Chasing Points and Angles
Or how to reach the top
A mother and a daughter were sitting together. ‘Life was best summed up in words’, the woman believed, and so she had summoned the child to instill in her some of her worldly wisdom.
“Now, Chasey, you’re never too young to learn about life; or the essential parts of it, anyway. It must be so, for life is already happening around you and through you. And thus, I need you to listen to me carefully.”
Chasey, the daughter, nodded. “I will.”
“Good,” the mother said. "Then let's begin…
"As the world goes, there's nothing more than lines and points. It's simple, really, and you mustn't strain your head further over this part. There are lines, points, and the distances between them. Got it?”
"Got it," the girl parroted.
"Good. Now, there are some special points which you must reach; those are called ‘wealth’ or ‘prosperity’. You don’t need to feel troubled if your sight is not upon those points yet, it will come in time. I’m preparing you; I’m making you aware. When it is you among many, it has to be you against many. That's how the story goes; that's how every story goes. From clusters to one, from many to none. Remember."
Chasey nodded. The mother went on.
"Now, to do so, you'll have to go through triangles; always triangles; never circles. There have to be angles, many, many angles. You'll have to chase corners, tips, peaks; to jump from one branch to another, always looking up up UP! You have to see ruin when looking back, otherwise it's not enough. The distance you'll be able to climb depends on the strength of the flame left behind: the more it burns, the further you'll rise. And, after a sea of crumbling, sizzling branches is left behind you, and your eyes burn from the smoke you had to go through, you've made it. You're at the top. You're on top!"
"On top of what?" the girl asked, with innocence on her tongue.
A frown appeared on the mother’s face. "Well, that… of that I'm not so sure about."
The Idea Collector- Thanks for sharing this. Especially the visual. And I also love this part: ""On top of what?" the girl asked, with innocence on her tongue." I feel like this is a question many humans ask in one form and another at some point. Hope you're well? :)