Meme-ories

A pondering briefly tied to a story.

Even animals have tools.  Otters use rocks to break open oysters, elephants use branches to swat flies, and the list goes on. In this regard we, humans, have accomplished nothing unique--our tools are merely more sophisticated, further from the product we originally were presented with. Simple manipulations of matter: that is all that our machines are.

But what of the conception of an idea? That imperceptible molding of the intangible, the invisible. Infinitely more impressive than all our mechanical achievements is our power to control others, and indeed ourselves, by mere suggestion. Theories and beliefs infest the world regularly, contractible only by those foolish enough to hear them--and aren't we all?

These words have parasitically attached themselves to my consciousness, and now you, too, are infected. But I absorbed a much more putrescent disease years ago; the one that has led me to this concrete floor, this gas-station bathroom.

To end it now will be easier than facing the future.

Who conceived that glittering gem that I so voraciously ingested? Like a candy coated razor, I never tasted the metal till it was mixed with the coppery taste of blood. At least, that's what I imagine the end of this gun tastes like--I doubt there's actually any copper in it. Imagination. The same imagination that convinced me that when I'm gone, I'll finally matter, they'll finally care.

I will matter, in their minds, because I will no longer matter--I will be deceased. Gaining significance through a permanent lack of significance.

Society should think through it's memes a bit more thoroughly.

I vomit.

Author's Note

I didn't want it to just be a random musing, so I ended it with a story..did that make it better or worse, in your opinion?

Reviews

[FJ Davis]

Compelling.
The story is quite good; the philosophical musings, even better.
Especially like, "Gaining significance through a permanent lack of significance." This not only applies to death, it also describes modern society's chronic obsession with deifying merit-less masters of meaningless fads.
A wealth of perception, Ben.

[Judy Ponceby]

Hmmmm..........Interesting concept of tools being manipulated material, which all in all is true, but for the need for the idea or concept which spreads as an infection. I'm fascinated by the random musings. The story hits hard as I wasn't expecting such a turn. And yet within it you have another point well thought out that society does not appreciate what it has while it has it. Curious as to what the putrescent disease is....vague ambiguous enough i suppose so the story could "appeal" to more peeps. Hmmmmmm.....fascinating :)