THE RUT OF COMPLACENCY

As Awareness, Enlightenment and Illumination leave Limbo they step into one of the most awesome sights that any of them have ever seen. Towering above them is a gigantic Logjam whose name is Human Effort. He is made up of giant redwood trees with diameters of ten feet stacked one upon another. The Logjam is two hundred feet wide and four hundred feet tall. The logs of the Logjam still have life within them as manifested by the green growth that is visible on their branches.

“Look how beautiful the Logjam looks!” Enlightenment marvels “The logs are still alive. I have never known such a marvel!”

“Your Brightness! Your Brightness!” Awareness panics, “Quickly! Turn your brilliance down! We will be discovered!”

Their brightness is quickly depleted as the two Beings of Light reduce the luminescence to its obscure dusky luster.

“Thank Goodness!” Awareness says with relief. “I forgot all about the darkness when you had turned up your luminescence in the elevator to see who was talking to us.”

“Yes thank you for remembering”. Enlightenment says with gratitude. “I too forgot about the darkness. And I must say that I know it wasn’t hard to do. It appears so unnatural for a Being of Light to dwell in such obscurity”.

“I understand just how you feel”. Illumination replies. “I was also more comfortable in that cramped old elevator with a light on than I am out here is this large…. What is this thing that we are in?”

“It’s a rut,” A strange voice speaks from just out of sight of their fading glow.

“Who are you?” Awareness asks straining to identify the shadow approaching.

“People call me Mr. Nice Guy,” The voice answers. His image comes into view as he walks towards them. “This is my domain. You are in the Rut of Complacency/” Mr. Nice Guy is very handsome and well dressed, in fact, very much overdressed for being the caretaker of a rut. He appears to be well bred and his manner is pleasant.

“The Rut of Complacency,” Awareness questions. “Isn’t that a paradox?”

“Some people might think so,” Mr. Nice Guy answers, “but can you imagine a better rut to be in? Here, let me show you around.”

Awareness and his companions follow Mr. Nice Guy as he leads them further and further down into the rut. As they walk deeper into the rut the walls on either side of them become higher and higher until they look as tall as skyscrapers.

They come to a small cottage that sits adjacent to the south wall of the rut. It looks so tiny against the majesty of the wall.

“Come in, come in,” Mr. Nice Guy beckons them.

“What a lovely little place!” Awareness compliments Mr. Nice Guy.

“Why thank you… You know, I seem to have forgotten my manners. I don’t even know your names,” Mr. Nice Guy apologizes.

“I too have forgotten myself sir.” Awareness replies. “I am very sorry. I am Awareness and these are my most devoted servants, Enlightenment and Illumination”.

“Oh, Beings of Light,” Mr. Nice Guy marvels, “I have heard about you but I have never had the pleasure of ever meeting one of you. Welcome, welcome all of you to my humble abode."

Awareness looks around at the décor of the cottage. The parlor in which they are all standing is decorated rather modestly. There is a floral couch with two floral matching chairs surrounding a simple maple colonial coffee table. On either side of the couch are matching maple end tables with colonial lamps on them with their cords cut. On the far wall of the room is a simple brick fireplace, which is boarded up, since no lights are allowed in the castle, since the invasion of King My Way.

Off to the right of the parlor there is a dining room table with a chandelier that does not light hanging over it. Against the wall that faces the front of the cottage there is a window with white lace drapes tied back to show off of the view of the rut. Against the adjacent wall is a maple hutch with nice china displayed.

There is a door to the kitchen, or what is imagined to be the kitchen that has a padlock on it. Also there is another door out of the parlor that leads to what Awareness imagines to be the bedrooms, that is locked with a great padlock also. Awareness thinks to himself. Mr. Nice Guy must have a lot of secrets that he wishes to hide. Awareness is surprised when Mr. Nice Guy unlocks the door and allows them to view the back room.

“I want to show you something”. Mr. Nice Guy says to Awareness as if he was going to show him a special secret.

The four men walk down the hallway past several padlocked doors to a small room at the end of the hallway. In this room there is a toilet, a sink and a bathtub.

“This is my special invention”. Mr. Nice Guy tells the three. “I had my friend, Mr. Fix It design it for me. Here is the secret to my niceness. This is where I get rid of all my insecurities, all my badness, all my anger, all my toxic shame, all my thoughts of guilt, all my needing, all my wanting, all my not having, all my wishing, all my hoping, all my rejection, all my dreaming, all my nightmares, all my fearing, all my hurting, all my desires to be someone else. I flush them down the toilet”.

“But then where do they go once they are flushed?” Awareness asks. “Is there a refuse tank below? Or one further down the rut where the waste is processed?”

“No! No! No!” Mr. Nice Guy says enthusiastically. “That’s the beauty of this invention. There are pumps. They pump the waste up the rut. It is pumped behind the great Logjam of Human Effort. When it becomes full I simple add another log. Behind the Logjam is the River Rage. I empty the waste into the river. I have been adding logs for years.”

“And this Mr. Fix It is the one who built the pump?” Awareness asks.

“O yes! He is a genius”. Mr. Nice Guy says excitedly. “I come up with the problem and he fixes it. He can fix anything! Would you like to meet him?”

“Yes I would”. Awareness answers.

“Come, Come” Mr. Nice Guy says as he hurries out the front door and leads them further down the rut. “Hurry, come on you’ll love him. He’s a genius.”