Make Belief
My words come from an angle of view that is not common. It seems that early on in my life it occurred to me to question the things that other people believe. I can remember very well my early rejections of common understanding. I thought that religion was missing the point. God and the Devil needed a poor slob to negotiate a fair deal to smooth out the battle between good and bad. Since those early days my efforts have been leaning in that direction. The trouble, it seems, continues to be that lack of agreement. The fair deal remains non-negotiable. No one wants to listen to reason. Make belief, it seems, is the preferred option. Good people insist that they are right. Bad people insist that they are right. No one wants to negotiate a fair settlement. No one will listen. Listening has been rejected entirely to the point where the option to agree to disagree is no longer an option. Orders are dictated and obedience is demanded. Reason is rejected in favor of make belief. Belief is held supreme. No ifs ands or buts. If one does not belief then one is punished now or later. The supreme order is punishment. Nothing less will do.
Such rigid intolerance impedes the very reason guiding life - to live and let live. How can one let another one live when orders enforcing obedience cut off the very means required to find out how to let another one live? Make Belief is akin to making no belief whatsoever. Make Belief crushes creativity. The order is hammered into place; do not think. Do not express imagination. Conform or die.
My travels confirm the wisdom of my early beliefs. My early beliefs remain the same. Some poor slob needs to figure out a way to negotiate a fair deal. That poor slob is me. Poor me.
I don't have time for self pity. The poor slob needs to find out how to negotiate a fair deal. Meanwhile it pays to have fun.
Wisdom happens along in the process of having fun. Really it does. Things work out. Someone who insists upon making belief into some form of controlled reality will, by choice, announce themselves clearly and unmistakably. Fun stops. Negotiation becomes impossible. No fun. No negotiation. No reason to go on living. Obey or die.
I tend to avoid beating on dead horses. This is my version of wisdom; don't beat on a dead horse. Throw rocks instead. Someone will come along and try to throw a rock farther. The fun begins all over again; at least until that someone comes back. We all know this person; the one who insists upon making belief into some form of controlled reality.
Not me. Never. Not ever. Reality is not mine to control. I can't even understand it. I've tried. No sooner than my belief is found; no sooner does someone come along and throw the rock farther. Thanks dude. Thanks for setting me straight. I started to make believe. Have you seen the true believer around anywhere? Does he listen yet?