I: The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars

In life...

Sometimes the road less traveled, the road most perilous and lonely, the road most arduous... yet... still... exhilarating, to be sure...

Is the road home.

Abbreviated Tales of The Pen, The Sword,

and The Might of Pillars

(Or Pillars Home)

Truth

Said The Pen to The Sword: How do you know?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What?

The Pen: How do you know - if what you know - is true?

The Sword: If I see it with my eyes to be true, if I hear it with my ears to be true, if I touch it with my hands to be true, if I taste it with my tongue to be true, then it's true.

The Pen: What if my eyes are blind... my ears are deaf... and I no longer have my hands or my tongue...?

The Sword thought carefully... and exclaimed triumphantly: If I think it with my brain to be true, then it's true!

The Pen: What if I'm drugged? Is the truth - when I'm drugged - true? What if I'm brainwashed? Is the truth - when I'm brainwashed - true? What if I'm asleep? Is the truth - when I'm asleep - true?

The Sword considered at some length... and shrugged: I know.

The Pen: Then... is the truth... true... on faith?

Beginning

Said The Pen to The Sword: What is the beginning?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What?

The Pen: What is the beginning? What is the end?

The Sword: My birthday is the beginning. The day I die is the end.

The Pen: So - before you - nothing was? And - after you - nothing will be?

The Sword stammered: Well. No. The beginning is the beginning of time. The end is the end of time.

The Pen: So - before time - nothing was? And - after time - nothing will be?

The Sword thought for a moment: Well. Aside from time, there's matter. So, the beginning is the beginning of matter. The end is the end of matter.

The Pen: So - before matter - nothing was? And - after matter - nothing will be?

The Sword started and stopped, appearing increasingly more perplexed, until The Sword expelled in resignation: Well. I don't know. Some people believe that higher powers are the beginning and the end, but I don't believe in myths and legends and fantasies and illusions and stories to comfort little children. So. My answer is: I don't know.

The Pen: So... is the beginning and the end... states of existence... that don't exist... except perhaps as arbitrary delineations to satisfy the need for some to believe... in beginnings and ends?

Good

Said The Pen to The Sword: What is good?

Said The Sword to The Pen: What do you mean?

The Pen: What does it mean to be a good being? What is good? How do I be good?

The Sword: You live right. You treat others the way that you want to be treated. You don't hurt people. You don't break laws. That's about it.

The Pen: That sounds easy.

The Sword reparteed with confident swagger: It is.

The Pen: Is it?

The Sword: What do you mean?

The Pen: Is it easy to live right? To treat others the way that you want to be treated? To not hurt people? To not break laws?

The Sword hesitated: Well. I suppose, when you put it that way, it's not easy to be good.

The Pen: How so?

The Sword: Well. I mean. I have a right to live my life the way that I want. So. Sometimes that means the way that I live my life - means someone else doesn't get to live their life the way that they want. And... I have a right to be treated the way that I want. So. Sometimes that means that the way that I want to be treated - means someone else doesn't get treated the way that they want. And... I have a right to want what I want. So. Sometimes that means that when I get what I want - someone else doesn't get what they want. That's life. Everything doesn't always go your way.

The Pen: So... when you live your life, your way... it's right. Right?

The Sword asserted emphatically: Right!

The Pen: So... what happens when others live their life, their way... and their way doesn't let you live the way that you want... be treated the way that you want... get that which you want? What happens, when others live their life, their way... and everything doesn't always go your way?

The Sword huffed with righteous indignation: Well. Obviously they're hurting me! So they're wrong! They should be punished. That's what law and order and justice is for: to correct wrongs.

The Pen: But of two people - one who is living life, irrespective of others... and the other, who is living life, respective of others - who is living right? Of two people - one who treats others, irrespective of others... and the other, who treats others, respective of others - who is treating others, the way that they want to be treated? Of two people - one who consumes wants, irrespective of others... and the other, who consumes wants, respective of others - who is not hurting people? Of two people - one who demands everything in life, irrespective of others... and the other, who champions self and others - who is not abiding by laws and orders that serve and protect, one and all?

The Sword exclaimed woundedly: But! What about my rights! Why should I sacrifice my rights, for others?!! I have as much right to my rights, as anyone and everyone else!

The Pen: Because rights are privileges... are they not?

The Sword sputtered in confusion: What do you mean? What does that mean?

The Pen: Rights and privileges are not inviolable; they're earned. Thus: good is an inviolable dignity and being good is an inviolable virtue, such that the demonstration and exercise of good, earns rights and privileges. On the other hand, the failure to demonstrate and exercise good, earns justice. (Not to be confused with - reprisal, retaliation, retribution - which are unjust.) Indeed: is it not unjust, for any one of us, to champion our (unearned) rights, to the exclusion of others? For what else is the championship of ungood - i.e. championing our selves and our (unearned) rights to the exclusion of others, etc. - than the championship of unjustice?

Continued...

Note

There are many tales of The Pen and The Sword, for The Pen and The Sword are great friends who take illimitable joy in each other as living and being beings.

As for the tales above, they are but snippets of curious conversing... gasps, really... of back and forth and back again... about all that is real and true.

Warmly,

- M.

Continued at II: The Pen, The Sword, and The Might of Pillars