1066 All Stars

One hot summer evening, three travellers were walking through the woods when all of a sudden, three hooded figures appeared in front of them.

'Who goes there?' shouted the first of the travellers.

'We are the masters of time,' said one of the hooded figures. We can grant each of you the power of time in your own lives, that of the past, the present or the future. Come forth and make your choice.'

The boldest of the travellers stepped forward and commanded 'make me the master of the past so that I may erase my mistakes.' The Master of the Past stepped forward and in a flash, disappeared with the bold traveller. They emerged in a grotty hovel, where dirt covered the walls and the sparse furniture was ripped and torn. The traveller asked, 'what is this place? Where are my wife and children?' The Master of the Past replied 'you erased every action you considered a mistake. As a result, you did not meet your wife and you sired no children. You became a hermit from society, never bold enough to take a risk for fear that you may fail.' Dismayed, the traveller asked to return to the present.

Meanwhile the second traveller stepped forward, the most impestuous of the three, and demanded to master the future so that he may forever control his destiny. The Master of the Future nodded and whisked the impestuous traveller away. Together they saw the traveller's future. He had a modest house and a fine wife. 'But this is ordinary,' moaned the traveller. With the power of the future, I wish to live in luxury.'

And so, the Master of the Future revealed an alternative future, where the traveller had all the riches of the world. 'This is more like it, said the traveller', however the words had barely left his lips before his vision blurred and another future presented itself, then another, then another. 'Stop', he wailed. This is not what I wanted. How can a man choose his fate with so many options to weigh. Take me back to the present.'

Finally, only the third traveller remained. The Master of the Present stepped forward. 'And what is your desire, Traveller? Do you wish for the power to change your past or to see your future?' The thoughtful traveller shook his head. 'Neither,' he said. 'I wish to remain in the present. The past is not an enemy to be slain; it is a friend, who has come with us on the journey, reminding us of who we are and how we have lived.

Without my past, I have no present. As for the future; no man may say what the future holds. I may only control the present; through living in the present my future will unfold accordingly.

And with that, the Masters of Time vanished and the three travellers continued on their journey.