I think of human history and the question of who should be allowed to rule
along the same lines as an original Cindrella story.
Religion and Science would be the step sisters.
Each time the prince comes to the house he ends up being fooled into picking the wrong bride.
Each sister cuts off different bits of her foot to accommodate the slipper that the prince brings to each household. The word is that the prince will choose the one who fits the slipper as his new bride.
This is the case because a mystery woman stole his heart at a costume ball recently. She left no name, but she did drop the slipper in her mad dash for the exit. He figures that if he can find the foot that fits perfectly, then all will be well for him. A perfect fit meaning that he will have found the mystery woman he had fallen in love with on that magical evening.
The stepmother and sisters lock Cinderella away and out of sight when the prince comes calling.
They believe they are entitled to the riches this Prince will share with his bride.
They look down on Cinderella. They make her serve as a maid in the house and insult her as much as they can. They don’t want to risk the Prince seeing her and robbing them of a lifetime of riches, even though they have no idea that is was she that was the mystery woman at the ball that night.
So, each thinking themselves entitled…nasty as they were, ugly and bitter as they were (one stick thin and the other hog fat) ..they mutilate themselves to fit the shoe on their feet. One cuts off a toe and the other her heel.
At all costs, no matter the pain and the long-lasting crippling effects, each gets the shoe on. Each hobbles to the horse and joyful over being so close to her deeply desired future.
What gives each one away are the long trails of blood left behind in the dirt.
Thankfully, the prince’s party notices these gruesome little tell tale signs.
The slipper soaked with blood, according to whichever sister had cut wherever, they are each marched right back to their miserable little home.
Each one being obviously unsuitable ( or bald monkey stupid) for and undeserving of life amongst their Betters.
Cinderella eventually is found, as many of us know…although with not quite such dark overtones.
The common denominators are obvious-rule by religion and then rule by science.
From being apples fallen from the same rotten tree and their shared contempt for others to holding themselves apart in their high and mighty delusions.
What is not so obvious, in my humble “o”, is something I believe can spark a bit of unexplored hope. Hope about our future as a finally free species.
That notion of there existing a “beauty in the land” ( different rules to live by) that could finally bring us the happiness we’ve been chasing.
A “perfect fit” that didn’t involve games of overindulgent deception and bloodshed.
It brings me comfort because instead of feeling hopelessness over being stuck with one or the other forever..(as they swap ownership of our worthless lives between one another)….there remains an exciting possibility that our “Cinderella” of a glorious promise is still out there to be found.
And all we have to do is find where it’s being held prisoner..that’s all.
Or where both of them are hiding “It”.
Ramsy's Joint 