Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Un-beat-believable


They say "time heals all wounds" if that's true, what about "time after time? How can time mend a recurring wound? Some of the challenges we face (some more than others) have a way of floating back to the surface once buried.



In the Harry Potter series its Lord Voldemort, in "the matrix" movies its Agent Smith. Everyone has them, and few truly defeat them. Its what society, and history calls the "Nemesis". The dictionary defines it as: "Something that a person can not conquer". There is no better word that sums up the frustration , and eternal torment that is inflicted by these beings. Once vanquished it is the job of the nemesis to return, at equal or stronger strength, than the previous confrontation. It possesses such a will for revenge that it risks life, and limb to become the never-ending "thorn" in the persons side. So, if such a being can exist, and such a role can be produced? How does one vanquish this villain?



How does the "knight in shining armor" slay the immortal dragon? Where can one find the silver bullet, that stops the were-wolf? It is my belief that some things in life are placed as obstacles. In order to grow as a person, one must summon the effort, or learn the proper technique to jump the hurdle put before them. Once defeated, the person learns from the experience, then moves on to face another, possibly greater challenge. This is the general current of the stream of life. The person may falter at a challenge, choose to repeat the mistake, or overpower the obstacle with knowledge of their failure. The person with 10 points on their license decides to take driver safety classes. The careless homeowner thinks twice before plugging every x-mas tree light into one socket. Everyday there are cases where mistakes are made, and a lesson is learned, or courage is called upon to avoid any repeats. So, what happens when the problem, or obstacle refuses to be thwarted?



Is the hero suppose to defeat the nemesis again, and again even with the knowledge that ultimately they are doomed to replay the struggle? This is more than just a gimmick to add more revenue by producing sequels to books, or movies. It is a question that many of us must face, answer, and re-live. At some point in our lives most of us has had to confront a situation, then deal with it coming back to bite them. Some run, and hide, others fight, and die. No matter how many times you are triumphant your nemesis will come back stronger than before. Constantly mutating, and changing in order to present a different challenge. This is the nature of all "hardship", distress, and pain, in life.



It may occur to anyone with the intelligence to recognize the nemesis, that it can not exist without the hero. Can there truly be only peace in the world? Can evil truly be defeated, and only good prevail. The concept is as imaginary as the idea of a "Utopia". The Nemesis can never be banished to a place where it will never return. That is, without the "hero" being banished himself/herself. Life is all about balance, there is no progress without hardship. Satan can not exist without God, so you can not live without your nemesis.



I am in no way advocating killing yourself to solve your problems. Instead, choose to mutate, metemorphize, and change into an object that your nemesis can not confront. Trees do not only grow vertically, but horizontally. This is the only way to truly beat the demon, and claim victory.