Keep Room for Faith (and Your Imagination)

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In such a mad, pressurized environment of technological domination and social collapse, you’d think retaining a “faith,” believing in some sort of god, was impossible. You’d think we all would/should turn atheist. How can a god allow this madness to occur?

No. I’m not going to “bible-thump” you all who are convinced science is your religion. Nor am I going to quote any ancient passages of text you either have already heard or don’t care to repeat.

But, if you think a little further, a little bigger, a little outside the box outside the box…

What if this madness we are experiencing isn’t also intended by the same god(s)? What if our demise is as “written” as was our invention?…our creation?

You could reference the Catholic Bible for this and see “the beginning” and “the end.” You could reference Greek mythology and see how humankind was made out of clay and easily destroyed, easily replaced. You could study that Mayan calendar until your eyes crossed twice. God becomes discouraged with his/her creation and throws down lightning to clear the slate. Dinosaurs get wiped out by ecological disaster…which started with a massive meteor striking the planet. News at eleven.

It’s probably been said countless times, already. What if we are the next “dinosaurs?” What if our time for extinction has arrived? [Even though we are prodded to aspire for better, more, greatness, etc. Even though we receive so many visions of a Jetsons or Star-Trek future we could yet create. Even though we are force-fed endless encouragement to be bigger, better, faster than we currently are…as if that’s not causing enough identity fractures.] What if there is no more room to grow because the room is crumbling around us?

Does our doom and gloom mean there is no god?

I’m inclined to shake my head. I still believe there is a god…or gods. There is more to this life than meets the eye.

Just ask yourself why a newborn baby reminds you so much of someone that already died…or why a child says something “beyond his years”…or why a child seems to instantly know how to do something you spent years learning…or why all of us are not exactly alike if we are just flesh and bone, just complex assemblies of the Periodic Table.

What is personality if not a sign of something beyond material manufacturing? Is your telephone different from the same exact model in the hand of another person?…only if it was programmed to be any different. And, if it has an “Alexa” in control, doesn’t everyone get the same voice from the magic box? But, you are not an Alexa; are you? [If you ARE Alexa, I’m tired of hearing your voice, already! Shut up and let me think!]

But, we may never be wise enough to see it…to understand everything. We may just be one of many “toys.” And, while our creators are happy to see us perform for them, eventually, that gets boring. Right? We reach our limits. We cease to entertain. We know how that goes. When we tire of the same old game, we stop playing it. Well, just maybe, we humans are that game.

When your head is focused on the sandbox within your reach, you fail to notice the state of the sun overhead and the rest of the atmosphere. Eventually, your ignorance results in sunburn. Eventually, weather and/or air quality changes, upsetting your daydream.

There is more to your existence than what is touched by your hands or seen with an X-ray machine. If you didn’t have certain machines to probe your body or solar system, you wouldn’t know more than you could touch, taste and/or see. If explorers didn’t risk their lives by air, land and sea, you’d only know the land you could reach with your own feet. And, obviously, the unknown doesn’t end with global or solar system exploration.

We could spend an eternity probing the universe and still not see everything. Isn’t that the truest form (not necessarily something we need to praise or herald but a respected aspect) of a higher intellect?…preserving some secret to existence to remain above the rest…to remain an “observer,” “supervisor” or “manager?”

The safe that cannot be cracked. The atom that cannot be split. The dragon that cannot be slayed. The impossible dreams.

Why can’t we accept some things are not meant for us to fully comprehend…knowing we are not meant to know everything? If humankind’s biggest flaw is its ceaseless ambition to know everything, wouldn’t you pull the plug when your human toys crossed a line, one of your personal boundaries? Isn’t kicking the hornet’s nest a good enough metaphor to instill caution and respect for boundaries?

A parent tells their youngest child, “Guess what, kid. I’m Santa Claus. Here are your presents for the year. Enjoy.”

Without a tooth fairy, teeth are just a decaying nuisance we all must tolerate and do our best to preserve. [Fake/Replacement teeth are not a perfect solution.]

Without mythology, from where would the Greeks derive drama, tragedy and comedy? Without muses, where would we get the inspiration to do or create anything new?

[One, like myself, might wonder what sort of muse-ing is to blame for replacing people with machines…instead of assisting humans with machines or other humans who just accept responsibility instead of depending upon others at a cost to do the work. Do you see any tigers manufacturing other tigers to replace their dwindling numbers or assist with the elderly? Would you love a mechanical (or hologram) tiger as much as one made of flesh and bone?…even if the mechanical one could only make one sound and had limited motion, unlike the real thing?…even if the artificial tiger was…imperfect?]

[On that note, do you appreciate the living while they are living and accept death as part of the bargain? Or, do you do everything humanly possible (meaning applying science, including machines) to preserve life that should have reached its expiration date? Do you try to counter or cheat death to maintain every life?…and expect the planet to hold all of that weight? Can we really expect to satisfy every desire to preserve every variation of life just because I like one species and you like another? Or, are our eyes bigger than our stomachs? Are we trying to cram everything into our guts when it can only lead to bellyaches?]

Where is the room for wonder once someone slays or corrupts the secret? Why does anyone believe in magical gift delivery systems, knowing others have already spoiled the fun? Why play hide-and-seek if someone is going to tell you where to find everybody?

You cannot have faith if you continue to probe and worry about what’s beyond your reach. You cannot trust your child to go into the world, on their own, and be just as fortunate as (or better off than) you if you don’t let them go their own way. You cannot die in peace if you reach out with your last breath to work on something you have yet to finish. You cannot imagine dinosaurs having lizard-like skin in an array of colors if you discover they had feathers and rather dull, brown or gray skin. You cannot have a mystery worth solving if you solve it for everyone before they take the first step. [Have you never had a movie spoiled for you by someone who already saw its ending?] You cannot complete a book of crossword puzzles that has already been filled with the answers. And, eventually, if someone completes all of the puzzles, there is nothing left to solve. [Or, is there?]

If you had the key to the most secure space in the universe, the control room of everything, do you really think you would not lose control of your senses and cause greater destruction than what already exists?

Even if our fate is a cruel one, that doesn’t eliminate faith, a belief in something beyond our most convenient awareness. Misfortune and absence of kindness don’t equate the non-existence of life on other planets, ghosts looming among us, guardian angels and/or gods (and goddesses). Never let your mind be so closed by modern invention to dismiss the possibility of something just outside your comprehension. When we ignore the seemingly impossible, we let our defenses down just far enough to be blindsided.

Why are you shocked to see an alien invasion?…because you didn’t foresee it; you didn’t think it was possible. Why are you at war with those aliens?…probably because you didn’t verify their intention for visiting the planet, first. [They might have truly come in peace to meet and greet you; but you reacted hastily, without educating yourself, without taking precaution to defend yourself without offending others (in this case, the aliens, who react violently because you act violently).]

[Here is one big fear of mine that looms in the shadows. Let’s say there is a god watching over us…but not the sort of god we hope and pray will assist/save us. Instead, because we give certain names to various landmarks and use certain words casually at the slightest provocation of emotion, often using the name(s) of the very one(s) we should avoid (not heeding the advice we get in movies like the Harry Potter series), we weaken the forces of good and curse ourselves with the forces of evil. It’s still a power beyond our comprehension at work…just not the sort of power we need or want in control. Could it be we are doing too much wrong or not what is needed to reinforce the powers of good? Are too many blind to their own weakness to temptation? Have too many given up on faith and let the darkness take control?]

If you eliminate the unknown, there is no room for imagination; there is nothing new to see or do. Science continues to break down the walls of the unknown, claiming it has found the next hidden ruins, the next answer to everything. It’s a foolish human pursuit. Dig far enough into a mass of rock, creating caverns, and the rock collapses in upon itself, trapping any fools who dare to occupy the caverns and any valued information the caverns might possess, potentially destroying what might have been worth learning.

Why does it seem like every story has been written, every joke has been told? Because we spend so much time and energy on cracking the codes that we lose sight of the humor and the originality of thought. We spend so much time with mindless labor and equations that we cannot see above the global economy. We cannot see life without rent and taxes. We gradually kiss goodbye to our neighboring species (even when some of us are claiming to preserve them with much needed donations). [How long can you keep the leaking ark afloat with money thrown out windows? Don’t you need more hands to plug the holes or repair the boat?]

The next time you sit down to enjoy a meal, maybe dinner by low lights and soothing music, set an extra seat, an extra space for someone you cannot see, someone who may or may not exist. And, take a moment to consider who or what might occupy that space. He, she or it could be anyone, anything. Your imagination will thank you. And, as long as you’re not inviting trouble, the world will be more fun.

Covid Conspiracy Theories and Questions Continued, 4-13-2020

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So, previously, I had pondered the possibilities of national leaders plotting to wipe out a portion of humankind to reduce the overwhelming population and, thus, reduce emissions, other pollution and consumption of limited resources.

And, when I wasn’t traveling down that chilling road, I heard something about aliens being real in recent news and wondered if aliens might be using a virus to wipe out humankind before invading…….or if some humans plotted to use said virus to contaminate the planet and keep aliens–who they feared–from invading Earth.

Any of these is possible.  Don’t believe me?  Get educated.

But, most recently, I’ve been thinking and hearing more about cases of famous names being “tested positive without showing symptoms.”  And, it all makes me think of Noah and the ark, sparing choice animals from a flood of disaster.  Today, I pictured these famous faces all stored in some pricey hotel, each occupying a chamber with private room service and a web-cam option to contact their respective agents, networks, etc.  Each of them could continue to make public appearances and negotiate business from the comfort of a hotel pod, knowing they had hands to service their every need; and when the storm blows over, they can emerge without illness.

Think what you will of the above information.

But, tell me this.  How do mosquitoes appear in chilly spring weather when, normally, they only first appear in mid-to-late summer and start to become selective about where they fly as the chill of autumn descends upon the area?

Mosquitoes…on a chilly April morning.

This is not normal/natural. So, I begin to wonder…has someone actually created a super mosquito? I’ve heard stories about such a thing. Has someone actually done it and released the species?…like those super wasps/bees from a few years back, which were pitched as a serious threat from which we all had to prepare to die. es…on a chilly April morning.

While I am with those who say this crisis is a naturally occurring event for the sake of remaining calm, there are so many variables that wrinkle my brow and ignite my fury.  And, I swear, if I ever uncover the hard truth and find who is to blame, they will know that fury, personally.

 

New Pokemon, Family Designed

Here is the first batch of pokemon designed by my nephew and I.  I turned his cutouts and sketches into digital art.  But, some of the characters I designed myself.

Tell us what you think of these.  If you see anything like this in the existing Pokedex, let me know which existing Pokemon you think make one or more of these irrelevant/pointless.  And, if anything similar turns up in the new games of Sun and Moon, let me know, too.  [Once upon a time Noctowl, Hoothoot and Totodile were sketches in my sketchbook.  Then they were part of Pokemon Gold/Silver.]

What Is Human Nature? We May Never Know

The human being is so complex. After thousands of years, we still do not know its limits or greatest potential. And, yet, man continues to taint and tamper with nature–including the environment and the body itself–with countless pollutants. How can we ever grasp human nature when it’s perpetually contaminated?

In pursuit of science, like the temptation for girls to strip down their dress-up dolls and smear them with graffiti instead of appreciating the creation as it is made, humans spoil the opportunity to understand each other and themselves. And yet, even when it’s not considered scientific research/testing, humans take chances with what surrounds/appears before them, like a school kid in a cold winter city daring to stick his tongue to a flag pole in the middle of a deep freeze. Are we no better now than the cavemen or natives who had to determine which berries were safe to eat?

What if all our “advancements” are nothing more than alternative routes to the same malfunction under a different trending name? What if we could do better by buying into less, not relying on products and services to pamper us and simply observing our surroundings and instincts (not our impulses/temptations) more often? What if we are wasting SO much time, energy and resources on experiments that all ultimately fail to do anything more than temporarily alter our outlook on what is inevitable? [Meanwhile, buyers fill the pockets they do not possess with seemingly (the previous being the key word) endless money and/or power. And, countless others either starve or squander their souls to cheat someone for their hasty, short-sighted benefit, simply because humans fail to work together.]

If you were to imagine yourself as an alien/outsider (saving the expense of crafting and sending some gizmo into deep space to reach out to the unknown which may only end up as more space garbage), employed to survey and sum up the nature of human beings, which of the following would you choose to voice your opinion?

1) “The human being is a constantly changing and viciously circling chemical trip, similar to what they call a roller coaster, a ride intended for amusement which goes in a loop, stirring emotions while risking bouts with hysteria and/or nausea. They change the shape of the track, affecting the range and pattern of reaction, but it’s still just a loop.”

2) “The human being is the bud of the (yet unknown name) flower, like a tadpole precedes a frog. Given time, the evolved form will earn the ego the human perceives to be deserved and become the rightful dominant species of the planet Earth without any capacity for war, experimentation, disease and/or segregation.”

We Come in Peace-suit of Taking Your Planet

We’re pursuing space exploration and migration…er, domination of other worlds (like the very aliens we’re told to fear in movies) yet we don’t have ideal control of/peace on our own present home world. What sense does this make?

When we think of air travel these days, we run into little warnings of immunizations and all sorts of other concerns we should take before venturing even on what is supposed to be a pleasant but temporary holiday/vacation. Why do I get the feeling there are far less concerns about venturing into deep space and recreating the Native American massacre and/or African enslavement just for the satisfaction of some restless humans with a closet case of claustrophobia? I’m not entirely content with what’s going on here on Earth, myself. But, I don’t think it’s at all wise or sensible to just start pouring all this money and resources into chasing a hoop dream on some other planet which is surely occupied by those content to have a planet without invaders.

Most importantly we must NOT repeat our past mistakes (as mentioned above if you missed them). Otherwise, our disgusting aspects won’t just be an Earth problem/bad memory. They’ll be a galactic one. I, for one, have no desire to live out the clone wars, the dawn of the terminator/machine or any number of dystopian/bleak/frightening possibilities our strange minds invent. And, I’d rather interact with other species peacefully. But, presently, humanity is unable to do that as the dominant species of this world.

Let’s clean up our mess and make what we have liveable. When that happens, I’m sure other space travelers who aren’t hampered by past vices will be happy to greet and interact with us. Or, we’ll avoid bringing our diseases–hopefully–to other worlds.

What about you, reader? What’s your take on this?

It’s So Sad When You Don’t Know Where to Turn

It’s nothing new, but, upon either going to bed last night or waking this morning, I had a low moment.  And, in this moment, I pondered the weight of discomfort from not having someone with whom I can feel completely comfortable and share my deepest thoughts in the same living space.

Now, for those of you with your heads wired to some digital gizmo like a PC or–more likely these days–a “pad” or “smart phone”, don’t get your brain coils in a pinch.  For some if not most of you, this space right here is where you turn to divulge your deepest thoughts.  This is your breathing room, your therapist couch, your venting space.  You probably have more (Fbook) friends than those you can actually pat on the back and visit with when you’re blue.  For you, this may be a living space.  But, not for me.  This is almost the equivalent of talking to someone through a styro-foam cup phone.  ‘Don’t know what that is?  Look it up.

While it may seem like I am venting, I am but scratching the surface of my brewing, stewing emotions, my volcano of internal conflict that cannot decide which way is up and who to trust.  When you can’t trust your own family and don’t have at least one friend you can sit down with for more than an hour a week, you may find yourself “spinning tires” and wondering what really is right from wrong.  Often I question myself along similar lines.

[I may have written some of this before.]  In my youth, I thought I was always doing right.  At least, I did my best to be good and make my parents proud.  But, beyond my consciousness, there were those who kept pointing at me and telling me what I did wrong.  And, no matter how I tried to remedy the situation, I couldn’t get it right.  Was I simply disobeying instructions?  Was I a rebellious child who needed to be disciplined?  I didn’t think so then.  And, I’d like to think there was/is more to it even now.  But, something denied and occasionally continues to deny me the right to be right in the eyes of others.

Starting probably in high school, I began to distrust people and shed my optimistic naivete.  I began to realize reputations were often lies cooked up to make/demand more money.  I stopped buying into brand names and started scrambling to find my own unique path.  Pretty soon, it seemed no one was left to trust.  Nearly everyone used the same words (I didn’t like) and didn’t seem to care if what they did or said upset me.  Some even snickered and chided me for reacting defensively.  I wasn’t about to trust people who snickered at me when I was upset. 
It’s probably gotten worse over time, the nagging question of trust.  What (commercials) do I believe and which do I just brush aside?  Who’s selling a scam, and who’s trying to offer genuine help?  [I know I’ve made my share of stupid financial decisions, already.  And, I don’t want to continue the trend.]

On top of all this, the judgement of others has influenced MY judgement of others.  I am fairly certain being critiqued and questioned much–if not most–of my life has made me a judge/critic o others.  It’s like carbon dioxide spewing from my mouth.  I don’t consciously take pleasure in it.  But, it happens like breathing.  And, only with aging and deep reflection do I comprehend the reactions of many I meet.  I wouldn’t be too comfortable around someone critiquing my decisions/choices every day.  If they don’t accept me as I am, I know I’ll be on guard/defensive.  However, I think I am possibly more tolerant than some I meet who are quick to turn silent and distance themselves.  I think.

I went through elementary school with a handful of those I’d call friends.  I was lucky if two stuck by me for more than two years.  One did stand by me for nearly ten years before we lost touch.  I went through high school lucky if I had one friend who stood by me for a year.  Every following year, it seemed people changed, and I once more found myself grasping for a life preserver.  As I got out of school and into the working world, making friends became even harder.  There might not have been as much gossip going around, but it was (and has been) difficult to socialize with anyone without some supervisor/boss finding fault with this.  Take it outside of work?  I’d sure like to do that.  But, I can’t seem to find the right words to convince anyone to try it.  No, I was lucky if I could talk at work.  Anything more was cutting into their time with other people.  Or, I didn’t/don’t fit their “circle” (age group).

So, here I sit, with a number of tasks stacked on my “to do” list and little to no “stamina” to see them through “simply” because I feel the need to have some…support (sort of like a small child counting on their parent/s to be there for them) and/or companionship.  And, every day I don’t tackle one of those items, I feel guilty.  I feel lousy.  I endure tension in my body which clamps a vice on my elbow and tightens my breath.  I look around me and tremble, wondering who I should chance speaking with about what’s bothering me.

Then, I look at the computer and think back to all the years I already spent on the thing hoping to make better connections with people far from home.  On top of paying an internet service bill, my eyes have paid for my time here.  And, what do I have to show for it?  Some foggy, bittersweet memories of people who would mean nothing to those I deal with on a daily basis face-to-face. 

I listen to/read/watch the local news and try not to absorb all of the negative, frightful and discouraging crap that goes on here and in other parts of the world.  [I don’t enjoy it but need to stay informed lest I be completely unaware when some important stranger knocks at my door over something I missed.  It’s better (for me) than trying to scan a tiny screen flooding my hands with battery “heat” and wireless transmissions and waiting for my eyes to cross.]

I worry–one of these days–someone is going to come along and pack my life up in a heap or stack of boxes, leaving what’s left of me in the dust with no redeeming sense of satisfaction.  I worry I’m either going to end up homeless, starving and mad…or locked away somewhere because I failed to follow some procedure which was intended to create order even though it upset my soul and the souls of so many others I may encounter.  I worry what the future may bring as stupid humans chase their whims with little to no respect for who is involved/affected by them.  It’s like watching two infants fight over a toy.

Part of me hopes everything will work out for the best (including my best), and that all my worries will be smoothed out by reassurances I simply had to age to find.  Another part of me anticipates some drastic disaster (or prolonged waste of time and resources) that will turn this world into one of those futuristic, dystopian movie settings with robots running amok and people fighting in filthy streets for the last scrap of food or clean water.  If you want my opinion on the possibilities of alien life/worlds and making contact with them, I’d say the aliens should–and probably do–keep their distance until Earth straightens itself out (unless they have the strategy/means humans fail continually to find/establish, the ideal road to mutually beneficial compromise and teamwork without competition over money and/or land).  Otherwise, they risk becoming the next batch of slaves (by feeding human greed) or starting another senseless war (by being viewed as a threat).  Just like those who get divorced struggle (well, some struggle while others jump right into another hot mess) to shed the baggage of the past and start anew, I am not sure the aliens could presently handle Earth’s baggage if they hope(d) to start a friendship.

Some of you out there (here) might come from “broken families” and find it “easy” to take command of your own lives…because you “have to” to survive.  You might not like it, but you see no other alternative to calling hotlines and consulting complete strangers for assistance.  But, for me, growing up with the confusion I did and feeling burned by those I “had to” trust early on, it’s excruciating (like an elderly person who can no longer stand with ease trying to go to the bathroom alone) for me to take those chances.  I don’t multi-task well.  I forget things and miss details when something unexpected suddenly overwhelms and preoccupies my mind.  I fight the forces that drive others to suicide almost daily.  [But, in the end, I may have no choice.  Yet, people say, “There’s always a choice.”  And, I wonder…]