Muses
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
It was one of those things that you never think of. Without a single warning, the moment of clarity washed over him, striking like a tsunami, all at once destroying the daily illusions of his world, and creating the dream utopia of what could be if he acted. No, not could, but rather would. Feeling the phantom euphoria rushing throughout his soul, he leaped headfirst into a life that would not have been, save for a moment of inspiration, from where he, and so many others, would never know it had come.
Adria looked on approvingly. "And that, my friend, is what we do."
Katriah brushed her hair back from her eyes. A look of confusion filtered across the now visible brow. "You put a crazy idea into his head," she said, with some hesitation. "And now what happens?"
"That, Katriah," Adria whispered, putting a hand on Katriahs shoulder, "is entirely up to him."
Her mouth twisted to the side a little. "I don't get it."
"We only prompt them, not lead them."
"I still don't get it. What's the difference?" Katriah pointed at the figure rushing away, down the road, slowing time till he was caught mid-stride, the toe of his shoe barely touching the ground, hovering in space. She walked towards him, Adria following close behind. "By putting the idea into their heads, an idea that they would not have normally considered on there own except in hindsight or maybe in a daydream, you have changed his future. You forced his path-choice." She quizzically looked up at her mentor. "You lead him to this decision."
Adria sighed. "Not quite." She walked around the floating form, invisible from his senses. She looked deep into his eyes, peering into his soul. "I merely 'suggested' this direction. He took the suggestion, agreed with it, and pursued it." Looking past his head, Adrias gaze met Katriahs. "He could have just as well disagreed, and left it at the wayside. It does happen, from time to time. Some are too dense to know a good idea when it comes to them. But that doesn't happen too often."
Katriah perched her elbow in her hand and nibbled on her finger. "And thus, since they have the opportunity to decide, it's not meddling, is that what you are saying?"
"In a sense, yes."
"But isn't using our knowledge of what they call the 'future' to change their paths, knowing what will happen before it happens to them, isn't that sort of unfair? I mean, shouldn't they learn on their own, through trial and error? If they are given the answers before they learn the value of them, won't it weaken their evolution? What will happen to instinct? The possibility exists for it to happen, if too much 'enlightenment' is applied." She turned to the east and looked at the sun, hanging in the sky. "Isn't this the whole reason that our predecessors decided to end the function of what they call 'God'? Were they not losing their ability to choose wisely on their own?"
Frowning, Adria stepped to her side. "That is different 'God' didn't give them free thought. It gave them security. Like an immortal parent to the race, 'God' answered their questions, soothed their fears, gave everything a meaning they could accept. It was fine to stabilize their species and give them guidance. When the need for 'God' ended, they were able to grow outward on their own." She croutched down and studied a blade of grass. "Without giving them the knowledge that they could be safe if they reached beyond their means, they would never have evolved. They would be nothing much more than this grass. Knowing nothing more than to consume nutrients, to grow, and create seeds."
"Yes," Katriah began, "yet there where many who did not loose the need for 'God', and who still cling to idols and temples for answers."
"And even in the unevolved, there are those who won't leave the nest unless forced to do so," Adria countered. "Even if they are able to fend for themselves."
Katriah cast a sidelong look. "It's a natural occurrence, then."
"Quite so. In giving the answer, they no longer look at the question. In giving a hint, they must look at the question to find the answer. A different form of 'parenting', if you will." Adria sat down on the grass, stretched her feet out from under her dress and wriggled her toes in the shoots. "You see, not everyone is meant to evolve, just like not everything is meant to evolve. A rock, for instance."
"A rock? Why not? The possibility exists, doesn't it?"
Adria smiled. "A remote one. But if it took on sentience in the sense of living, it would complicate the scheme of things. How could grass survive if the very source of it's foundation revolted and rejected it? The same could be said for us."
Katriah sat beside her and looked concerned. "What do you mean?"
"If we reject the foundation that we created for this species, how would they be able to survive?" She took Katriahs hand. "If we created a situation, and then refused to support it when it weakened, or reject it completely, then would it not falter and fail? A small portion may grow stronger, but it is a harsh option at best, and only applied when no other method will work. By causing the evolution, we in a sense are responsible for it."
A sardonic grin played across Katriahs face. "In other words, we made the mess, we have to deal with it?" She squeezed Adrias hand and chuckled. "But if we don't want to appear as 'God', how can we act like 'God'? Aren't we showing them the easy way through things?"
"Not quite." Adria motioned to the frozen form behind them. "I didn't give him an answer, I didn't give him security, and I didn't take away any challenges for him. Very much the opposite. If you look into his being, you see what I mean."
Katriah stood up, walked to the side of the figure, still defying gravity. Gently, she touched his arm, and let her being flow into his. She opened her eyes and looked at Adria. "Okay, so you didn't plan out what he is to do, but I still don't get it. He is pursuing an idea, and is elated at the thought of challenge and risk? Isn't creating this behavior dangerous for them?"
Adria rolled over on the grass and rested her chin on her propped hands. "Creative parenting. His path would have made him nothing more than what he began as. Now, he is leaving the nest, so to speak."
A look of understanding and enlightenment flushed over her. "Thus you prompted him to continue to evolve!"
"Exactly such. I gave him a hint, he looked closer at the question, and found a viable answer, all on his own. From here on out, it is up to him. And, he will only ever think of it as his own intuition, not as some 'divine intervention'." Adria smiled again. "This is part of what I wanted you to see, Katriah."
Katriah looked at her, curiosity and confusion mixing in her face. "Part? What's the rest?"
Adria waved her hand. The man began to move again, gaining momentum as time returned to it's normal flow and continued down the road, elated. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, basking in the suns rays, feeling the cool breeze, wriggling her toes in the grass. "Tut, tut, my dear. You have the hint, now you must find your own answer."
Adria looked on approvingly. "And that, my friend, is what we do."
Katriah brushed her hair back from her eyes. A look of confusion filtered across the now visible brow. "You put a crazy idea into his head," she said, with some hesitation. "And now what happens?"
"That, Katriah," Adria whispered, putting a hand on Katriahs shoulder, "is entirely up to him."
Her mouth twisted to the side a little. "I don't get it."
"We only prompt them, not lead them."
"I still don't get it. What's the difference?" Katriah pointed at the figure rushing away, down the road, slowing time till he was caught mid-stride, the toe of his shoe barely touching the ground, hovering in space. She walked towards him, Adria following close behind. "By putting the idea into their heads, an idea that they would not have normally considered on there own except in hindsight or maybe in a daydream, you have changed his future. You forced his path-choice." She quizzically looked up at her mentor. "You lead him to this decision."
Adria sighed. "Not quite." She walked around the floating form, invisible from his senses. She looked deep into his eyes, peering into his soul. "I merely 'suggested' this direction. He took the suggestion, agreed with it, and pursued it." Looking past his head, Adrias gaze met Katriahs. "He could have just as well disagreed, and left it at the wayside. It does happen, from time to time. Some are too dense to know a good idea when it comes to them. But that doesn't happen too often."
Katriah perched her elbow in her hand and nibbled on her finger. "And thus, since they have the opportunity to decide, it's not meddling, is that what you are saying?"
"In a sense, yes."
"But isn't using our knowledge of what they call the 'future' to change their paths, knowing what will happen before it happens to them, isn't that sort of unfair? I mean, shouldn't they learn on their own, through trial and error? If they are given the answers before they learn the value of them, won't it weaken their evolution? What will happen to instinct? The possibility exists for it to happen, if too much 'enlightenment' is applied." She turned to the east and looked at the sun, hanging in the sky. "Isn't this the whole reason that our predecessors decided to end the function of what they call 'God'? Were they not losing their ability to choose wisely on their own?"
Frowning, Adria stepped to her side. "That is different 'God' didn't give them free thought. It gave them security. Like an immortal parent to the race, 'God' answered their questions, soothed their fears, gave everything a meaning they could accept. It was fine to stabilize their species and give them guidance. When the need for 'God' ended, they were able to grow outward on their own." She croutched down and studied a blade of grass. "Without giving them the knowledge that they could be safe if they reached beyond their means, they would never have evolved. They would be nothing much more than this grass. Knowing nothing more than to consume nutrients, to grow, and create seeds."
"Yes," Katriah began, "yet there where many who did not loose the need for 'God', and who still cling to idols and temples for answers."
"And even in the unevolved, there are those who won't leave the nest unless forced to do so," Adria countered. "Even if they are able to fend for themselves."
Katriah cast a sidelong look. "It's a natural occurrence, then."
"Quite so. In giving the answer, they no longer look at the question. In giving a hint, they must look at the question to find the answer. A different form of 'parenting', if you will." Adria sat down on the grass, stretched her feet out from under her dress and wriggled her toes in the shoots. "You see, not everyone is meant to evolve, just like not everything is meant to evolve. A rock, for instance."
"A rock? Why not? The possibility exists, doesn't it?"
Adria smiled. "A remote one. But if it took on sentience in the sense of living, it would complicate the scheme of things. How could grass survive if the very source of it's foundation revolted and rejected it? The same could be said for us."
Katriah sat beside her and looked concerned. "What do you mean?"
"If we reject the foundation that we created for this species, how would they be able to survive?" She took Katriahs hand. "If we created a situation, and then refused to support it when it weakened, or reject it completely, then would it not falter and fail? A small portion may grow stronger, but it is a harsh option at best, and only applied when no other method will work. By causing the evolution, we in a sense are responsible for it."
A sardonic grin played across Katriahs face. "In other words, we made the mess, we have to deal with it?" She squeezed Adrias hand and chuckled. "But if we don't want to appear as 'God', how can we act like 'God'? Aren't we showing them the easy way through things?"
"Not quite." Adria motioned to the frozen form behind them. "I didn't give him an answer, I didn't give him security, and I didn't take away any challenges for him. Very much the opposite. If you look into his being, you see what I mean."
Katriah stood up, walked to the side of the figure, still defying gravity. Gently, she touched his arm, and let her being flow into his. She opened her eyes and looked at Adria. "Okay, so you didn't plan out what he is to do, but I still don't get it. He is pursuing an idea, and is elated at the thought of challenge and risk? Isn't creating this behavior dangerous for them?"
Adria rolled over on the grass and rested her chin on her propped hands. "Creative parenting. His path would have made him nothing more than what he began as. Now, he is leaving the nest, so to speak."
A look of understanding and enlightenment flushed over her. "Thus you prompted him to continue to evolve!"
"Exactly such. I gave him a hint, he looked closer at the question, and found a viable answer, all on his own. From here on out, it is up to him. And, he will only ever think of it as his own intuition, not as some 'divine intervention'." Adria smiled again. "This is part of what I wanted you to see, Katriah."
Katriah looked at her, curiosity and confusion mixing in her face. "Part? What's the rest?"
Adria waved her hand. The man began to move again, gaining momentum as time returned to it's normal flow and continued down the road, elated. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, basking in the suns rays, feeling the cool breeze, wriggling her toes in the grass. "Tut, tut, my dear. You have the hint, now you must find your own answer."
