Sun. Oct 22: Conversations with Gub, 4

CONV WITH GUB 4
Me: What’s it all about, Gub?

Gub: What’s my name backwards?

Me: Bug?

Gub: Lots of bugs in the world, lots of beetles. Lots and lots of beetles, doing their business, eating up dead things, reproducing, keeping their part of the Life On Earth bargain up. That’s what it’s all about: being a good beetle.

Me: And singing, like the Beatles?

Gub: Creative and happy: what do you think?

Me: Yeah. That’s a good part of it.

Gub: Look at it this way: human beings can use their creativity to make billions of more people and totally exhaust the earth, and probably extinguish themselves. Or they can reign the baby making in a bit, give up this idea of growth and more people making the world go around, and go for quality and creativity in song and dance and smiling and talking.

Me: Talking?

Gub: Yeah. What if every time you talked to Marlie you invented a slightly different way of looking at things, or speaking, or listening.

Me: Ruts.

Gub: Yeah, ruts or creative. It’s your Feldenkrais stuff: compulsive or spontaneous. People get a little loose and their spontaneity goes into making babies, which is how you guys are programmed. And maybe it’s time for new programs, what do you think?

Me: Sounds good to me.

Gub: So, what do you think it’s all about?

Me: Getting outside and being happy. Being kind to others and being happy. Being kind and silent in our own minds and being happy. Taking care of the Earth and being happy.

Gub: See. Good outdoor beetles, doing our job.

Me: What’s your job?

Gub: To talk to you when you talk to me.

Me: What’s my job?

Gub: For you to decide.

Me: Hmm. That sounds good.

Gub: Sure. How would you like to be a good beetle, a happy beetle, as you say, today?

Me: Or a creative beetle.

Gub: Or a creative and happy beetle.

Me: Sounds almost too easy.

Gub: That’s the beetle: not too fancy. The more simple ways of all your stuff – being happy, being kind, being outside—that people can find, the better their chances to stop wrecking their Earth and start repairing both the Earth and their own lives.

Me: Do you think there’s a chance for humanity?

Gub: Sure. Don’t you?

Me: Some days I do.

Gub: Well. Don’t think too much. Get out and live. It looks beautiful today. Be sane and happy and enjoy it.

Copyright 2006 Chris Elms