Chalk Door

Description

He was dead, or so he felt, when he saw a large wall and a gaunt old man approaching it, drawing wide doors with red chalk. Then, with a gesture, the old man beckoned him forward, urging him to open one of them if he could.

There, beyond, he could see a better world. It’s important to note the definition of this “better world”: it is precisely the world where you feel capable of doing something, the world where you have a clear role and others appreciate your efforts. You feel you are contributing to good and the fruits of good deeds. It is the world where the passage of time and the exertion of effort become a paved path toward the “meaning of life.” These are all things that Ali now lacks, or is unsure if he has any connection to them…