The Chalk Door
He had died, or he felt he had died, when he saw a large wall and a thin old man going up to the wall and drawing large doors on it in red chalk. Then, with a wave of his hand, the old man invited him to come forward and open one of the doors if he could, since there beyond it he could see a better world. It is important to note that the term “a better world” refers specifically to that world in which you think you can do something. It’s the world where you have a clear role and others appreciate your efforts and you feel you are contributing to the sum of good deeds. It’s the world in which the advance of time and the expenditure of effort pave the way towards “the meaning of life”. These are all things that Ali had come to miss or that he was not confident he had any connection with.