(Dateline: February 12, 2022) OK, I’m gonna share a little circular vs linear logic with you. And to illustrate (sort of) the point, let’s travel back in time, almost 30 years, to the release of “The Lion King.” Stay with me, and I’ll explain why I’m bringing it up.
That movie is clueless about the importance of circular vs linear logic.
And that’s not surprising, when you consider it’s from Disney…a clueless corporation. Not to mention (but I am), the main players involved in the making of that movie.
One of them was a guy I just talked about a few days ago, Elton John.
Elton took the words, written by a guy named Tim Rice, and composed a hit song for the movie. The chorus to the lyrics say…
“In the circle of life
It’s the wheel of fortune
It’s the leap of faith
And it’s the band of hope
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life”
On the surface, it appears innocent enough. Especially when you hear words like “faith” and “hope.” And the movie uses cute, cuddly, funny, and strong animals to tell the story. So, what’s not to love?
For the record, I don’t have a problem with anybody using cute, cuddly, funny, and strong animals to tell a story.
I just prefer they don’t perpetuate lies.
Especially lies that highlight false “faith” and false “hope.”
The ratio of birth to death, on planet Earth, has always been 1:1. So, if you were born (or hatched, as the case might be), you’ll have to experience death eventually. And here’s where it gets real up in here. You’re not coming back. Not even as a cute, cuddly, funny, or strong animal.
Don’t feel bad. Neither is anybody else.
Why?
Because life is linear. Not circular. And that’s because time is linear. Not circular.
Today…all of past history…will NEVER be repeated. Sure, “Groundhog Day” was a funny movie. But it was a movie! Make believe! Not real! Have I made my point so I can quit yelling?
Every day you live takes you closer to that day when your body will finally run out of energy and fall down for the last time. So, every day leads you somewhere. But it never takes you back where you’ve been. And it never will. And, after you fall down for the last time, time will continue to move in the same direction. You’ll go with it. But…
You won’t be here. You’ll be in the place you chose while you were here. And it will be a permanent choice. So the place you chose will be permanent, too.
Sure, you can disagree with me. But that’s a risk I hope you don’t take.
You won’t be circling back here to planet Earth to get another chance. I know you’ve watched more than one movie where somebody had to save the day and you heard, “We’ve only got once shot at this…” Right? Then, they had to cut the green or red wire. Or they had to make a seemingly impossible jump across a canyon.
Yeah, that’s all symbolic of the very real scenario you and I have to face in life. And that’s why it’s crucial to understand the circular vs linear explanation of life. Because, just like choosing the wrong wire would destroy the hero of the movie, choosing the wrong eternal destination will destroy your chance for eternal happiness.
So, don’t do that.
And the reason I thought about all this today is how February 11th and 12th are connected in a weird way for Elgielene and me. I posted how my mom died on February 11th of last year, 2021. And Elgielene’s mom was born on February 12th, almost a century before that. (She’s gone, too.)
Some might mention the so-called “circle of life” when they hear of things like that. But they’d be wrong. Or, at the very least, confused.
Here’s the linear view, from my song “Carry The Dream”
Someday is comin’ at me like a meteor.
Tomorrow flew by me a few days ago.
I don’t have the time to waste that I used to.
Now I see there may be some things I will never know.
You get once chance. And I encourage you to choose the green wire of life. Make that leap across the deep canyon. And there’s only One Way to be able to do that.
Stay tuned,
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