SATURDAY SESSIONS #42 (Forty-two?!)

Croescia embraced me the moment I got in the door. She was in tears.  Jarok ran to hug me as if I'd just returned from a voyage.
When Jarok was in bed, Croescia told me she'd received a threatening call after the show. At least it was polite, but the veiled threat was unmistakeable.  The voice seemed to know our son's name.  
'But how did he get my mobile number?' she asked. 'The caller's number came up as private. Normally I never answer such calls, but I thought it might have been the studio. Oh Jordan, what are we going to do?'
'We're going to the seaside tomorrow, as planned, and we're going to have a lovely day out together. That's what we're going to do!'
At the beach the next day, I pretended that I wasn't keeping an eye on Jarok as we found a spot on the sand not too remote from the safety of the crowd. 
The following Monday morning, a colleague was waiting for me at my desk to tell me that the boss wanted to see me first thing.  Flovia held my hand and praised me for my courage on the TV show but feared that my job might be on the line.
'Well, they can't fire me, Flovia, unless I committed a crime or something. Anyway, I'll see what the man has to say for himself.  Wish me luck!' 
I took the glass lift to the top floor. By the time I got to the top, the bustling pedestrians in the plaza below me looked like a colony of ants.

'Ah, Jordan. Can we get you a coffee?'  he asked immediately, as I was led into the office by the secretary. 'Or maybe you'd prefer a glass of water filtered by reverse osmosis?'  he joked.
'I'll have both, if I may. So, I presume you want to see me about the show? One of my colleagues just told me my job might be on the line.'
'If only!...  Ha-ha!'
'That doesn't sound very promising, Mashick. Or even polite, if I may say so.'
'Jordan, Jordan, how long have we known each other? Five, six years? Where's your sense of humour?  Security of tenure, my dear boy! Wonderful phrase, isn't it? I call it society's small gesture of gratitude to the loyal and selfless servants of the public that we are. Our public. Ah yes, the great continent of Atlantis.  But please, Jordan, do sit!'
'No, I think I'd prefer to stand.'
'Very well. Suit yourself.  I'll cut to the chase. The reason I want to speak to you is that, much as I admire you as a man of integrity, as a colleague and as a friend, it is incumbent on me, your boss, to remind you of the t's and c's of your contract in your capacity as head of the QC Health Division of the QSA.'
'Please go ahead.'
'You were entrusted with a five-year appointment at Health to serve the public, not to form public opinion. Our job is not to change the world; our job is to ensure that the world we live in reflects the public need for safety, quality and professional reassurance.'
'I'm sorry that I have been a disappointment to you.'
The secretary arrived with the coffee.
'Thanks, Gilka, that'll be all. Please, Jordan. Do have a seat, will you? Please.'
I sat.
'Disappointment?'  he continued.  'Never!  You see, that's exactly why I wanted to speak to you this morning.  Far from being a disappointment, you have excelled yourself! Here at the QSA, in all our years since the unification of our great continent, we haven't witnessed such a high degree of passion, courage, determination and dynamic initiative as we have seen in you on your return from Lemuria, Jordan.  So much so, in fact, that I have recommended you for a promotion.'
'At the QSA?'
'Hopefully not!' he laughed. 'That would mean my job! No, even better than that. More important than that. A chance in a lifetime, Jordan. You see, I've been speaking to my associates at Government Buildings. They're highly impressed with your qualifications and experience but above all, with your originality, your passion, your courage, your creativity and your exceptional initiative.  It is clear also from the social media that you have garnered a great deal of approval and popularity in various segments of our society, in particular our youth and student population, the very future of our continent!'
'Pity there weren't more of them at the show!'
'Anyway, the suits at the Department of Health are happy to accept the bona fides of my testimonial and have chosen to bypass the formal application process entirely!  What do you say, eh?  The job is yours! It's a dream come true! The salary is great. And the perks are unbelievable, certainly better than I'll ever see! Three months' holidays and a car of your choice. Free health insurance for the family, a life assurance pay-out of ten times your annual salary, a widow's pension to die for - if you'll pardon the pun! - golf and tennis club subs and an enviable pension for your golden years. But most of all, Jordan, there's the prestige, the honour attached to working, not just for the Government of Atlantis, as you do now, but with the Government!  Furthermore, it's a lifetime appointment. Talk about security of tenure! And as for those mouth-watering perks, wait until Croescia sees the new house!'
'New house?'
'Plus enrolment at an exclusive, private school for Jarok to start immediately, all fees paid. You wouldn't believe the difficulties I had getting my own kids into that school! There was a three-year wait!'
'It's not that I'm ungrateful, Maschick, but you're kicking me upstairs, right?'
He turned abruptly and stared out the window. In the silence, we both knew it was a rhetorical question.
'I'll need to discuss it with my family.'
'Of course, Jordan! By all means! Do that! It's a big decision. In the meantime, why don't you take the rest of the week off? You deserve it!'
'What if I say no?'
'Maybe it hasn't sunk in yet, Jordan, but you've just won the lottery! How could anybody in his right mind even contemplate a refusal?'
'It might be a matter of principle.'
'Principle shminciple! What use is principle? Are your principles the same as your wife's? Are they the same as your son's?'
'I don't understand what you mean.'
'All I'm saying, Jordan, is that you're a parent, a husband, a father, just like me. We can't afford to have the same principles we had when we were young buckos in our college days, footloose and fancy free. Are you getting my drift?'
'No, I don't think so.'
'I too used to be an idealist. Yes, it's true, believe it or not. I was a bleeding heart for any cause you care to name, the more I looked, the more I found. But now, for better or for worse, I am a leader in this society who has willingly taken on the burden of significant responsibilities, to my family, my institution and my country. To the continent of Atlantis, Jordan.'
'Excuse me for repeating myself, Maschick, but what if I say no?'
'It would break my heart, Jordan. Believe me. You see, apart from all the duties expected of me in my job, being entrusted with responsibility for more than two thousand public servants employed here at the QSA is a source of great honour and pride to me. I do everything in my power to acquit myself well in that capacity and by all accounts, I think I do a good job. Should you refuse this offer of a dream promotion presented to you on a golden platter out of the goodness of our hearts and in humble appreciation of your exceptional contribution to our society, you're free to return to your post immediately. However, I will say this much: I, as your boss, outside the call of my duties, will not be responsible for you and your family any more. Do you understand? I will not be held accountable for any possible consequences that may occur as a result of your decision to reject the Government's offer. It would be out of my hands.  Do you understand what I'm saying?'
I understood perfectly well.  He could see it in the anger of my glare.
'Security and stability in Atlantis are paramount. God knows how long it has taken us to get to where we are now! We have never enjoyed such growth, such a degree of political, economic and social stability, offering hope for a better life for everybody in the generations to come!  Unfortunately, hell is paved with good intentions and some people get too zealous, too ambitious, injudiciously so, they move too close to the edge. They forget the role they are supposed to be playing, the unwritten rules. They lose the run of themselves. They interfere. And then what happens? Things get out of control. Then, as we all know, accidents happen. And then everybody loses.'
He turned to look out the window again, down into the silent city, teeming with microscopic life. I thought for a moment that these conversations only happen in the movies. But he wasn't joking.
'My wife received a threatening phone-call after the show on Saturday.'
'My God! I'm so sorry, Jordan. Did you call the police?'
'No. What's the point?'
'But that is exactly what I'm driving at, Jordan! The world is full of psychos! Sure, you're an overnight celebrity right across the continent, you're a hero for God's sake, but nevertheless, there are millions of people out there right now who feel threatened by you. Why, in the name of God, would you put your family at risk?'
He took both of my hands in his, shaking them, as if to shake the memories of Lemuria from my being.
'Come, come, Jordan! Why the long face?  Look, forget that crackpot on the phone for a moment. We're all in the same boat here at the QSA, that's all I wanted to say. If any one of us rocks the boat, we'll do our utmost to keep him on board, to keep him on side. Of course, we will, as we would a member of our own family! But there are limits. There's only so much we can do. We must first consider the greater good. What would you do? What would you do in my position, hm?  Look, after you've rested and spoken to your family, you'll wonder why you ever even contemplated turning down the job offer of a lifetime!  OK?  Listen. You go and have a good rest for yourself. Relax. Take it easy. Enjoy the week off. And enjoy your new life! You deserve it!  The QSA will be sorry to lose you, Jordan! Hey, and don't become a stranger, eh?'
As the glass elevator descended, I imagined myself falling to my death.                                                                                                            

# 43 next week! Catch up on: gregoryrosenstock.blogspot.com    

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SATURDAY (Is it April?) SESSIONS # 41

'Yes, you, madam.'

'I'm a schoolteacher and I must say that as a Government employee, Dr Karpathian should be ashamed of himself. He has done a great deal of damage to our reputation in his condemnation of our system of education in the newspapers. How many of our impressionable pupils and third-level students will have read it? You are a PhD, are you not, Dr Karpathian? And yet you have nothing but contempt for the title which has enabled you to land a well-paid, secure and pensionable position you now hold at the QSA. Is this not the epitome of hypocrisy? '

'Well, Jordan?' added Bardo. 'The lady has a point. Isn't your criticism of education and all its benefits a case of double standards, the pot calling the kettle black?'

'I stand over everything I said in that interview. As a matter of fact, madam, you and your impressionable pupils should have read the unedited version.' 

Loud laughter from the audience.

'You sir, in the middle. With the blue jacket.'

'These Lemurians claim to have no army. Do you believe them?'

'Yes.'

'Is that not what they want you to believe? In the hope, maybe, that we might cut back on our weapons upgrades and expansion plans?  In the hope that we would be left vulnerable and open to a pre-emptive attack?'

'The Lemurians don't need an army. They have learned from the lessons of history, not only on this planet but on other planets and in other galaxies.'

'I'm sorry for cutting across you, Jordan,' intervened Bardo, 'but how do you know that they have been in touch with beings form other planets?'

'Obviously, I can't prove it,' I replied. 'I just have their word for it. But in response to the defence question, where you have an army, sir, you will have a reason to use that army, sooner or later, whether in defence or attack. The same principle applies to the manufacture of weapons and all their components.'

'Basically, what you're saying here, Dr Kap...Karp...'

'Karpathian,' intervened Bardo.

'What you're saying here, sir, is that people should not defend themselves at all. Am I right?'

'People should never have to reach that critical stage in which they need to defend themselves, but if they do, if they do find themselves under attack, to respond with violence is to acknowledge, and even fuel, the violence of the attacker.'

'So you wouldn't defend your family if they were attacked by, say, some raving lunatic with an axe?'

'Of course I would defend my family. I would defend anybody or any sentient being from mindless violence or any kind of violence.'

'Even if you had to kill the attacker?'

'If lethal force were inevitable in order to survive or ensure the survival of those I need to protect, yes, of course I would use it.'

'Aren't you contradicting yourself?'

'I don't see any contradiction here at all. Survival and the protection of life, when threatened, is a natural response. It is clear, even natural, that if the only recourse a person has when faced with violence is to respond with force, then your line of questioning is rhetorical and unnecessary. For the awakened person, that response to force is not pre-meditated, it is not visceral, not passionate, not ego-driven, and although it may be lethal, it is carried out reluctantly and with compassion. Sadly, the unawakened, egocentric, dysfunctional behaviour we witness only too often here in Atlantis precludes such compassion and creates and sustains a stone-age mindset which thrives on the anxiety of insecurity and the fear of attack.' 

There was a boo and a few hostile remarks from the back of the audience.

The man in the blue jacket shook his head and addressed Bardo. 

'You know something, Bardo? I think your guest is a double agent. I also think the Lemurians want to colonise us again. That's why he's here tonight. They sent him here to disarm us!' 

The audience reacted noisily, a few of them shouting, Lock him up! Deport him! Send him back to the aliens!  Bardo was lapping it up. He stood in a mock gesture of appeal to the audience, pretending to appease them by saying that I was a loyal and dedicated public servant with a young family and no further agenda than to promote a healthy and peaceful society in Atlantis.  East is east and west is west, he said, but nevertheless, the world was getting smaller every day. His guest was a patriotic Atlantean and was to be commended for his efforts to bring the East and the West together in the best interests of us all. 

Then he turned to me and jokingly asked me if I was a double agent. 

'No, Bardo' I answered, smiling. 'I'm a single agent. An Atlantean spy who has returned from Lemuria with a message of hope.'

'And that message of hope is my final question, Jordan.  Given your largely negative evaluation of our society and your warning that we may be on a collision course with disaster, as you put it, what hopes do you have for us? Are we a lost cause?'

'Certainly not. We just need to be open to change. Open to the unknown. Change is never comfortable. In essence, there is no difference at all between us and the Lemurians. We are all on earth for the same purpose.'  

'Which is?'

'Which is to experience, to enhance our awareness and interface with the experiences of life as they are presented to us, second by second, to experience being, other beings, all beings, all things, to joyfully metabolise these experiences, to creatively respond to all the infinite variety of experiences presented to us here on Earth.'

'Could you simplify that a little? Summarise it maybe, in a soundbite we could take away with us?'

'My understanding is that between lives, we didn't choose to come to Earth in order to achieve anything. We didn't come here to be comfortable or to get rich or famous. We certainly didn't come here to compete, to work hard or to suffer. And we didn't come here to be good or to receive a reward when we die.  As spiritual beings undergoing a human experience, we came here firstly to discover that we are spiritual beings undergoing a human experience and with that knowledge, to witness all the wonders of life, moment by moment.  Joy is our natural state. We came here to experience the uniqueness and the joy of our infinite, dynamic, ever-changing co-creation and to share that joy with one another.  In that sense, we are no different at all from the Lemurians. The only difference is that we are not aware of it yet.'

I could see that Bardo wasn't listening. He was already preparing to display to the camera the other side of his large, red flash-card for the second part of the show, the Movers.  The camera focused on the card. The audience bleated out the words: 

ALL HERESIES END IN TRUTH. 

'Thank you, thank you, ladies and gentlemen! Coming up in Part Two, our Mover this week is a surprise guest who needs no introduction at all and who will be with us shortly after the commercial break.  But right now, please offer a big round of applause for our Shaker of the week, Jordan Karpathian!                                                                                                                                              

# 42 next week! Catch up on: gregoryrosenstock.blogspot.com    

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