Thomas Grey Died and Changed the World

Thomas Grey changed the world. By living and by dying.

How can anyone change the world by dying, by not being in it? By living so remarkably, his absence changed society's perspective in response.

A Child with Vision

At age seven, Thomas asked his mother about the people sitting on the ground, on blankets, with tents. He had seen them on the way to school. David, the housekeeper who took him to school, explained they were poor people without homes. So they sat and waited for others to give them work so they had a little money. Some people gave them food.

"Mother, we have plenty of room here; why can't they come and live with us?"

Mother laughed and shook her head. "No, they can't live with us. We don't know them. They might have problems that mean they steal from us. And Daddy couldn't bear living with strangers."

She went on with her busy day.

A few hours later, seeing Thomas surrounded by pens and paper, she came over.

"What's all this then?" she asked.

"I'm making plans!" Thomas explained. "These are homes for the poor people to live in. When I grow up, I'm going to build them."

"What an excellent idea!" Mother said fondly, patting his shoulder.

"You are such a talented young man!"

The Pupils Champion

Thomas' family instilled in him the value of hard work. He knew he would inherit the family businesses and generational wealth. The impending responsibility felt serious but sat lightly on his shoulders.

Thomas worked hard at school, and his teachers recognised his determination. He was an all-rounder; he got good grades consistently and did well in sports.

Thomas noticed there were some children at school that needed extra help. There was a boy who couldn't walk and used a wheelchair. Lots of the children didn't know how to react to him, and so he was left alone.

Two of the boys looked a bit different; they had an extra chromosome, a disorder called Down Syndrome. Again, they weren't included in the other boys' games.

Thomas went to the head teacher, Mr Smith.

"Sir, Wesley and Peter, they get ignored. No one plays with them. And Carl, in the wheelchair, everyone ignores him."

"Yes, I noticed that. What can we do about it, Thomas?" Mr Smith was curious about the solution Thomas had come up with.

"I think they should be assigned a friend," Thomas said, "like Gerry, Adam and me, we could be their friends. We could include them with us, then other people would want to be friends."

"Yes, that would work!" Mr Smith was pleased and impressed. "Go and speak to Gerry and Adam, see what they think. It will be a positive thing to include on their resumes."

Gerry and Adam were seen as the cool kids at school, so anyone who was friends with them would get a whole load of kudos. Sure enough, the other boys included Wesley, Peter and Carl in all their games.

And Then to University

Throughout his years at the University of Texas, Thomas maintained his fun-loving personality, studying his beloved politics. He graduated with an honours degree in Political Science and went straight into local politics. His family name helped, as the Grey family was said to have come over on the Mayflower. Generations of landowners and business people, "Greys", looked after the family home and increased the family's wealth and position.

However, Thomas' father was not impressed his son wanted to study political science. Father refused to help Thomas financially. Thomas had a scholarship which covered his studies, but he had to work to pay his costs, taking jobs at cafes and coffee shops. Thomas was determined.

While at the University of Texas, he got involved in local political activities whenever possible. Thomas made many friends and acquaintances. He was the sort of person who could talk to anyone; he just loved people. Baristas, waiters and waitresses knew him; Thomas remembered their names and little facts about them. His charm touched people; he was popular and charismatic.

He volunteered for the local democratic party candidate, Ronald Fry. His campaign was hectic! Thomas was helpful, not just because of his hard work but also because his family had contacts all over Texas.

Ronald was fortunate to have him and his rolodex. Ronald also knew it wouldn't be long before Thomas was at his heels, ready to become senator one day. The age restriction held back Thomas; he had to be 31 to be a senator. But one day.

Romance Blossoms

One day, when he was busy phoning constituents and asking about their votes during a local election, a lovely woman caught Thomas' eye. He saw her working hard and talking to people kindly. He watched her from afar and saw her gently helping an older voter with her bags. He saw her talk kindly to a server at a cafe nearby.

He noticed her grace and kindness, so he just had to say hi. They chatted and found a commonality in their political views, so they quickly became firm friends.

Anna was from a middle-class family and had always been interested in politics. Although the rest of her family only had a passing interest, she decided to study political science and later moved to Texas. She was still at university in her final year but remained involved in the thriving Texan political scene.

Anna and Thomas saw more and more of each other, enjoying one another's company and similar interests. Before long, Thomas proposed, and the two got married in a lavish ceremony at Thomas parent's home. The money spent could have covered Thomas' student loans many times over. But his parents insisted. They invited many important dignitaries to the reception.

Thomas and Anna settle into married life at the family home in Texas. Before too long, Anna discovers she is pregnant! In time, a baby girl named Renee was born.

After a year of duties at home and in the political world, Thomas learnt he would become a dad again to another little girl named Eunice. Renee and Eunice were two of the most loved girls ever, having a wonderful childhood in the same family home as Thomas.

Thomas needed to work away for a few months, but Anna was fine with the girls and was a capable Mom. He phoned home frequently and always made time to video conference with his girls.

In Israel - Talking for Peace

Thomas Grey successfully negotiated a peace treaty between Israel and Palestine by introducing the Independent State Cooperative (ISC). The ISC, which is still functioning today, is a collection of retired political rulers who make the final decisions for states that have become independent, fledgling nations.

Gaza, previously the site of so much death and destruction, now belonged not to Israel or Palestine but to the people who lived there. So, it was a mixture of both races who had to get along harmoniously. If any unrest broke out, the ISC was able to mediate.

Now that conflict wasn't an option, the people were left alone. Most individuals didn't want war. There was so much to do, like rebuilding and making damaged structures fit for purpose; everyone did their best to get along.

Since Israel and Palestine were not funded by any other country (a worldwide recession meant that every country was doing its best for itself; no nation could afford to support another in conflicts), having the ISC overlook Gaza made sense.

Thomas developed the ISC, funded by the members and a coalition of countries who all made nominal contributions. Once the cooperative was functioning, many nations became interested in supporting it.

At this point, the idea of a "world government" gradually became a reality.

When Thomas began the initiative, the ISC had few countries involved, just nations at war with no clear leadership. Ukraine was an example; after years of war between itself and Russia, politicians called in the ISC to take up the case of the Ukrainian people. By this time, so many people were identifying as both Russian and Ukrainian, so Ukraine became an ISC state.

Once the armies returned home, the people were able to form communities. Again, there was much work to do, and the people worked enthusiastically together. People voted for small groups to run things and establish an acceptable infrastructure. Life continued peacefully.

Life Goes Dark for Thomas

One day, while in Ukraine, Thomas got a phone call from Anna. It was unusual for her to phone during the working day. Thomas picked up right away, nervous. Anna told him that she had been diagnosed with cancer. Horrified, he dropped everything and raced to her side.

Anna put up a brave fight but wasn't able to win. She passed away at the age of 28. It felt like the whole of Texas mourned with Thomas, and his heart was broken, destroyed.

People advised him to throw himself into work, but instead, he threw himself into caring for his girls. Renee and Eunice were his world. Thomas saw caring for them as his job. It's a job he did well for a few years.

The girls got older and went to school together. Always a tight-knit family, Thomas hated to leave them. He missed them terribly, but they had their loving and kind housekeepers as he did as a boy. Thomas flew out to consult around the world. He continued to have close ties to the ISC.

Over the next few years, the world government gained momentum. Politicians were at a loss as inflation kept increasing. The well-known methods to reduce inflation did not work; people were living in poverty, not just without functional homes but without any housing and food.

The world looked to Thomas, who was well-known for his solutions to many world problems. Thomas wanted to bring in a brand-new currency that everyone would use. Thomas also wanted a minimum income for all.

The minimum income meant that everyone had some money. If people could work, they could earn more; there was no maximum income. But it meant that anyone who was disabled had enough to live on. If a person had elderly relatives to care for, they had an income. Moms could stay home with their kids until they were school-age or beyond. No one needed to work long, twelve-hour days; people could have a decent work-life balance.

Everyone who lived in poverty, and by this time that was over half the world's population, was looking to Thomas to help sort the situation out. Thomas worked hard, pushing for his global solution.

The night before the final debate over these political offerings, Thomas went to bed as usual.

Sadly, tragically, he suffered a heart attack. He just never woke up.

When the whispers about his death crept out, people went crazy. So many had experienced extreme poverty for so long, as the perceived solution appeared to slip away with Thomas' death; the masses just seemed to give up. Weeping openly for Thomas, they discarded the tiny amounts of cash they owned like it was cursed.

They began throwing their money out into the streets. Yes, poor people threw what they had into bins. Some people tried to gather it up, of course, but it was no use. Poor people just stopped spending and just got rid of their money. Once it started, everyone followed suit. That morning, I saw rubbish bins piled high with coins and notes. Some people burned their notes; other people dumped the coins in the gutter.

People began bartering, swapping goods. They called it demonetisation. Everyone refused to use currency, money and cash. Instead, people used what they had and shared it with their neighbours. People talked. Communities worked together. People became happier as they lived in a simple way, growing and collaborating.

Thomas Grey died and changed the world.