Hump Day

It's Wednesday. Tomorrow is my Friday since I only work four days per week. The ten hour days are long, but the three day weekend makes it all worthwhile.
Truly, I have nothing to say at the moment. My mind contains black and white static-fuzz, probably because I've been sitting in front of a dual computer monitor for 6 hours straight and I need to go outdoors for a few minutes. Get some oxygen into my blood.

I want this blog to change my life. I want to write meaningful things - not just self-indulgent drivel. I hope you'll indulge me while I work up to the intellectually brilliant output I hope will emerge.... It may take some outpouring of sludge before that occurs. My ego wants to make its mark on the world. My lazier self doesn't want to work very hard, though.

Really, in most areas of my life I want to do whatever is the equivalent to winning hundreds of millions of dollars in Powerball. Minimal effort, maximum return. Where the hell is my trust fund? This is known as a sense of entitlement. It's hard being poor and still retaining this desire for... well... a lot.

Next lifetime perhaps.

The Myth of Ur, Plato's Republic (introduced to me by Jim, who I won't discuss herein) illustrates the idea that we each had an opportunity to choose this life we're living. However, before we became embodied we were made to forget the fact that we'd selected this particular existence.

In that scheme, I assume that I was previously a really, really, ridiculously good looking supermodel with outlandish wealth and countless friends, not to mention infallible self-esteem. Everything I tried turned out as I hoped; and though life was pleasant it was not much of a challenge. At the end of this time of ease and joy I devised a plan to learn more through my next life journey. Thus, this.

I sometimes imagine that in my next life I would like to be a fluffy, well-tempered, smart, beloved pet dog or cat. The downside of choosing to be a dog or a cat is that I'm not sure that a dog or a cat wishes to be something else. I think that's a purely human trait - the dreaming of being OTHER. So... in that scenario, I would forever remain a pet.

I mean, from my perspective right now, being a pet forever and ever, over and over again, doesn't sound appealing. Being a pet for one lifetime, as sort of a rest period, would be nice. But I don't get to choose for the next several lifetimes. Just the upcoming one, right? So, if a dog always wants to be a dog and a cat always wants to be a cat, I'd be stuck.

On the other hand, if I were a dog or a cat, and I was happy being a dog or a cat, and I didn't have the cognitive ability to imagine myself otherwise, would it matter that in my current awareness being a house-pet forever doesn't sound like the perfect answer? After this life I will, assuming things go the way of Ur, have a completely different consciousness - maybe one that thinks being a pet mammal forever is really the way to exist joyfully. Do pets achieve enlightenment?

My dog enjoys the same games and the same petting day after day. Or does he? Maybe he longs for fancier foods and agility training and canine massage, but has no means by which to express these wishes. Ugh. One more vat of worry and guilt. How conscious is my dog?

Maybe he does want to be something else in his next life, but he arrives at the opportunity with only "Woof!" He's destined to be a fluffy-dog over and over again simply for lack of communicative ability. Maybe he doesn't know he wants to be something else, but if he were given one day to be human he'd understand his options better. How conscious is my dog? How awake are you and I?

You have to think these things through. Choices have consequences.