Margo's mammoth

...and thus, according to the conventional point of... What?

The conventional point of what – beautifully said, my friend.

Why are you looking at me like I'm a magician from a circus?

Is that how you see it? Funny. But that's true, you're a great magician – I dare say.

I don't know a single trick and I'm surely not performing anything at the moment. I'm telling you about an old dream of mine, the Bountiful Human Empire. It's serious!

Yes, yes. Of course it's serious.

I'm not performing any tricks.

Aren't you?

(a slight pause) No, I'm not.

You are such an amazing performer, you don't even “remember” that you are performing your trick.

I'm not – oh, it's no use arguing. What is this “trick” you are performing – er, I mean, referring to?

You know that yourself. And if you think you don't – just watch yourself. Bring a bit of energy to yourself. Your body is stupid. It doesn't know the next thing about the mind's conspiracy. It's like that criminal from a detective story – no crime is flawless, for the sake of story if nothing else, and the criminals always give themselves away – if the detective is watchful enough. So be a good detective. What did you detect?

I don't know where to look, how can I detect anything?

Search for your noughts. Your not-doings, avoidings – they often give more indication than doings...

And how am I supposed to notice “not-doings”? Aren't they absent from my observation by not-being? Besides, I'm not doing many things, you know – I'm not cleaning my shoes, I'm not standing on my head, I'm not drawing elephants...

Aye, but there's a difference between “not doing” and “not-doing”. Not-doing is coupled to doing. Cast a net but look at the wholes – I mean, holes – between the ropes. Cast the holes.

I'm allergic to metaphors.

The ropes are your doings, your expected responses, something you can hold and see. Holding them makes it easier to find the holes – what you could have done but didn't. Remember, we are talking about the body's reactions at the moment so keep it simple.

Like what?

Oh goodness gracious! Like why are you not looking at the right corner of the room?

But surely that's not important! I look where I like, and there's nothing interesting in that corner, just a hairy sofa... There's nothing to look at so I'm not looking.

You're not looking now.

So?

Is it natural not to look at whatever you are discussing if it's right in front of you?

It's not a rule.

No, of course it isn't. It's an extremely common thing though, done automatically, requiring extra energy to cancel it... Examine yourself. What's “wrong” with that corner?

I don't like the sofa's design. The thing is too big and hairy.

I don't care about your mind's explanations. I want you to tune into the sensation, into your not-looking.

Alright, alright... Though I feel rather uncomfortable about it...

Good – that's the first gates... What's there? What's uncomfy?

A kind of... Shame and fear, and a bit of anger... I don't know... But that's just an ugly sofa!

Cool. Take my hand. Look at me. I want to tell you something. Are you here?

Er... Yes, I hear...

Then hear:

One, two, three -

In the Gnomikland are we.

Fear and shame account to zero

We've nothing to lose, we are story and silly.

Fear and shame all you like in the Normaland. The Gnomikland is free as we know we are not real. We are cuckoolaled. Your normality is safe and sound as it doesn't exist in this land and thus can not be damaged. There is no face to keep. Can you feel it? Can you feel it?

(an astonished nod)

Grand. Check it out. Can you look at the sofa now? You never stopped looking at it though...

Yes, I... But that's - !

Yep.

A mammoth!

Yep.

A living mammoth!

Yes, I know.

But they are all dead!

Yep.

And how can it fit this tiny space?!

Yep. Nice, isn't it?

And you never mentioned having a mammoth in your room!

Yep. So you see, your mind invents a kind of a dress-code and many a good sight can't pass it. Mammoths don't exist; it's too huge to be here even if it existed; and the vital social factor – if it's really here then where is the confirmation? - hey presto, you edit it out and miss the mammoth under the rug. And by the way, I'm not “having it” in my room. She's visiting me.

W-what?

And by the way, - a deep, pleasant voice sounds, - We did not die out. We time-travelled when the human race claimed dominance over the planet. We merely jumped forward to the year after the humans dried the planet up completely and died themselves, unable to live on the dead planet. Then the planet began to revive itself and we came back and helped her...

Careful, Anne, don't frighten this human. He's dreaming of the Bountiful Human Empire.

But that's fine. Doesn't he know? - Mine is one time-line of many, and there's still a chance to come to the Bountiful Human Empire, to the Bountiful Planet Earth in his...

But if that's true – oh, the time is running out!

Time?.. Who's talking about time? It's story.

And you are telling it.

Right now.

You.

Your actions, your intentions, your own doings and not doings decide your story and the story of your planet...

And that's the real mammoth under the carpet.