Strawberry letter number 14
Hello my Dear:
I remind you that the purpose of this exercise is to let you KNOW MY MIND as we approach our wedding day. I think if you look back (have you been saving them?) youll see that this experiment has been successful.
I have two pressing points to discuss: Religion and Ambition. I have been thinking about both a lot, lately. Somehow, they seem appropriate topics for our present condition. While I reserve the right to elaborate on these topics in future discussions, and even redact portions of what I write, sua sponte, I think you will find, here, a broad description of my feelings so far. Remember, always, that I love you, and that what I say is not an attack of your beliefs; it is only a description of mine.
AMBITION: They call it the vice of kings in literature. 80% of references in Bartletts Quotations describe it as folly. I see this distinction: ambition in competition is necessary, while ambition in real life is a sin. Jesse Owens was an ambitious athelete who broke ridiculous color barriers. He is a hero. Donald Trump is an ambitious asshole who survived his nefarious past by manipulating the media. He is a villain.
In our life together, my ambition is to help and enlighten as many poor fuckers in court as possible. My ambition is to care for you. My ambition is to make your life as painless and memorable as possible, so that, when the time comes, you will feel the joy of a life well-lived. In an effort to achieve these goals, I have tried many tactics. Some have failed, but some have succeeded. (BTW, failure and success are a different topic altogether, and I reserve the right to discuss them in Strawberry letter number 15, if necessary.)
I think, for too many other people, ambition means getting ahead in the game of life. I said game because many people, much to my chagrin, view life as a competition. This explains the clear distinction between those who view ambition as a good thing, and those who view ambition as a bad thing. If life is a game, then ambition is a good thing. If life is not a game, then ambition is a bad thing. (Do I have to draw a Venn diagram, for Christs sake?)
I do not view life as a game. It is much more important than a game, to me. Life is a gift from the Architect of the Universe, those fuckers in Alexandria might say. It is a duty to act accordingly. In accordance with most accepted philosophies, Life is not a challenge to beat the competition. It is a call to the fellowship of man on this spinning wet rock. This is why neither one of us sees me as ambitious.
RELIGION: I have told you that, years ago, I received a copy of the Koran from a blind Yemenis prince in college. Saleh had his eyes ripped out for some cultural affront in his home country. Had he seen something forbidden? Why would his enemies have RIPPED HIS FUCKING EYES OUT? Was he a criminal or a traitor, or just part of an aristocracy loathed by rebels? At any rate, because he couldnt see, I read to him many evenings. I tried to explain nuances in English translations that would enlighten him. He would ask questions about culture, women, American politics, and television (which he could not see.) At the end of the year, he gave me a copy of the Koran. I, of course, never read it, but I was moved by the gesture, explained by him this way: people do not buy the Koran; it must be given to them.
The distinction between the Koran and other great texts of Earths religions is that it is the direct word of God, channeled through Mohammed the prophet. You cant walk into a Borders and buy the word of God. It must be received. So I was grateful to Saleh, even though I think his views (no pun intended) were totally counter-intuitive.
We, of course, are Catholics. We eat like Catholics. We shit like Catholics (at least, I do.) We fuck like Catholics. I am very attuned to Catholicism because it makes sense to me on a metaphorical level. I want to judge our society by how it treats the least among us. I want to adhere to the beatitudes. I want to be just like J.C.: a subversive on a quest to expose the status quo.
Do I believe all that Catholicism teaches? No. I think much truth has been lost to history. I cant believe in untruths. But I am moved by the blood of the everlasting covenant. I used to nudge you when they said it. I think you and I are a part of that everlasting covenant. I BELIEVE you and I are a part of that everlasting covenant. Therefore, Im a Catholic.
Nevertheless, I cant help feel the tug of this thought: religion is a contagion among rational organisms. It spreads like a virus. We do not choose our religion, our religions choose us. It may be an inherited trait. It may be a product of our environment. At any rate, it is not strictly a product of free will.
I have no problem with religions as viruses spread among the masses, as long as the most beneficent virus wins out. This is why I support Catholicism. I believe it is the most beneficial virus around.
I love you, Molly. I want to discuss these matters further. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Shuggies Ghost.
Hello my Dear:
I remind you that the purpose of this exercise is to let you KNOW MY MIND as we approach our wedding day. I think if you look back (have you been saving them?) youll see that this experiment has been successful.
I have two pressing points to discuss: Religion and Ambition. I have been thinking about both a lot, lately. Somehow, they seem appropriate topics for our present condition. While I reserve the right to elaborate on these topics in future discussions, and even redact portions of what I write, sua sponte, I think you will find, here, a broad description of my feelings so far. Remember, always, that I love you, and that what I say is not an attack of your beliefs; it is only a description of mine.
AMBITION: They call it the vice of kings in literature. 80% of references in Bartletts Quotations describe it as folly. I see this distinction: ambition in competition is necessary, while ambition in real life is a sin. Jesse Owens was an ambitious athelete who broke ridiculous color barriers. He is a hero. Donald Trump is an ambitious asshole who survived his nefarious past by manipulating the media. He is a villain.
In our life together, my ambition is to help and enlighten as many poor fuckers in court as possible. My ambition is to care for you. My ambition is to make your life as painless and memorable as possible, so that, when the time comes, you will feel the joy of a life well-lived. In an effort to achieve these goals, I have tried many tactics. Some have failed, but some have succeeded. (BTW, failure and success are a different topic altogether, and I reserve the right to discuss them in Strawberry letter number 15, if necessary.)
I think, for too many other people, ambition means getting ahead in the game of life. I said game because many people, much to my chagrin, view life as a competition. This explains the clear distinction between those who view ambition as a good thing, and those who view ambition as a bad thing. If life is a game, then ambition is a good thing. If life is not a game, then ambition is a bad thing. (Do I have to draw a Venn diagram, for Christs sake?)
I do not view life as a game. It is much more important than a game, to me. Life is a gift from the Architect of the Universe, those fuckers in Alexandria might say. It is a duty to act accordingly. In accordance with most accepted philosophies, Life is not a challenge to beat the competition. It is a call to the fellowship of man on this spinning wet rock. This is why neither one of us sees me as ambitious.
RELIGION: I have told you that, years ago, I received a copy of the Koran from a blind Yemenis prince in college. Saleh had his eyes ripped out for some cultural affront in his home country. Had he seen something forbidden? Why would his enemies have RIPPED HIS FUCKING EYES OUT? Was he a criminal or a traitor, or just part of an aristocracy loathed by rebels? At any rate, because he couldnt see, I read to him many evenings. I tried to explain nuances in English translations that would enlighten him. He would ask questions about culture, women, American politics, and television (which he could not see.) At the end of the year, he gave me a copy of the Koran. I, of course, never read it, but I was moved by the gesture, explained by him this way: people do not buy the Koran; it must be given to them.
The distinction between the Koran and other great texts of Earths religions is that it is the direct word of God, channeled through Mohammed the prophet. You cant walk into a Borders and buy the word of God. It must be received. So I was grateful to Saleh, even though I think his views (no pun intended) were totally counter-intuitive.
We, of course, are Catholics. We eat like Catholics. We shit like Catholics (at least, I do.) We fuck like Catholics. I am very attuned to Catholicism because it makes sense to me on a metaphorical level. I want to judge our society by how it treats the least among us. I want to adhere to the beatitudes. I want to be just like J.C.: a subversive on a quest to expose the status quo.
Do I believe all that Catholicism teaches? No. I think much truth has been lost to history. I cant believe in untruths. But I am moved by the blood of the everlasting covenant. I used to nudge you when they said it. I think you and I are a part of that everlasting covenant. I BELIEVE you and I are a part of that everlasting covenant. Therefore, Im a Catholic.
Nevertheless, I cant help feel the tug of this thought: religion is a contagion among rational organisms. It spreads like a virus. We do not choose our religion, our religions choose us. It may be an inherited trait. It may be a product of our environment. At any rate, it is not strictly a product of free will.
I have no problem with religions as viruses spread among the masses, as long as the most beneficent virus wins out. This is why I support Catholicism. I believe it is the most beneficial virus around.
I love you, Molly. I want to discuss these matters further. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Shuggies Ghost.