A Fold in the Map

 

On the window ledge sits a jar.  There is nothing inside of the jar, it is just an empty jar.  Also on the window ledge is a small bug.  The bug is not inside the jar but just next to it on the same ledge.

The sun shining in the window lights up both the jar and the bug.  The bug is aware of the jar and can see into the jar, but it doesn’t understand glass.  It just knows there is a transparent wall between itself and the inside of the jar.

The bug doesn’t see any food in the jar but is still curious and wants to get inside.  The sides of the jar are tall, in comparison to the size of the bug, they are smooth and not easily climbed, but the bug keeps trying.

Then, on the opposite side of the jar appears a spider.  The bug is unaware that the jar is making the spider look much larger than it really is.  In fact, it looks massive.  The bug has never seen such a monster.

Meanwhile, because of the distortion of the glass, the spider thinks she is seeing an army of beetles.  It looks as though they are taking up the entire window ledge on the opposite side of the jar.  There are too many to count.  Never has she seen so many bugs together like that.

Earth is our window ledge and the sun’s rays are giving us light and keeping us warm.  When we look up, we think, never have I ever seen so many stars.  Look at all those.  There must be thousands upon thousands.

Gravity is the side of the jar.  We build our rockets in an attempt to climb up the side, but we’ll only get so far and slide back down.

To our view, the universe appears massive.  Never have we seen something so big.  There is so much we don’t understand, and yet we keep trying to scale the side of the jar.

I sat here just now because I felt like writing, but as you can see, I had no direction in mind.  I created a window, a jar and two life-forms.  I put them in a situation and then compared them to us and our situation, but because I began this hike before putting my shoes on, I now find myself a little concerned about continuing.

I have left my map in my other jacket and having no direction is like working in zero gravity.  Just for a second, I let go of my pen and the thing floats away.  That is not at all helpful.  Even if I had remembered the stupid map, the last time I used it, I mistook a crease to be a river, so I turned around and went the other way.  That’s two days I’ll never get back.