Prologue

…Human existence…

A ponderous thing;

to be sure…

…Seemingly familiar…

yet so very strange…

…Consider…the ignorance of this creature—how limited its tools may actually be—how great the arrogance (collectively, and individually) of the human species…

…Indeed…

—But wait, you say; what of Logos; Nous…what of art, science; philosophy, religion…?

These powerful and mysterious artifices elevate humanity in many ways…only keep in mind that logic and reason can be a double-edged sword—some very rational troglodytes tend to flourish under the right conditions…and, perhaps rightly so…

…The slightest glimpse through the keyhole: a revelation; of some higher (or lower) knowledge; can irrevocably change a person—a species—for better or worse…

…Hot and cold currents coalesce; winds whip the proverbial sky into a frenzy; and one is confronted with some miniscule sliver of the Truth, in one of its infinite possible manifestations…

…Dispelling faded, outdated illusions—the perceptual paradigm shifts—old idols are desecrated, discarded—replaced with new gods, in ossified temples…

…They say the truth will set you free…

…But just what is the truth…?

…What is the value of truth…in a thoroughly human sphere…?

…Perhaps, our world is founded on myths, and false assumptions—always has been—and true wisdom is anathema to that such as we are…

… (such as we are) …

…The edifice—though grand—is built on air, and cannot stand…

…‘The truth’ is, no matter how you choose to answer these questions, Humanity remains; product and projection; of its own feverish, collective imagination…

…Without this power of abstraction; dreaming…what could we be…?

…Ask yourself…is the plot-driven, false-narrative world—through which we constantly imagine ourselves—a detriment; an albatross around our necks…?

Or…is it an evolutionary adaptation, bypassing obvious biological deficiencies—tapping into some greater power that most of us barely even begin to comprehend…?

…Despite the creeping absurdity—the gnawing madness—radiating from the core…we persist…

…We blaze our trails…paint our own bloody portraits…according to opportunity, skill, and inclination…

When something goes wrong—some monkey-wrench finds its meandering way into the Gears—Life presents us with an unexpected test of faith; in our beliefs about ourselves; the ‘world’; whatever the case—we’re forced to struggle, persevere; to overcome, or be undone…spiritually or physically…

…When the end comes for me, I expect to find humanity’s true questions remain as elusive as ever…as the starry symphony serenades the sordid sprawl: within and without…

…To think: we often bring our very worst problems upon ourselves, gradually…through ignorance…mendacity…or just plain boredom…cultivating our wicked astral gardens…

And sometimes, what looks like the end, is simply another beautiful beginning: some rare, life-changing, high-stakes opportunity, just waiting to be exploited…

…Well: what are you waiting for…?