Chapter 30

          GRADUATION DAY:  REQUESTED PERCEPTIONS AND REALIZATIONS    

                                                                Written By:  Rashon Leyf

            This morning, for the first time as I look into my mirror, I’m seeing the image of a true artist reflecting back to me. And to my comprehension it appears an illumination. And at first it’s portrayed as a light from the west to guide the east. But then it changes to a reaction from the east that influences the west. Yet, it’s so fickle – in both directions. And it’s so dependent upon all that’s occurring just now – that is, right now – momentarily. And I’m guessing that from now on I’ll be seeing different gazes gazing at me differently.

            And it wasn’t long ago that a lurid fog draped somber days with a cover of remorseful guilt. But today it seems that guilt, either justified or imagined, has begun to dissipate. And the relevance of that seemingly factual perception is almost frightful to note!

            Someone once told me that he sometimes attempts to capture forever in either a “fore” or an “after” noon. But I told him that “fore” might be preferable, since long after noon is passed is when shadows often lurk. And then sometimes they try to darken time spans which should have been adorned in simple brightness.

            Oh, we go through many changes. Yes, we experience many permutations. But walk carefully there! Don’t stray from the roadway! And don’t allow yourself to be confused by voices whose proclamations you heard first as monophonic, but whose discourses ended in surround sound. And, also, beware of reflective images. And always remember how one can become confused by one’s own perceptions of oneself, just as the mirrored man did in the palace at Versailles.

            And whatever I’ve written in this chapter thus far, and whatever I may still write herein, will all be written to fulfill a directive given me by Ralph Hawk. He told me “Rashon, on graduation day morning, I want you to call me and tell me the earliest perceptions and realizations which you may grasp on what will surely be one of the most important days in your life.” So, that’s what I’ll do! But first I must write the rest of this chapter. And when that task is completed, I’ll call Ralph, but I’ll tell him only those parts of this chapter which may pertain to what’s occurred to me perceptually this morning.

            And, on this morning, I’ve awakened and realized the time has come for me to begin membership in that classification of humanity which it is my destiny to inhabit. And my desire was that I’d be accepted among true artists who create the very real objects of art which showcase mankind’s various places in time, and its reactions to those places. But now I’m already certain I’ve been accepted amongst those true artists, after all, just moments ago I’ve seen my glance return artfully to me from the mirror.

            Yet, had I not been accepted as a true artist, then my hope would have been to have joined those who, as real artists, have learned how to live their lives correctly, though they possess no outstanding artistic capabilities. And of course, if it had been the judgment of the Masters above that inclusion amidst the students of the highway was to have been my lifelong fate, then I’d have accepted that fate, not necessarily gladly, but proudly, after all, I served as a co-chairman of that genre of mankind for several years. However, if the Masters had wished me to join the “status-quo,” then I would have protested. And if indeed that fate had befallen me, then I’d have prayed every day thereafter that I might have been allowed to leave the membership of that repressive group of mortals. 

            And, I can tell you that during my years as a leader of the students genre, I was asked many times, “How will I know when the time has come for me to move on from one genre of mankind to another?”

And I always answered “Somehow you’ll know. But remember, advancement from the student genre doesn’t necessarily correspond to other large events in one’s life, such as marriage, birth of a child, change of career, etc., though it may. Rather, I’ve always been told that when it’s either time to graduate to a permanent genre of humanity, or to establish a lifelong existence within the students of the highway classification of mankind, one intuitively knows it.”

            And so, in the fashion enunciated in the last paragraph, today I know the time has come for me to be accepted into the genre of human life which it’s my destiny to exist within. And this isn’t a sad day. It’s not akin to the last day of school, when as a soon to be graduate, one realizes he or she will be leaving behind many friends, and perhaps even instructors whom he or she has become fond of.

            No, this is simply the end of one era, and the beginning of another. And contrary to what the “status-quo” tells us, there are many eras through which one advances during one’s sojourn on the roadways of mortal life; that is, if one lives his or her life to what might be considered an anticipated conclusion. And of course eras overlap. Still, our lives should have one central focus, but due to the very basic needs of human existence, we must with necessity constantly concentrate our time and efforts upon many various possible earthly scenarios, and many various earthly philosophical guidelines of life.

            But should one’s departure from the students of the highway, and entrance into one of the other genres of mankind be looked upon as the most significant era in one’s life? From an earthly standpoint - yes. And why? Because this is the era in which one is to accomplish what one was supposedly called upon to accomplish by the masters of heaven.

Yes, we believe this era begins our pursuance of our life’s goals. But yet we don’t ascribe an era’s beginning to what surely must be the most substantial action taken in our mortal existences, i.e., the realization that we have a Spiritual Master who is our Savior for eternity.

And, after all, all our mortal hopes, fears, loves, hates, goals, successes, and failures will pass away from us upon our physical deaths upon the earth; but then, at that second of death we’ll need to contend with our proper placement in eternity - a placement of far more importance than one’s membership in any one of the four earthly classes of mankind. And, oh God, please keep us with you forever! Don’t allow us to become wards of Lucifer.

            And thus today, with those just mentioned matters of fact upon my mind, I’d like to offer you the following thoughts which Ralph has told me he wishes me to share with you; and which will constitute one of this book’s final chapters. And I’d like to ask for your prayers on my behalf as I now seek instatement within my proper genre of temporal life, and as I await a hopeful dispatchment to heaven upon my eventual earthly death.

            And of course I’ll pray for you also. And I’ll offer a special prayer for you whenever it occurs to me that perhaps this is the certain day when you may reach a crossroads of life such as I’ve encountered today. But for now, on this day, I think I need to say some things which it occurs to me need to be said at this time.

I’ve always believed that all lives lived have a purpose, and toward that purpose a mind

guides each of life’s directives. Yet, I know now that many feel that every movement and every occurrence is but grist for their newly freed up fashion. And, just because some people believe that very little in life is really meaningful, does that mean they’re necessarily correct? Does meaninglessness triumph in an existential world? I say “Give us your truth more often than your negativity.” And if I really am not much more than a peon here, I’m still in possession of a huge net which I can utilize to catch perceptions as they float by.

            And one such perception is my entreaty to you to please not bring back that ball and chain of conformity and attempt to affix it to my leg. And if indeed it needs to be dragged, please drag it yourself, and on your own time. And I’d guess that judging by what I see of your state of mind, you believe that walking along through life with the dictates of others fixed to you is the way to go. But personally, I don’t want to reach the timeless light someday, and have nothing more to say for myself there throughout eternity than that I always did what the leaders of conformity instructed me to do. No, a temporal lifetime is just too precious to waste while one must continually submit to the dictates of the Joneses. No, I don’t want to follow the Joneses!

            But what about the phenomenon of passing time? And also, what about those who are growing older, and for whom disorder is becoming increasingly more difficult to stymie? And what if they won’t be able to any longer fight the fight against the inevitabilities of time passing by? Well, some of them will need our help, but others will be able to fight those fights; and some of those will also learn how to live outside of societal control. And they’ll be the few who can actually say they’re really free!

            But I’m wondering why, as this book now nears its end, I feel so strangely peaceful and empowered. Yet, no matter what that reason may be, I must say this:  “God upon whom I often call,

guide me now as I seek installment as a true artist.”

            And, Amber and I were the leaders of the students of the highway. So, obviously then, if

we shall no longer be part of that division of humanity, the Relevant Masters shall need assign new

leadership to that genre of humanity. And oh, let’s pray for that new, or those new leaders! And let’s petition the Masters of heaven that the new management of the students of the highway guides that group as well as Amber and I did.

            And as I leave now, let me ask two Godly bestowments upon all of you. First, let me wish you God’s grace as you tread toward heaven’s entrance door. And whether you’re a recent graduate of the student’s genre of mankind, or whether you’ve lived in a different classification of humanity now for several years, let me ask that you might experience God’s peace as you travel along planet Earth’s roadways of life.

            And secondly, let me ask you to remember that if one has successfully learned most of life’s universal lessons, then that one should be capable (in most cases at least) of teaching beneficial truths to others who may be less informed. And, let me also petition you, that should you be such a mortal who, at this point in your life has already experienced many mortal benefits and truths, to then please  lend your hands and minds to the quest for verification and validation of real life causes; the pursuit of which is by necessity always undertaken on this side of eternity.

            But yes, this was a graduation day for many, as is every day such an ending and beginning for

numerous mortals of planet earth. Yet, some who’ll reach the podium today will find their diplomas marked “retained as a student of the highway.” And that’s not a bad thing! That’s rather the realization that their fate in this, the earthly portion of their life immortal, will be to at least temporarily, if not constantly seek out all truths, known and as of yet unknown, along the pathways of temporal time.

            But we can congratulate those such as myself, who today have become artists either real or true. And may God always bless us. And yes, though this may seem to be a church benediction, may He also always keep us on the roadways of righteousness. And how do I already know that I’ll graduate from the student classification, even before I’ve received my diploma from Ralph? I know so because of the image I’ve seen in the mirror – the image I told you about at the beginning of this chapter.

            Oh, and may those of us who’ll graduate today from the student group of humanity into one of the artistic divisions, be it real or true, pray for those who’ll remain students still. And may we pray for ourselves as well. Yes, let’s plead our combined student and artistic causes to all the Masters of heaven. And let’s ask that we never allow the forces of negativity, cynicism, or darkness to lead us as we tread down personally unchartered highways of mortal life and time; but rather, that we simply do all we can to impact mankind positively.

            But for those whose focus has today been transferred from the pursuits of students to the goals of reactionaries, let’s ask simply that they leave our presence now and forever. And hereafter, let’s petition them to please refrain from (as often as possible at least) lying about, trying to denigrate, and attempting to minimalize the seriousness and relevance of all that students of life uncover as they journey along figurative and also very real highways of mortal life.

            But the roadway is free of cars today. It’s graduation day. And although it may seem surprising, today my most severe realization is that all of us will die someday. And I find that realization to be at odds, perhaps, with what should probably be considered the “spirit” of this certain day. Oh, we all know that the human being formulates goals and desires as a child – at least he or she should. And it’s for the achievement of those goals, and the satisfying of those desires, that much effort is expended, and for which the mortal strives for so many years, until that mortal reaches such an age at which he or she can look forward to little more than leaving the temporal life behind, and beginning the eternal.

            And yet, while all mortals don’t know how many years they have to look forward to, they all certainly know they have several to look back upon. Still, isn’t it true that many mortals are constantly looking back? And aren’t they usually looking there in attempts to find justification for certain past occurrences and decisions?

And what about all the seemingly happy people? It looks as if they’re running in every direction here in the present. But are they happy because their focus is upon a future in which they’ll accomplish their personal goals, and satisfy the personal desires alluded to earlier in this chapter? Or are they striving to find identities which will someday represent all of humanity?

            Oh God, be careful now! I fear that most of those mortals described in the last sentence of the previous paragraph are such mortals as spend their entire existences upon planet earth enjoined amidst the beliefs and repressive lifestyles of the “status-quo.” And all their lives they strive for little more than to keep life as it is currently, or to send it backward further into bygone modes of existence. And someday, after so many years of such activity, my guess is that they’ll find themselves dreadfully lacking in any meaningful accomplishments with which they otherwise might have formed their legacies.

            But while we may criticize such people as have just been described here, let’s be careful that we don’t necessarily include among their ranks the multitudes of people who for all their lives satisfactorily met and conquered the inevitable challenges of the present. And not abidingly tied to either the past or future, they from day to day “took care of business” so to speak. And if while doing so - if while taking care of their daily business they realized and acknowledged the great relevance of so many factors which outside the scope of daily routines impact the lives of mortals so substantially, then surely they must have been the great real artists alluded to in earlier chapters of this book. And I salute them!

            But yes, it’s graduation day. And today I honor those who’ll enter the classes of real and true artists. And I also honor those who’ll remain students of life’s highway. But to those who’ll today gain entrance to that genre of mortals who try to live in the past, I say, perhaps you may wish to take this course again.