Lets imagine all we all decided to play a Game in which we are all broken within and then try our best to pretend this isn’t whats happening. What do you get? Apart from an exceedingly accurate representation of most on the planet at the moment in terms of their inner realms? What if those who are really, really good at wearing the mask and going through the motions end up with the booby prize:
A life they don’t truly enjoy living. Have you ever wondered why this is? You are a puzzle only you can solve, my friend.
Now, lets pretend that there are an intrepid few who remember this and tune their minds to another resonance then veer off the default mode of operation and try something different and fresh. They actually look within. That means no more self deception, coping mechs and the good old fashioned “When I get X, Y and Z then life will be perfect!” style of thinking. They simply recollect with a grin:
“Wait a minute. I recall the small print and it said something like “You’ll be thrust into a realm that is an illusion but on top of this trick there will be countless more deceptions and the greatest liar will be the voice in your head that tries to tell you its one way when its actually something else“. He turns to his friend and says “Do you remember this?“. Neither shaking nor nodding his head as he feels like he’s grasping within at something that evades his grip. He replies:
“Wait, was that it? Are you sure? I could’ve sworn it was… I don’t know. Not certain. Hmm, let me think about it”. The pair sit and ponder the premise and decide to flip the script:
“Well, look around. Everyone we know is miserable and we’ve got an immense social circle. All of them are addicted to something ranging from drugs to acclaim as well as attention and status. In effect they’re begging for something from someone who is as broke as them“.
“Maybe broken would be more appropriate?”.
“Maybe, maybe. Hey, come to think of it I remembered something else from the small print we signed before we accepted this mission“.
“Mission? Is that what you’re calling it? OK, OK, cool. I’m interested. Lets hear it then”.
“It said we would be thrust into something perfect but we would actually be broken and because the construct is a reflection of the captives then that reflection would be shattered so the outside matches the in“.
“Yeah, you know what that does sound familiar. Something along the lines of an experiment to see if we could be placed in a personalized hell and have enough wits to discern the difference because, for all intents and purposes, it would seem quite heavenly until… Until… What was that last bit again?”.
“Until you looked within. Then you’d spot the fracture and true cause of the problems“.
The boy leaps up from the ground where he and his equally unemployed friend had been laying as they watch the clouds drift. Neither had ever held down a steady job or pursued higher education. They simply felt no need for it because as long as the basics were met there were plenty of other options worth exploring. It just so happened that on this particular day they were waiting for a lift they’d mooched off a kid that said he’d be there in five, ten minutes ago. Not that this concerned them. After all, any day that ended in a Y they had nothing to do but enjoy the view, maybe sip a brew and generally watch the world go by and see which girls smile when they said “Hi!”.
To most on the outside looking in they looked like the deleterious flotsam and jetsam of the world. The raff that was riffing as parents pointed them out to their children:
“If you don’t do good in school you’ll end up like them!“.
Ironically they thought those who ran the treadmill were morons because their needs were so simple in comparison to the huge amount of hoop jumping the rest engage in just to have a tiny slice of freedom at the end of a shift to watch some TV then drift.
“You know I always wondered about this and really think I’m onto something”.
“As opposed to what? Being on something? Have you been holding out? Are you tripping? Is that why you’re thinking like this?” his friend stated as he perked up his attention.
“No, no. Nothing like that besides whats the point in flying high by yourself. You know the script. No, this was something that popped in my mind last night just before I went to bed. I was lying there tossing and turning…”.
“As opposed to tossing and tossing, as per usual?”.
“Standard, but just before I went to kip there was a booming voice that said “Remember why you’re here!“. Man, I pretty much leapt out of bed but I knew it was in my head”.
“I knew it. You have been on something. Or were you giving those Magic Markers a sniff again? Hoo, I really liked the smell of them” he added as he floated off on recollection of the feeling of heatwaves blurring his visions as his nerves tingled within due to the heady aroma of solvents entering his nostrils a few years previous whilst still in the grip of the mandated camp of concentration where they first met.
“No man, look I told you, once this fool gets here with a lift we can go see that guy about the thing and, hopefully, if that works out the dude on the other end of town says he’s got a link that knows a girl thats interested but the best thing is she’s hooked in to the circuit. Why am I telling you this? You already know the script. Man, your short term memory is fished. Anyway, the voice said that and I’ve been thinking about it ever since and only stopped when I started watching the clouds and then, just like that, it popped up again. We’re in something and came here to do something and its definitely not any of this that the rest invest in. What was it?“.
“We came to fix what was broken” his friend added.
“Exactly, thats exactly it. How the hell did you know this?”.
“I dunno. The cloud told me as it was passing, look, look quick at that one. Can you see it?” he said whilst gesticulating. “It looks like a hand throwing a brick and the other ones got a hole in it”.
He looked up at the clouds and saw exactly what he meant. “Wait a minute, look closely. All of those clouds are one thing so, in reality, its throwing it at itself. Wow“. He sat down and let the metaphysical musing sink to his depths and then heard his friend chip in:
“Do you think those clouds ever look down at us people, our roads and things and make up their own stories about our antics? Wouldn’t that be something?”.
Just at that moment they heard a horn blow as their ride arrived so they got up and clambered in to the rusty, dusty wagon that had seen better days but was, to them, like a chariot. “Listen” they both said as they filled the newcomer in on the sketch of their little tete-a-tete. The response was predictable:
“You holding? Got anything left? What is it? Actually why the hell am I driving you round like a personal taxi if you’re already lifted?” said the driver, worried he was missing out on something.
“No, no. Not yet anyway and you know we’ll take care of you once we handle these things, that biz and if she can swing us a couple of tickets and a link. No worries, you know we always come through”. “At least 8 times out of ten” his friend interjected, with a look, encouraging. They each added more elements to the mix and the inspiration that came from the question that was asked inside one head whilst drifting was the topic of discussion for this road trip:
“Thing is it wasn’t like anything regular. First there was a sonic boom type vibration effect and thats when the voice yelled “Remember why you’re here!” without a word being said. At first I thought I was dreaming but then I’d only just got into bed”.
“Something wrong with your head”.
“Thats for certain and you ain’t the first to say that because people always wondered what my source of unlimited happiness is. None of this is worth a thing to me. It really isn’t. Its just a load of busy work and huge distraction from the true business of living“.
“Which is?”.
“Succulent titty meats and freedom. Sure the more of the latter you get the easier the former is but thats a crazy kind of addiction as its like putting yourself in bondage in order to buy freedom. It doesn’t appeal”.
“Never did”.
“Even though its got some things I wanted”.
“A few extra titties never hurted”. Three heads nodded in assent as they privately pondered their purpose as their rust bucket was hurtling toward the destination.
“Its like that guy, you know the one who lives on the other side of the ends. What is he now? Fifty? Sixty? Something ancient and he’s finally got himself a fly new Benz after nearly working himself to death. “Whats the point now?” I asked him. “Your skin is all wrinkled and even if you got some top flight trim you wouldn’t know what to do with it so you should let me take it out for a spin so I can do it justice”.
“Smooth, real smooth pitch. No wonder you can’t hold down any form of gainful employment” said the driver who, technically, was in the same boat as them but liked to think different as he had a set of wheels and that repped freedom and a bit of prestige as well. “If I’m being entirely honest though you did hit it on the head. I only pay the bills to keep this running in order to get easier access to trim as well”.
“Cash, ass or grass” came the familiar refrain with a grin.
“See what I’m saying? Its all about sex. It always has been, always will. We’re just a step ahead of them as we figured out thats what the point in leaping through the hoops and doing the good husband or relationship thing when all it takes is a “Hi!” and a smile to see if she’s interested”.
“His name ain’t Bob, nor is he your Uncle but he’ll roger your missus if she lets him” said the one from the back as they all fell about laughing.
“You know what, I think you may be onto something. At first I thought yous twos were wrecked off your box but this is some deep triz and its really got me thinking. In that case, yeah, they’re all doing laps and we just cut across the midfield because there ain’t no rules that say you can’t do this“.
“Exactly, exactly”.
The waves of consciousness may have been in three separate domes of flesh inside a chunk of metal that was chuntering down the expressway on a planet that was doing its own thing as it spins and orbits a fireball in the midst of a vacuum but, for that moment, they were all in sync with a higher state of consciousness.
“Tell him about the broken bit“.
“Wait, wait, wait, let me guess. They’re all broken and stressed because they’re trying to get ahead and they look at us as being broke yet chilled and think we’ve got the problem“.
“That’s it, that’s it. I knew you’d hear it on FM. That’s why we’re friends. Look, think about it, between us we barely have a pot to piss in nor a window to sling and yet all day, every day we do what we wish, every word is true spit and we’ve been with all kinda gel as well. Even some that were filthy rich. Well, more in the bank balance than the sheets cos she was so wildly repressed with that straight up starfish sex”.
“True, but she drove us all over in her Six and it was all expenses paid plus full access to the crib while she was working. Take one for the team and all the rest plus the fridge was always filled and as much drinks as you can handle”.
“Actually, come to think of it, how come the girls from the ends that are broke as us all give great head all night as long as you let them burn and twist as much as they wish and are generally so much more open? Is it because they feel more comfortable in their skin or are those career women just totally uptight everywhere but where you wish because they’re so out of touch with their feelings due to always living inside their heads?”.
“A bit of column A and column B, methinks”. The driver interjects:
“Let me recap this, yeah, we’re all broken and they don’t know it so they run around trying to fill their lives with things to do and believe in so they can hide the fact that they’re miserable whereas we realize this, on some level, and see all that as pointless as our only focus is getting lifted, having sex and generally shullbitting as we kick it round the ends?”.
“Exactly, exactly” he said. “I’m telling you, this is some profound ting we’ve stumbled on. Its like you are a problem only you can fix but to even know thats impossible cos its so well hidden but we spotted it as we own our time instead of the flip. Pull up here on the left, we’ll walk the rest”.
“Aight, cool. Gimme that fiver you promised” he said making the universal hand motion for remuneration. “Rinsed, bruv. Why you think we had to mission? I told you you’ll get it when we’re sorted plus you know we’re good for it. Besides all that Knowledge I just dropped on your head you should pay me a tenner instead”.
The laughter rang out followed by a “True said” as they watched their community chariot make its way down the lane leaving a light trail of smoke and noise pollution in its wake as they went about their daily escapades.
Thing is nobody serving the life sentence (up until scheduled release into a pension) of nine to fiving would ever consider this as they were so busy hemming in their freedom for reasons beyond them and thus none ever questioned the true premise of the working vacation they’d taken to this realm where flesh was wrapped around their sentience and the world presents itself as an enigma wrapped in a riddle that was actually the puzzle that this trio continued to solve that evening for they may have been poor of pocket but they were astoundingly rich in Spirit and overflowing with imaginative thinking that they used frequently to make 1 + 1 = 11 for the near constant celebrations that defined their existence in this realm.
Tune in next time for more adventures of the three mashed up peers as they collectively ponder the vagaries of life, death, women, wine and everything in between in the way only a mind of a teen can as they kick the ballistics whilst motoring from one mission to the next in a tin can that was held together with optimism and luck plus fueled by an elixir that always seemed to provide just what they needed and when.
Till we meet again
