By Jack Sutton

A man plagued by the stress of modern life escapes in the evenings. He hates his job, he struggles financially, and his family is far. For him, the simple mantra which had been printed on millions of shirts was far from the truth. Life was not good. However, he finds peace in one thing. The man walks the local beach to clear his mind of daily monotony. He hears waves, wind, and subtle excerpts of joyful passersby, whom he greatly envies. 

In the distance, he notices a ferris wheel, brightly lit against the onyx sky. He stands still with eyes fixed. At that moment, the man has a revelation. As the device turns, its eternal nature becomes apparent. The man finds his life to be quite like the ferris wheel, though his ferris wheel lacks the bright embellishments of the one ahead. His wheel even seems to spin in agonizing infinity. 

The thoughts become heavy, the man walks on, and the wheel fades from sight. Now, something else becomes clear. Looking down at his feet, he notices imprints in the sand. Being far along the shore, he decides to return. As the wheel breaches his sight once again, the thoughts return: sadness, emptiness, and desolation. He looks down to retrace his steps, finding them gone, washed away by the waves. 

Then, his thoughts turn to a new revelation. All things pass, and all things continue. He realizes that the passage of time is inevitable. His wheel will continue to spin, but his misery will soon wash away with the waves. 

That night, the man returns home with newfound wisdom. Eventually, he crawls into bed with an unwavering grin of optimism. Could it be? The man was excited for the following day.