Prologue

A background entry for the author and introduction to concepts that could be discussed at length later.

She twirls for eons, bathed within the heavenly luminescence of her hundred billion sisters. They shine with the wonder that comes to the unlikely observers within, our Milky Way seemingly no different than the rest and yet so very very different. Why? Because we are alive, here, twirling with her in a boundless sky surrounded by and aware of innumerable mysteries so large as to encapsulate the mysticism of our earliest ancestors to the present. Through the ages we have watched the stars glimmer, let them guide us in every sense, and though myth wanes in the shadow of knowledge, we still wonder ceaselessly over answers to both ancient new questions alike.

An Alabama creek, perched upon a massive concrete ditch in the dark of night, is perhaps as likely or unlikely a place to find an eleven-year-old boy as anywhere else. Surrounded by the company of crickets, mosquitoes, and the swaying symphony of a narrow backwood, he found comfort in the familiarity of his numerous trips here. The stars and peace that could be found in the solitude of his creek below the road gave him time to think about things that no one else his age seemed to care about. Philosophy may have been a word too far beyond his grasp yet, but he practiced the concept regularly in his secret spot for days and months on end in his free time, especially after hard days at school.

Alabama provided him with a rich opportunity to grow far beyond the person he could have ever imagined he might be. The creek’s peace seeded within him the capacity to gradually free himself from the common expectations that ensnared his peers and many of the pit falls that befall a group mentality. Though at times this difference put him severely at odds with the children he knew, the punishment that comes with free thought became the forge to prepare his mind for greater wanderings.

That youth continued to grow and define the meanings of his thoughts, creating a life of rules governed by concepts born of questioning everything and accepting new facts, even if at odds with himself. He came to foresee the potential greatness within life as he grew and eventually left behind the woes of a suffocated region that had made him strong. Greatness, he found, is not determined by ambition, money, intelligence, religion, or politics. Greatness is born from taking responsibility for our own actions, having the discipline to move and change ourselves, and finding happiness in a path that makes our lives comfortable while harboring empathy for those around us.

I am that boy, and though I am no one special, I am happy. Whether I’m going to my car or stepping outside for a breath of air, if the stars are alight above me I take a moment to see them. It overwhelms me to know that I am a part of this beautiful universe so vast that it transcends my comprehension. Humans just aren’t built to handle things so large and so vast as the heavens. It breaks my heart to know how so many rob themselves and the universe of its true grandeur and beauty.

None of you have likely heard my name before, and I don’t think my name is important. What is important, unequivocally, is humanity and how it stands upon precipice of marvels that would appear godlike only a few generations in the past. As a people we can look to history to see how advancement has been met with hostility for the fear of the unknown. Positions of power have often manipulated this fear to to inhibit growth in order to preserve a status quo. We have prevailed as a people, but not without catastrophic setbacks. Perhaps one of the best weapons of fear is a benevolent source of self-seeking: religion.

Perhaps you are Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist or any number of thousands of religions that have existed on this planet for just as many years. You may even live more or less by belief that the virtuous and compassionate move on to a new life beyond death regardless of those. Or perhaps only you know the truth of the divine and those beyond you are lost to damnation. No matter what the details of your faith are, religion today exists to serve the betterment of humanity - or it is supposed to.

Problems with the manipulation of fear through religion emerge when spiritual texts are cherry picked for details and given more relevance than other pieces of the text in order to forward campaigns of hate and paranoia. When used as a weapon, religion inflames entire populations to commit horrific crimes against scientific advancement and in doing so, often exclusively, humanity itself. Ancient concepts of good, evil, and countless discrepancies with modern human rights make most religions poor guides to navigate the present day, however, and a smorgasbord of topics to politically manipulate.

I spent my youth in Alabama surrounded by churches, but I found that being a virtuous person does not come from fearing a god or death in order to reach paradise. Being a good person comes from imagining our little planet hanging in space, twirling with our little star and the rest of the Milky Way and still knowing that though you are infinitesimally tiny in its grandiose cosmic ballet, you can still make a difference in bettering someone else’s life and change a piece of the heavens for the better. You can. Whether you believe there is a divine hand in it, by letting fear dominate your motives, you are acting for someone else as opposed to yourself.

What is at stake is us. Our children and children’s children need a light to guide them. Perhaps we should start by looking back to the stars as our ancestors did and know them as they never could - how the atoms in our bodies were forged within a long dead star itself and that we are literally a part of the heavens. Then we should stop to find a new way to live, free, happy, and all full of true greatness so that we may progress without the fear-mongering of politicians and short-sighted zealots.

Together we can move beyond the fear of death and create a world every bit as rich and beautiful as any paradise imaginable. Lets take ourselves there and face our weaknesses.

Author's Note

My first time sharing personal writings in who knows how many years.

Reviews

[JMKane117]

I'm sharing my writings for the first time too after a long time of practice, and I can tell you're doing the same. Your writing is evidently very practiced. I'm not sure what kind of story you intend this to be the prologue for, but you did capture my attention and I would really like to read on. I also really love cosmology so there's that.
As for how you might want to improve this:
The first paragraph is interestingly written in that you use long sentences to express ideas. That delays a clear introduction who, what, where, when, why etc. It read as smoothly as the rest, but it did little to really engage the reader to the situation. It did introduce readers to "your" type of thinking, but didn't really work in the traditional story telling way. I'm conflicted about your opening, because I really like it, but from a story telling perspective, it doesn't work so well.
When you switch to religion, the switch is sudden. Which doesn't flow well. Try easing into it. A prologue can be long if you need it to be.

(None of you have likely heard my name before, and I don’t think my name is important. What is important, unequivocally, is....) This line seems to preachy and follows a similar tone that diverges from the beginning. The tone takes on a telling voice after this line (by telling I mean you're just telling people right from wrong or giving them facts about your story rather than showing them).

Hope it helps. I'm looking forward to what's next. Thanks for sharing!