The Days of Mothers and Fathers Part Two

Written By: Steven Fillmore

Father, is it Lucifer’s temporal curse, or an eternal blessing offered by God which places you and I in possession of minds so penetratingly perceptive? Please, for the benefit of those who’ve been perhaps somewhat wayward, write your answer to that question quickly. Answer quickly before the assistance of your words slips away to where an imagined darkness casts a vagueness upon what the artful searcher seeks, yet assumes he’ll most likely never find.
But while artistic searches were expected to be difficult, wasn’t it surprising to experience such stress while we attempted to accomplish simple daily routines? I think so, and thus just now I’ll extend my sincere gratitude to those who fulfill necessary societal roles. Yet, I feel an obligation to ensure that the fears we’ve found prevalent within what might be termed “everyday living” aren’t forgotten or left undocumented.
And to me, the most serious of such concerns is that often, in momentary lapses of mental discipline, I’ve found myself among killers who killed for reasons so diabolical, selfish and vengeful. And, in tormented days I’ve relived their murders again! And I’ve seen them extracting their deadly toll on battlefields, in gas chambers, in school settings, at various types of parades, rallies, and other outdoor venues, and within the homes of loved ones and others they may or may not have known. But yes, I fear it must also be said that at least one in my memory was actually reconfiguring corpses he’d recently removed from gravesites. And that man was taking those dead bodies back to his old farmhouse where his mother, father and brother had passed away, and where he now lived alone amidst unspeakable horrors. Yet, of course some famous films have been made based upon his exploits.
But dad, you said that “philosophical crutches” could be used to combat the demons about whom I’ve just spoken. Still, I recall you also had reservations concerning my fascination with the fact that all mortals seemed to be but riders on figurative highways. And I know you remember how, in my symbolic way, it seemed I always wished to exit my car if it should need to stop for any reason. And, sometimes I think you thought I wished I could simply jump from that car. But had I jumped from my personal car, perhaps others might then have jumped from theirs also. Fortunately that never occurred, although in my case the roadway seemed treacherous. And today I’m truly sorry for all the mistakes I made, were they completely, or only partially of my fault. But although I’m truly sorry, I wonder about those others – those others whose indiscretions were far more serious than mine – far more serious, yet today they’re considered a part of “society’s good guys,” while some such as myself live on the outside looking in.
And I think it can be said that during the years I spent living with you and mother, my ultimate goal was simply to exist as peacefully as possible on each and every day. And thus I came to believe that my experience of youth wasn’t shared by many other youngsters and young adults. However, my perspective concerning that lifestyle changed over the years, and today I’m supposing that my suppositions concerning life’s reality aren’t really that different from those held by other mortals whose earthly beliefs seem to differ from my own. And isn’t it true that every realization ever realized can’t be overlooked? After all, aren’t deductions often shared and then learned from? Yes, I believe we’ve learned a lot during our earthly days. Yet, longings are always present, and often they lead us toward things, situations, and other humans who for us might prove detrimental.
And I hope I’ve communicated the dilemmas of the previous paragraph in such a manner as has proved them understandable. Oh, they’re so elusive! And, they’re so tempestuous! And, in many ways I think they’re “tied in” to some other quite important matters of current moral speculation. Does it really matter which sex has had its societal role changed the most over the years? Maybe what really matters is that we simply know that there are but two sexes. Yet, I remember that once when asked if human beings are really animals you replied “Well, they’re not plants”!
And I don’t know how much you and mother, as well as all mortals for that matter ever learned about life’s so-called “lessons.” And isn’t “life’s lessons” such a trite phrase? God, it conveys all we as humans must do to navigate our minds, bodies, and souls through ever turbulent timespans. But are we unseen travelers? And are we more likely to find what needs to be found when we act as a group or as an individual? And in a discussion concerning the roles of parents, does the previous sentence simply refer to whether we teach children in schools or at home?
Well, the questions of the past paragraph should instigate debate. But what most would agree upon, I think, is that parents should decide upon a teaching process for their children very early on in the lives of those children. And I’d imagine parents should act more as coaches and less as cheerleaders during those early years of their children’s lives. And I can personally remember all the questions I was seeking at least input about, if not answers to at the time of my youth.
But of course sometimes children won’t listen to parents during those younger years. Sometimes they have those proverbial “minds of their own.” Yet, time of course continues on no matter if we prepare, or do not prepare for its passage. And then one day children become adults. And then most (but not all) of them realize what those older than they have done either rightfully or wrongfully to and for them while they were children.
Well, I guess I’ve stated much conjecture here. Yet, as is the case daily, I’ll once again need to simply carry on today. But today I’ll live on in the enlightenment shown me by you and mother. And I think it can be said that I’ve often disagreed with supposed “worthy and rightful” trends. And I’ve often sought non-conformity as the correct answer to certain dilemmas which have surfaced along my personal, as well as others’ collective paths of life. Nonetheless, today I’m afraid that a newly elected Father, that is, someone who’s recently been chosen to oversee a substantial segment of the Christian religion, is going to tell mankind that it’s good that certain people leave the lands of their birth and then seek sanctuary and enough food to eat in the homelands of others. I hope the new Father will remember that the lives of those who are the rightful citizens of sovereign nations are often placed in peril by those who illegally enter, and then often try to remain inside nations in which they really don’t belong.