One of the things that really sat with me in Story was the Journey.
A young man who aspired to obtain the Wisdom of the World sought the wisest of all Sages. He climbed the highest mountains after weathering the greatest of storms.
And at long last, he came to the cave of the Wisest of all Sages who was said to have the Wisdom of the World in his Mind.
“Great Sage,” the young man said, “I have weathered the greatest of storms and climbed the highest of mountains all to speak with you on the Wisdom of the World.”
“And what do you wish to know?” The Sage asked.
“What can be learned of Story?” the Young man asked. “For Story… it is everywhere and yet… it is our greatest mystery. With no Disciplines, Teachers, or Magi who teach or lecture on Story. It is older than time and predates all the accomplishments of Man. And yet we do not study it. What can be told about Story?”
The Sage looked out just then, a smile perched on the edge of his mouth. “Have you looked at the view?” The Sage asked.
At this, the young man turned and looked back. He had not noticed. As he neared the Sage, Time all around him, behind him sped up, but Time there at the Cave, stood still.
“Tell me what you see,” the Sage said.
And in that moment, the young Man saw all the passage of Time. He saw things move, and live, birth and grow and die. He saw each person, each being, each tree and rock, river and stream, each storm move and shift, dance and change.
Each Story within a Story. Each Chapter within each Book. Each Book within each Life. Each Sequence inside each Sequence inside each Sequence.
The young Man stood, speechless. Unable to express what he saw.
The Sage came to stand beside The Young Man.
“Should I tell you instead what I see?” The Sage asked.
The young Man remained transfixed at the Infinite Stories inside Infinite Stories.
“I see Lessons,” the Sage said. “I see Learning.” I see all of everyone always working together, figuring things out, exploring, adventuring, climbing, fighting, lost, crying, found, laughing.”
The Sage smiled. “What I see is Play. Living Play. This is Story. Each Sequence with an Origin, a Parent, a Beginning, and an End. Each Choice dependent all upon the previous choices. Each event leading on to the next.”
“One would think, after a while, that we would all learn to work together to steer this Story,” The Sage said.
The young man snapped out of the mesmerized vision that played before him and he looked to the Sage.
“What I see,” The Sage said, “Is a Ship with a Crew and without a Captain. All of them, having no idea that they must learn to work together to steer the Ship… or they will crash.”
“They’re unaware?” the young man asked, finding his voice again.
“For now,” The Sage said. “But not for long. For Chapter #4 is the part where they realize they must work together to Captain The Ship that is The Story of Human.”
The Sage sat down, giving an exhausted sigh as he nestled back on the ground.
“You won’t tell them?” The Young Man asked.
“You assume they would listen or believe,” The Sage said. “This is the Trial they are in at The Fourth Age of Authenticity. The Trial of realizing that they all just… are chapters within chapters within chapters all needing to work together as one, to write The Greatest Story of All : The Story of Us. So that, when next the Generation following us us born, we too may pass on the Story to them.”
This… This is what True Education is for. To know the Self so well and to know The Story so well, that each child and adult and living thing may grow to write the Greatest Story of All.
And in so Living and Choosing, they Write. And in so Writing the Story is Written and thus it is Told.
And there are Keepers of This Story. These, my dear young Man, are the Sages.
The Story Keepers… We used to have many of them. The Irish Bards and Fili… This was their True Vocation. They were the Story Keepers of The World.”
“And who are they?” the Young Man asked, pointing to a group of people on either side of Time.
“Ah,” The Sage said. “Very sad indeed. Those are the People who have chosen to exist without a Story.”
“Why would they choose that?” the Young Man asked, disbelieving that anyone would choose to live outside of Story.
“They were not taught how to live inside of Story. Truth is, no one is taught how to live inside of Story. In 6,000 years, no one has ever before felt that this is important enough to teach. And so Time grows, it passes, and the Story goes on. Either you learn how to Live inside of Story, or you fall out of Story. Too many end up inside the Wrong Story. So many more never even begin their Story.”
“How do they get back into Story?” the Young Man asked.
But the Sage looked solemn.
“Initiative,” he said and then not another word.
Without a word, the Young Man thought and pondered. He stared long into the Story that unfolded all around him. After a time, he bid the Sage farewell, and descended the mountain.
“Hey!” The Sage called down as the Young Man made his way back into Time. “What are you going to do?”
The young Man smiled brightly. His heart lightened.
“I’m going to Live to Write the best Story for this Chapter, the last, and the next so that others that come after will inherit my Story and pass it on and write the next Chapter, bigger and better and brighter than mine ever was.”