Chapter 16

ROAD EXCURSIONS:  I MET A GIRL I ONCE KNEW WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY

Written By:  F. John Surells

            A while ago, when Rashon told me he intended to write a chapter for this book which would honor Ralph Hawk, I said, “Yeah, I agree with your idea, and Ralph certainly deserves the credit, but I don’t know if such a chapter would be appropriate in this book.”

            “Not appropriate!” he chuckled. “You know, it’s not like there’s been a lot of planning and proper execution in this book thus far.”

            And of course I couldn’t disagree with that, yet sometimes I really wonder about Ralph and how his role is expanding here in our city. And I guess you’d have to be living in our city to understand what I’m talking about, but before I left on these journeys it seemed as though Ralph was becoming more and more powerful. And it looked to me as if lately he’d had the final say in more and more important decisions concerning our city and its inhabitants. And I learned that he’d lately been making many important decisions arbitrarily.

            And I really was exposed to what I’m talking about here a few days ago when I called his home to talk about my latest assignment, and a woman answered the phone and introduced herself to me as Ralph’s secretary! Yes, that’s right! He’s got his own secretary now, and his home is now considered his office! And since he works varying eight hour shifts at the factory, he’s around his “office” sometimes during the day, but whenever he’s not there, his secretary must take care of business in his stead, and sometimes that entails making significant decisions in his absence! And thus, as you can see, Ralph’s secretary has now become a rather powerful person in our city as well! And, as an aside, you wouldn’t believe what his secretary told me concerning Ralph and Lauren Havess! And no, I won’t tell you what it is. Ralph can do that himself!

            But I really believe that Ralph normally tries to do the bidding of his superiors from his native reality. Yet, lately many residents of our city, and no matter whether they live north or south of the river, have been looking to Ralph for leadership in matters concerning our city. And actually, I believe Ralph is now more authoritative here than our mayor or city council! And, as I’ve already said, since Lauren Havess has returned to our city and assumed ownership of her deceased father’s factory, she’s leaned heavily on Ralph for guidance. Thus, no doubt Ralph now, though he’s only a blue-collar worker there, could probably be considered our city’s main employer’s de-facto CEO!

            So now Ralph has seen fit to send Rashon and I on a number of so-called “road excursions.” But on the morning that we were each to separately depart on our first such journey, Ralph said words to this effect (I can’t quote him verbatim) to us:  “I want the two of you to know that in the context of the book we’re attempting to create, the words ‘road excursions’ do not always refer to physical journeys made by automobile or any other transport device; nor do they necessarily relate what befell anyone while he or she was walking about here in our city, or anywhere throughout our known world, as within other realities of the Earth, or even out in the stretches of outer space – but they may. And each of you will have an assigned number of excursions. And you’ll both report back to me concerning what befalls you upon those excursions, but only four chapters (two for each of you) of this book will be devoted to your documentations of the events of those expeditions.”

            And that prompted me to say, “You know Ralph, I had a daydream type experience the other day as I was driving down the road. And I’d like to submit a brief recounting of that incident, embellished greatly of course by some philosophical type observations which I’ve had on my mind for some time now. And I wonder if I could use such a written piece as one of my two assigned road excursion chapters for this book.”

            And Ralph replied, “Submit it and we’ll see. But writing such a piece will not decrease the amount of excursions you’ll still be sent upon and required to report back on.” And I answered that I understood and agreed with those requirements. And if indeed Ralph decided to include my “philosophical type road excursion chapter” herein, then you’re reading it now!

But before I begin my own remarks here, Ralph has asked me to give you a little further background concerning the journeys Rashon and I have now begun to undertake. So, I’ve decided to do so by attempting to create a hopefully smooth transition from his required remarks to my personal observations. Okay, let’s begin.

            The disclosures which I’ve decided to include in this chapter (and with which Ralph will hopefully concur) shall not be singularly focused, but shall encompass many varied phenomena. And the readers of this book are advised to remember that this book isn’t to be exclusively a discourse concerning only those people we term “students of the highway.” All genres of mankind will be spoken of here; and those others of course are the two artistic groupings (real and true artists), the “status-quo,” and the ancillary class which is part of the students’ genre, i.e., the “pleasure seekers of today.” And all the chapters in this book are basically a chaotic synthesis of various events, actions, thoughts, and beliefs which are currently perceived as being, or as once having been, or as possibly still becoming of significant importance to those such as myself who are at this time in pursuit of temporal admonition, and who now live anywhere from the north shore of this city’s river, to anywhere in our known universe.

And I have some thoughts in my mind now which, if I don’t speak at this time, may simply be forgotten and thus never recorded for anyone to know. And don’t take that wrongly please! I’m not so

audacious as to believe mankind couldn’t live on without having ever known those thoughts! But let  let me assure you that I’ve been rebuked numerous times over the years for my supposed arrogance. Yet, I don’t think I’m arrogant. Still, in truth, I guess I can understand how some might perceive me as haughty.

            Nonetheless, I know that despite whatever traits I may possess, I’ve always maintained a

certain innate optimism concerning the future of mankind. But today, as I’m all alone here, I’m

struggling to keep that optimism as a part of my psyche. And just now I’m torn by all the pessimism abounding around me. And, as I’m sure you know, negativity isn’t easily subdued. Yet, for me personally it’s been especially difficult to suppress cynicism on such a day as this, when I’m all alone.

Yes, I’m alone here today with my memories of the past, and fears of the future. And for a long time now (and regrettably I’d imagine) I’ve had a fascination with the mere passage of time. But today I fear its full force of realism has consumed me; and now, perhaps for the first time, I’m really afraid of what lies ahead.

And today I have a premonition that I’m becoming a victim of all the guilt possessed from tales of starvation, crime, terrorism, ungodliness, and lack of commitment to all that’s good. Yet, I think it’s the “stone throwers of society” who further what I term “phony guilt.” They want me to feel that because of any successes I may have had ( and I’ve not had that many trust me!), I’ve confiscated possible happiness and advancement from those of my fellow mortals who may be less fortunate than myself. But I believe phony guilt either directly or indirectly extracts a toll from all the mortals in all the societies of all the nations of all the realities of Earth. And, because of feelings of guilt, whether warranted or not, I believe all mortals are constantly forced to dodge possible sanctimony.

            But in a world of misgivings, which will demean us more:  all we could have done, but

didn’t do, or all we should have done, but instead left undone? That’s probably a question to be answered in eternity. Still, I need some basic answers now - in temporal time!

And, although the phenomenon of phony guilt is troubling me today, and making me fearful of all aspects of human life, today I’m also experiencing what I’ll term “a strength of real values.” And I believe that strength is mine today, because today, even if it’s not my actual current state of being, I’ve been able to convince myself that I now possess a new found ability to more clearly comprehend the concepts of right and wrong. And now, because I believe my understanding of those concepts is more complete, I’m hopeful that eventually I’ll be able to, if not completely negate, then at least lessen the impact upon me of all potential or current fears and apprehensions.

            But yet, here in temporal time I’m so aware that time won’t be anyone’s hostage. And no,

there’s not a single person who can bottle time up and set it afloat as a message floating on the

ocean. No, time is free. It has no debts, but receives no wage earned for putting in its time. Yet, all

necessary movements and thoughts look to time for direction when it’s their time to be loosed within

one certain reality.

            And time owns the universal future. Still, it becomes nervous when mortals speak of the

end of time. Eternity has been promised, and time knows it really is not to be a part thereof. And in a

very literal and truthful sense, I fear time is but a conveyor of mortals to immortality within either the

timeless light or the abyss. And no, time won’t stand still. It must continue to transport mankind either

toward the Relevant Masters’ entrance door, or the pit of damnation.

            But time has stood still a few times. And once the Christian Master stopped it for one of my

friends (Joseph Same) lest he fell into some great crimes. And great crimes won’t read well on one’s

resume when one day one will necessarily seek abode near the Trinity, and attempt to trade in

perpetual motion for rest in peace.

            And yes, we know our Savior dresses even lowly flowers in figurative robes of splendor far beyond the magnificence of those real robes once worn by Solomon! But, despite that, time is passing by! And time, as it passes by, won’t stop to befriend a wayfarer in need on the side of the road; nor will it congratulate newlyweds looking forward to newly constructed lives within its passage. No, it won’t do so because it’s soulless. And it has no redemptive capacity for sinners; rather, it has only itself as it passes by in a temporal zone, to end sometime at the onset of this current set of realities’ entry into complete eternity. 

            But, I’ve been told that some here, still alive in this temporal zone, have been allowed to

see within the portals of heaven! And they’ve apparently experienced the timeless light’s unknown outreach! Yet, have or haven’t they used that special privilege to aid mankind’s search for salvation?

            And I know that people from other earthly realities can come to mine. And I’ve also learned that backward time travel is possible in other realities; and that mortals who live in realities where time travel is not yet possible (as here in Earth One), can be sent either backward into the history of, or forward into the future of their own realities of origin if they use an enabling realities’ capability of time travel as their launching port - so to speak.

And I’ve actually met and known famous individuals from the pasts of both my and other mortal’s realities of origin! And I can tell you that to be accepted there, in the past, by those who lived there while it was the present, is surely a humbling experience! And to be adjudged as real, relevant, and godly by those whose mortal lifespans are truthfully over, but who’ve been accessed by backward time-travelers, is indeed overwhelmingly gratifying.

            And I’ve learned that many there, in the past and future, share our common belief in Relevant Masters. And that’s a fact that comforts me; after all, Relevant Masters are the deities of all Earth’s major religions.

And today I can say without boasting that I possess an understanding keenly spiritual and

humanistic. And yes, today, despite the fears I mentioned earlier, I feel strong and secure within God-given peacefulness. And I know for certain now that there is but one eternal force of goodness beyond the blueness, though differing cultures of mankind perceive of it as a number of Relevant Masters. And I also know that force and those Masters care about me, and share my problems and sorrows.

            And, I’ve really had the full impact of David’s 23^rd psalm driven home to me in my lifetime! And I really do know today that the Triune God is my Lord, and that other Masters, Relevant also, are likewise the Lords and Shepherds of others; and because of that, none of us should ever want what we really don’t need.

            But then, I suppose, one might ask “What do we really need?” And the answer to that

question must certainly vary from individual to individual - except for this:  all mortals need

forgiveness of sins!

            And I know that for whenever in my life I made a mistake, I’m sorry. And for whenever a

bell sounded in my mind and called me toward any question, I sought its answer. But I also sought

the reasons why numerous problems surfaced, plagued mankind for a while (often a long while),

and in some cases, continue to do so to this very day.

            And today I think I can truthfully say that from all I’ve known, I’ve grown. And all I’ve

learned has burned an everlasting mark upon my soul. And I can only hope it’s the same mark spoken of by Shakespeare in Sonnet 116, and not the one affixed to Cain.

            But my heart is more emotional today. And it’s more accompanying now than when the mind that guides it first fathomed that we’re born as students of the highway. And yes, that mind guides that heart and soul down that highway. And there are road signs there. There are admonitions there along the way. But by whom were they erected? That’s the question we face each day as we ponder their advice. Is it right or wrong?

            And I believe that inside ourselves we know the answer. Some may term it conscience,

others common-sense, and still others may contend it’s a simple innate goodness within the

composition of humankind. But yes, it’s there, let’s not deceive ourselves. And if you pause to

think about this, I’m sure you’ll concur that it’s only deceivers of self who deny the existence of all

or some portions of mortality’s possible righteousness. And, likewise, only pretenders deny

humanity’s evil tendencies.

            Yet, while you’re still on life’s highway, beware of the common pitfalls which surface

there. Again, I need not recount them to you. Inherently you know them, and your lessons along the

roadway will reinforce your desire to avoid them. But remember, while the road of life was

instituted by forces of timeless light, all the various roadblocks, detours, and potholes along it

were placed there by forces of the abyss.

            And recently, while driving on an actual, as well as an apparently symbolic roadway, I

performed two or three manipulations of an automotive audio system’s pre-sets, and there she was, a young girl from long ago, probably unknown to the majority of you; or perhaps known to you in a different personification. And I asked her how she’d been able to come back. And she said, “First of all, do you remember me singing that song long ago?”

            And I said “Sure I do, but I can’t mention your name now; doing so might divert the structured focus of this well-focused dialogue.”

            And she replied “Yes, all my life I’ve always especially enjoyed talking and singing about things that really matter.”

            And then I said “But you still haven’t really answered my question, ‘How have you been able to come back?’”

            And then she said “The overseers of Ralph Hawk’s native reality, Parallel Reflections, have sent me here to study all ten decades of Earth One’s (your reality of existence) recently passed twentieth century. And they told me I might want to especially focus upon the teens and forties, as those were decades of world war. But I told them I’d decided instead to grant extra attention to two others:  First, that decade of Eisenhower, fast cars, greasy hair, and rock and roll - that decade of supposed innocence; and then secondly that decade to which the first gave way – that decade of Southeast Asian war, protest, and inter-generational strife.”

            And the two of us remained quiet then for a while as I continued to drive on. And then suddenly my blissful moments ended, as alongside the road, but still far ahead of us, she and I then noticed a police car with lights flashing. Yet, it was alone. It hadn’t summoned any other car to pull over there by it. Oh, but my lady and I did notice a number of orange barrels, and a clutter of road construction there near it.

            Then, suddenly the police car reversed itself, so that as my lady from the past and I drove by

it in a forward movement, it, with lights blazing, went backward. And seeing that, that woman from another time put an arm on my shoulder and said, “Wasn’t it always this way John? While we went one way, wasn’t conformity going another?”

            And she said goodbye then, disappeared from my car, and left my heart to sink. But farther up

the road, as I drove along at the limited speed, a car with convertible top rolled down sped by me;

and while passing me the male driver grimaced, but his female passenger looked back, waved, and

laughed.