the lost man chronicles
91. let us drink

bibamus, moriendum ~ Controverisae, Seneca Rhetor

"it's inevitable."

nothing's inevitable, just like nothing is impossible—unless, of course, you're already dead. for just as surely as not everything is edible, i would venture to say everything is evitable in the realm of human possibilities.

the only exception is when those prophets of the past abuse it—"it was inevitable." yes, then, certainly, everything is inevitable.

the closest we come to overturning this truth is when we enact a self-fulfilling prophecy or lead-the-witness or play the part of the pessimist who enables doom. then, yes, you can presume that if we get caught up in the vertigo of the viscous circle, a self-propelling catch-22, it will seem to you that things are truly inevitable.

but, if we are truly free, liberated just to be and adjust accordingly to others and mitigating circumstance, then the dance of life rarely proves choreographed.

human interaction seems to prove quite inevitable when we allow ourselves to fall into patterns, adhere inflexibly to routines, or be held prisoner to a schedule. this manifests itself most visibly in terms of our behavior, but it applies most significantly to all that is not visible.

adhering to mores, morality, the prudent pursuit of socially acceptable ideas, and what is commonly thought as "normal" are all cognitive constructs which all lead to the "inevitable."

so, yes, as long as we acquiesce to others and comport ourselves obsequiously we are as inevitable as we are predictable.

the more sophisticated among us will employ moves so smooth that it all seems like a dream that was well rehearsed, for finesse and grace can make things feel that way.

linguistically speaking, most of us use a preset of rules, constructs and mechanisms to convey thought which is consistently fluctuating, and usually interactive. likewise, the most keen of the lot improvise with a preset of rules, constructs and mechanisms which are not limited to the written or spoken word. their recombination of these communicative fixtures—the sashays, the gentle pushes, the persuasive slides which sway and swoon us side-to-side, as if serendipity and synchronicity were alive inside of us as witness and magician—all these wily mechanisms result in a renascent life which is not inevitable because it is original, ingenious, and constantly reinventing itself.

ultimately, if one is liberated from convention, the norm, history, or the dissuasive opinion of others—she is likely to live a rather invigorating, dynamic and positive existence, primarily because she knows and accepts that there is but one inevitability in life—death.

"nothing is certain in life except death and taxes."
~ Benjamin Franklin




the honest crook .90 previous chronicle the beginning next chronicle 92. around the mountain, here she comes


legal l.m