-Caveat Lector- All: I wrote the bulk of the short essay below several years ago (1994) in response to an assignment in a college literature course. Although I have edited it to reflect present tense, the essential message has remained unchanged. With all the talk of gun control in response to our latest school killings, I thought it was appropriate for discussion--if not somewhat prophetic. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Off To The Races? Picture in your mind a huge circular racetrack. Not just any racetrack, this one is three-dimensional, with multiple levels, one above the other. You are running wildly down the center of the track, with approximately one hundred-million lanes on either side of you. Within each lane, there is a person just like you, running with equal intensity--in fact, it appears that they are chasing you. All are running clockwise along this circular racetrack in relays which are typically eight hours long. The race itself, however, lasts a lifetime. Off to the left of the track is a nameless and fearful void. Off to the right, and center of the track, is a dung pit. The sole objective of all members of the race, appearing in each lane and somehow just out of reach, is a big green carrot. Catch the carrot and you "win" the race. On each progressively higher level of the racetrack, there is a progressively bigger carrot to chase. From where you are, and from a distance, it appears that the lane just above you is moving slower and therefore will facilitate the easier capture of the larger carrot. If you run fast enough and step over enough people on your way, you may graduate to the next highest level, in hopeful pursuit of the larger green carrot. Even so, total concentration on your part will be required in order to catch either of the carrots on any of the levels, including the level you are on. Therefore, all other priorities, such as family and friends, must fall by the wayside in your relentless pursuit of the carrot. Onward and upward you tumble, pursuing the ever larger carrot, until at the end of your life you begin to slow down, and finally stop running in exhaustion. The guardians of the track, in their infinite compassion, sense your dilemma and have your lifeless body tossed over the side of the track, into the dung pit. If this sounds crazy to you, you will understand what it is that drives so many of us crazy at the end of our "race." Replace the last three letters of "carrot" with "eer" and you will understand why it is so crazy for us to be runners in this "race." For all of our lives, we are in service to our employers in pursuit of our "careers," while placing the needs of our families in a lessor priority. At the end of our useful lives, the time when we are most in need, our employers will toss us into the proverbial dung pit. If that wouldn't make anyone crazy, nothing could! At the end of my life, I am not going to ask myself whether I had spent enough time at work, but whether I have contributed to life through my family and friends. I am not going to worry about whether I "owned" the finest car or the biggest house, but rather did I leave my family secure, or saddled with overwhelming debt. Nowhere on the planet is there a better example of misplaced priority than in America. Every morning, approximately two hundred-million of us march off to the "races", armed with cellular phones, beepers, fax machines, and laptop computers to pursue the carrot. The only problem is, we leave our families at home to fend for themselves. Why is it a wonder to us then, when we have to leave work to get our kids out of jail or out of the morgue. Maybe I am crazy, screaming "wake up" so loudly, but I don't think so. Our lives follow a linear course from beginning to end, not along an endless circle. So who then, is operating under the illusion of fulfillment through a "career." Edward ><> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "From the rage of today's downtrodden comes the revenge of tomorrow's revolutionary force." Edward Britton ><> http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5285/connector1.html Reality Pump: http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Reality_Pump2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
