joegoda: (Default)
joegoda ([personal profile] joegoda) wrote2004-12-23 09:45 pm

Just a lil story -- kinda pertinent

Many years ago, there was a man whose life had turned badly. He lost his wife, he lost his job, he lost his car, he lost.. everything that mattered to him. He was despondent and angry and depressed. He decided to make a pilgrimage to the highest mount and demand an answer from the Universe why his life had turned out so badly.

He booked passage on a freighter going to the orient, and sure enough, his ticket was blown away by the first strong breeze. His money was gone, having been spent on the ticket.. he had no more. He talked to the captain and was allowed to work his way across the ocean in the bowels of the ship, oiling the bilge pump.

Once across the ocean, he left the ship and was immediately robbed. Though he had no money, he had shoes, and so the robbers took those... and his shirt.

Still he trudged on, determined to find answers, so strongly did he burn with questions!

On and on, through cold, through night, through hunger. He became somewhat of a legend, the crazy white man with no shoes and shirt. Eventually the robbers found he had nothing to rob, so they left him alone. Especially since he started to growl a very disturbing growl when anyone came near him.

Up and up, through cold, through night, through madness. After many months of living on bugs and roots, of drinking from cold mountain streams that were downstream from where the animals.. well.. you get the idea.. He reached the top of the highest mountain in the Himalayan mounts. He stood straight and tall on the toppest mount there was, raised his arms above his head and shouted. "Why?? Why?? All my life I've tried to live a good life, be a good man, do things proper and right, and all I got from it was misery! Why?? Why??!!"

and the Universe said.....

nothing.

Once again, the man said "I demand an answer! I have gone through trials and tribulations beyond endurance to be here! I have suffered and starved and now I want an answer! It isn't fair what I've gone through! It just isn't fair!"

This time, the clouds parted. The Thunder rolled. The Lightning flashed.. or maybe the lightning flashed before the thunder.. special effects are soo tricky.

Regardless, the sky opened up and revealed the utmost darkness of the Universe and from the depths of the darkness a voice boomed out and said:

"Oh? It's not? I'm sorry."

Re: four stars for the story

[identity profile] joegoda.livejournal.com 2004-12-24 08:11 am (UTC)(link)
Speakin of Cat's Cradle.. I posted a link on my log somewhere's here that points to a page that has the entire book of Bokonon... yep... Darned glad I get to meet you, m'dear

Re: four stars for the story

[identity profile] sarahwarafofera.livejournal.com 2004-12-25 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
ooo, i'll have to look it up. i just got "palm sunday" (also by vonnegut)...have you read it?

Re: four stars for the story

[identity profile] joegoda.livejournal.com 2004-12-25 08:09 am (UTC)(link)
Nope..not Palm sunday.. Vonnegut and I have a dancing relationship. I read his books when they find their way into my hands, otherwise we don't speak much. He's from Indianapolis, about 55 miles away from where I was born, so we think way way too much alike.

I have a link for you:
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Bokononism