Innocents In The Sun

            Written By:  Rashon Leyf     

            As those of you who’ve read Mayor Jennifer’s and Orlon Braem’s companion pieces to this one know, I’ve been asked to write what perhaps could be looked upon as (but isn’t really) an answer to those pieces. Well, first of all, I’m in complete agreement with all the mayor and Orlon had to say in those writings. But my job, in this piece, as I understand it, will be to give the so-called “common man’s,” as well as what we might term the uninformed citizen’s responses to modern day American life, and to be somewhat creative; that is to wander off into such nonsense as often clouds the seriousness of life around all earthly mortals. But I hope we don’t stray too far afield! Our goal is to acknowledge both “the common” and “the bizarre.”

            And I suppose I could start with many different approaches here, but I’ll begin by stating that sometimes as I stare out at the traffic in my city, my mind wanders backward to all the good and evil I’ve known. And I know that the flow of vehicles going by me represents time’s passage; and I understand that both good and evil are travelling there. And, as referenced in the first paragraph of this piece, the common and the creative are represented there also. But I suppose we’d expect to encounter more commoners than creative types along life’s roadways. Still, supposedly the highways are open, and supposedly all types of travelers may travel there.

            So, I salute those who through their time and effort keep America functioning. And how much they do, or feel they should know concerning life in the real world around them, I’ll leave to their discretion. But here’s a written piece for those who, for one reason or another, are living either their own, or someone else’s definition of reality. Yet, in this piece I’ll not guess concerning decisions made about lifestyles. I don’t believe that writers can function amidst mere retellings of certain people’s sameness.

            But I suppose commonplaceness does “rule the day” as most days are lived. Still, the bizarre and the extraordinary do occur. So, in this written piece, let’s honor both the socially expected and non-expected personalities of so-called “innocents in the sun.”
            And thus I say “Generate, transmit, and reflect.” And I say those words because they are commands whose radiance supplies my eyes with sights to see. And I feel I’m not boastful when I say I have the courage to grant those mandates the chance to symbolize a Godly Trinity. And, oh yes. I believe they are one; that is they are three factors of divinity combined as one.

            But flames, lamps, and stars can’t shine greatly enough for those who truly love the sun. And although certain scriptures tell us not to love the sun and its illumined world, still, we know there are many worldly lovers. And we also know that certain loves appear brighter amongst the various loves of the world; and such loves are most often shone us through words which describe love lovingly.

            But I don’t want to lose my guiding thread here. I need to champion the resoluteness and the acceptability of the common man. And yet, the other side of commonness beckons!

            Oh, forgive me! I’m looking unpreparedly now toward the void. And now I’m seeing sights associated with night. And, oh God, I’m experiencing them as they exist within an evening’s blackness which consists of a poor pithy lack of light in which ghosts dance in the warm summer darkness. Oh, be careful! They say Lucifer sometimes seeks refuge from his tiresome pursuits here.

Yet, in the middle of this particular night I’ve walked from my north side home to the river. And all is quiet here. But now I see someone standing alone in what I’ll describe as a “distortion of shadows.”

“Who are the real strangers?” He asks of me without introducing himself.

“Those who live strangely,” I answered.

“You’re incorrect” replied my inquisitor. “The real strangers are those mortals who live their lives in such a fashion as they believe will engender individualism, give it life, and spread it throughout the commonwealth of man.”

“Oh, but don’t most people want to read their romance novels instead,” I asked?

“Diversions from the reality of pain aren’t any more real than false encounters with what most term the unexpected or even the deviant,” he answered.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Look at the river” he said. “Now in your mind imagine that a light shines from a lighthouse on the far side of the water.”

I attempted to do so, but saw no light. “Everything out on the river still seems dark,” I said.

“Then perhaps you’re one of those whose perceptions need encouragement,” he replied. And having said that he reached into his pocket and produced a book of matches, from which he lit one and quickly raised it into the air above our heads. And I was frankly surprised that his fast movement of the match didn’t extinguish its flame. Nonetheless, it remained lit, and while holding it above himself he spoke these words which I’ll never forget:  “Those of you who live in what surely is a real world, show now your courage and conviction of purpose. The mortal before me here, has, in my opinion, been chosen to learn the lessons of actual reality.” And with that said, he lowered the match from above himself, extinguished it, and for a moment stood motionless and without communication in the darkness. And then suddenly my new acquaintance broke the silence and said, “Look now, out there on the water.”

And as I did so, the breath of life nearly left me! I saw two people moving inward toward me. They were walking on the water!

“Who are those people?” I asked in fear.

“They aren’t really people” answered my new acquaintance. “They’re representations of the two choices, right and wrong, which all mortals must choose from before they take any action, no matter how great or small, on this side of eternity.”

And the words I exchanged with those non-people (yes, they could talk!) shouldn’t need to be repeated here. But of course our conversation reinforced the simple fact that humans must make correct choices while they’re yet alive upon Planet Earth. And now I’d like to end this piece with a quote made by the representation of correct choices. He said he’d read this quote somewhere (so I guess these particular non-people could also read!). The quote he’d read and remembered was:  “Those who try to reach backward into time to change people’s belief in the verifiably truthful manner in which any developments occurred; or to ‘spin, re-spin’ or change rightful conclusions people have drawn as a result of those developments, are time’s real fools.”