What The World Needs

“The world needs a symbol of hope,” the man with the big nose and circular glasses said to me. 

“This world has enough damn symbolism. Everything is symbolism and metaphor. What this world needs is real hope,” the man with the hunched shoulder and wide-set eyes said. 

“It’s this damn system. ‘The Money Game’. We are all stuck in it. There is no hope inside of ‘The Money Game’. We need a revolution,” the lady with the auburn hair and severe frown said. “We need new systems.”

“Socialism needs a real chance!”

“Socialism?? No, what we need here in the west is anarchism!”

“Anarchism?? What the hell?”

“A true free market is the only answer!”

“Real freedom!”

“Whatever gets us to stop poisoning this planet!”

“Whatever system breeds empathy for others. That’s what we lack!”

“Here! Here!”

“Jesus is the answer!”

“Jesus? What about Buddha??”

“Nature is the only God that I have faith in.”

“Will tech save us or condemn us? Shouldn’t we slow down??”

“We are the Gods now. And it’s high time we understood that. We have to accept that responsibility instead of wishing to shooting stars and prophets.”

“I believe that the prophet that’ll free us from this shit world we’ve created is still coming.”

“The world burns and you want to wait on a prophet??”

“I’m a Taoist.”

“I’m an Omnist.”

“I am an Optimist.”

“I believe in man. We have good and evil inside of us. If we believe in the good, we’ll be alright.”

“Man?? That savage animal? How could you trust us??”

“We need a damn symbol of hope! We have to inspire people! They have to believe that the world can actually change. We need a symbol first!”

“. . . Chester?”

“Yeah?” I say. 

“What do you think?”

I ponder the question for a moment, before saying, “I think I’m hungry.”

I rub my belly. 

“Okay, but what do you think about what we’ve been talking about??”

“. . . I wasn’t really listening.”

   CH 1/17/25