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WATCH PROGRAM * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
On
this one planet was a thing that some people did not like what it did,
and
when ever they would look directly at it -- it would stop doing
it.
Everyone
there was affected by what the thing did,
but
only a few did not like what it did,
and
their dislike was a real big deal in their lives.
By
some reports, what the thing did was necessary for life on that world,
but
the few found no conclusive proof that the way it normally did what it
did
was
the only way it could operate.
Finding
no support in the majority, the few who did not like the way the thing
did what it did would huddle together, discuss, debate and theorize about
the matter;
a
whole little sub culture sprouted from their activities: a literature,
a history -- complete with heroes -- and
numerous “Organizations” titularly devoted to
the
few finding relief from their dislike of what the thing did.
The
natural, rational approach was to try to change the way the thing did what
it did, but after six kiltreons, (three thousand Earth years), of effort
--
no
success, which, (and you may find this surprising),
has
not at all deterred continuing generations of the few from trying
-- but:
you
should not be flummoxed by this rhythmic flogging of a suspiciously unresponsive
activity -- for what other choice had they? --
they
are born into a world in which the thing is already
fully
engaged in doing what it does;
they
do not like what it does -- and, perhaps it should be noted,
the
thing has no Complaint Desk or Customer Service Department
with
whom you can speak to someone connected to the thing:
In
fact, its presence and effect is so all pervasive in their lives that it
is almost impossible for the creatures to separate it in their mind from
their lives;
like
the inability to peel one piece of paper from another
to
which it is too tightly glued:
that
is the relationship between the inhabitants and what the thing does.
So
-- no other feasible approach presenting itself to their minds,
the
few who do not like what the thing does,
continue
fruitlessly to make it stop -- make
it change its ways.
(The latest deep space telescopes we are sending out are revealing more and more clearly that everything in the universe has a hobby.)
J
…..oh yeah;
a myth among a few of the few there says a guy once showed up
who went through
all of the predictable stages of trying to
change the
way the thing did what it did,
but rather
than eventually settling in with the rest of his metaphorical kin,
and like them,
accepting the situation -- while
pretending
in talk that they still expected success, “any-day-now” –
he wandered
off some where that neither they, nor the records of their ancestors had
knowledge of.
The story goes
on to say that after a time, completely cut off from them,
out entirely
on his own,
he discovered
another approach to dealing with not liking the way
the thing did
what it did
which did not
suffer from that well known problem inherent in their
standard approach
-- the problem of it not working.
The only problem
with his other approach and this whole story is that
they never
knew about him going off and finding it, and its benefits. etc.
Another person
cannot find it for you; hardly anybody can find it for their self;
another person
cannot tell you what it is;
everyone is
presently too involved in listening to their self.
.....(If this was more of a sophomoric, smart ass screed-come-satire, today’s news would end with this line:
And there the thing sits -- laughing at man.)
J
…..but
do not take it personally:
doing
so is the only thing that could make
the thing make sport of you.
J
…..one
more:
dislike
for the way the thing does what it does is fueled solely by: taking it
seriously and taking it personally:
this
is the real cause in the few for all forms of blindness and idiocy.
Three
times a week Jan speaks in greater detail on the matters about which he
writes
which
you can hear on the net via subscription.