Passing Words: Robert Redford

He saw the sign at the gate and sighed; there was always one more project, commitment, expectation. He almost went in, but a gentle hand (barely noticeable at first, but with a grip of steel) stopped him. "No," the angel said, "not that way." He didn't turn right away, because he was staring open-mouthed at himself waving from inside (heading towards hair and makeup). "A simulacrum," the angel explained. "A stunt double. He'll sit there and smile and nod and laugh a bit, taking it all in, saying he's glad to be here, too. Let's go." He turned and saw that the angel was in serious hiking gear and, to that matter, so (very suddenly) was he. They trekked off, taking in the vistas of valleys, mountains so glorious that words failed, and waters thriving in impossible shades of blue. "Wow," he said. "This is unbelievable." "This was the earth before and what it will be again. The lake house is just up here," the angel said. "It's a place of solitude until it's not. Anybody you want to see when you want to see people, just invite them in your mind." He leaned into that, thinking it sounded perfect, but suspecting it could be a really, really long time before he was ready for company.