sent to prison for twenty years. Prison was a surprise to him. He did not like prison but after he got used to it he could accept it. In fact, prison was the best thing that could have happened to JP. He got to paint without the drugs. He could think again. He could create again. He became known as the "Prison Artist" He donated his paintings to charity and a New York Art House featured his paintings. He turned from the mirror and looked at the sky through his cell window. The sky was blue and the sun was shinning. That was a good omen. He smiled again and looked back at the mirror. The face was young again, young and innocent and he remembered his dreams. He said out loud, "you need not feel bad young man. I think that you could even feel proud if you want to. Tomorrow I am free. I have a job and I am a well known artist. I may even be able to create that master piece you dreamed about. Yes young man, you go ahead and dream and I will dream right along with you. I will even be able to look into the mirror and not be afraid to see the face of our future."