Salutations dear reader and how do you do? Welcome to another episode of Have Chainsaw… Will Travel. Ah, the rabbits are listening. As well they should be, seeing as how we will be hoping about hither and yon as they do. With seemingly no purpose, direction or destination. So, watch me for the changes and try to keep up as we plunge headfirst down the rabbit hole.
Not literally mind you. Rabbit holes are rabbit sized and we would not fit. But metaphorically symbolically as this idiom implies. Getting deep into something or ending up somewhere strange.
The troupe “Down the rabbit hole” was first introduced by Lewis Carroll as the title for chapter one of his 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In which Alice literally fell down a rabbit hole in pursuit of the running-late white rabbit. Finding herself in a topsy-turvy upside-down world of wonder.
Today the term, being shortened a bit to simply “rabbit-holing,” usually implies an internet search gone awry. You begin with- “how to fix a Margarita blender” in the search bar. And end up scrolling thru a list of Indonesian authors, who’ve wrote captivating novellas, on the subject of Japanese-mice karate. All memory of your original search lost in transition and unmixed Margaritas. So that’s where we are (lost and drunk?) and where we begin as this writer has fallen and burrowed through many a hole of rabbits sober.
The original search went missing somewhere between the realms of YouTube and Instagram. Where it ended was an online inquiry simply stating- “What would happen if all black people suddenly disappeared?” This was of course counter-queried with- “What would happen if all white people suddenly disappeared?”
We’ll pass and spare the hate and ignorance of the replies to this. Finding myself impartial on the racial aspect of the subject matter. However, the “suddenly disappeared” concept sent me down a rabbit-hole of the mental variety.
What would it be to literally suddenly disappear? It would be impossible to explain from the perspective of the disappearer (disappearie?). They’ve disappeared so we cannot ask them. But to bear witness to a “sudden disappearance” is another matter altogether.
Imagine if you were chatting with someone. Whether friend, foe, loved-one or complete stranger is irrelevant. And *blip* they were gone. No prerequisite, no forewarning, in less than a blink of an eye just… *blip*.
Would involuntary insanity proceed prevailing panic? Did you blink too long or momentarily black-out? Just long enough for them to vacate the premises or at least your visible vicinity?
How long would it take for it to fully register? That they were simply- *blip*- gone. Would it ever? Oh shite… was that the rapture? No, nothing so easily explainable grandiose, just a *blip*.
You would look. They have to be here somewhere… right? You would wonder. Had to have gone somewhere… right? Nope! No answers, no conclusions, no resolution just- *blip*! Leaving you as befuddled suspect #1 when the police get involved.
Would it be easier to wrap your brain around a slow fade? Not so suddenly (about 30 seconds elapsed time), but still without warning, the other person began to fade away. Getting lighter, going see through and then wisps to nothingness.
Are they aware? How would you tell them if they weren’t? They are oblivious to the impending oblivion and they’re last expression is one of- WTF as you try to desperately explain their presence is slowly diminishing. Would you have enough coherence to realize the fruitlessness of your explanatory efforts and finality of the situation? Leaving you with just enough time to say- “I love you or goodbye”? Before once again becoming suspect #1.
Fortunately, here outside of wonderland, within the realms of what passes for the real world, people do not fade away nor *blip* out of our lives… or do they?
How often do we head down reality’s rabbit-hole? Losing our sense of direction and original purpose along the way. And in doing so become numb and unaware of those we allow to fade or *blip* out of our lives?
Should we try and prevent it? Slow the fade, stall the *blip*? Or simply accept, assuming good reason, for our own mental sake, allow it to proceed? Either way we go, we first must remember why we’re in the rabbit-hole.
I welcome almost all questions, comments via Focus, or E-mail me at [email protected]. Hope to hear from ya until then try and stay focused! See ya.
