II. Adrian’s Pledge

As Adrian fell from the kapok tree, he felt the crisp air around him cooling his warm skin. His eyes were closed as he focused his attention on his surroundings. In this brief moment, his other senses skyrocketed to a peak. The midday sun rays pierced through the canopy bouncing off his face, the warmth was liberating amidst the cool air. It was thrilling, and he couldn’t help but ravish in the feeling that came from free-falling.

 “No wonder there is the word “free” in falling.” He said to himself, “This is so freeing.” Time seemed to move slowly, in such moments a second felt like an eternity to Adrian, “I guess I have like 3 seconds before I hit the ground, 2 more seconds to feel this magnificent air around me, is this what they call mindfulness?” Adrian chuckled to himself.

This particular kapok tree was 200 feet tall. Adrian was about 20 feet from the ground when he opened his hazel coloured eyes and spread out his massive wings. The huge, tip to tip, 3-meter black wings halted his fall, creating massive upthrust that caused the plants and branches around him to bend from the force of the wind. He hovered looking around at the effect of the force generated by his wings. 

“Cool! Did I literally change the wind current around me? Now that’s some serious amount of force,” he exclaimed with a smirk.

“Aren’t forces amazing, they are crucial for existence, heck even plants and animals are built from a force; the force that is life.” Adrian was now completely lost in thought. 

I look at the world and see the reality around me. A reality that has is composed of forces. Forces are parts of existence that can affect the states of other parts. Like the way, the force of gravity affects the state of plants and even other forces like speed. One would think that life is just that, life… but life affects other states and therefore is a force. Life’s full name is life force. 

Adrian’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the mother harpy whistling at its nestling, “Ah Karl, am sure you are happy mom is home.” He said looking up. “I am very grateful as well....”

“I mean look at all of this!!!!!” Adrian shouted flying higher.

Adrian was now flying above the canopy of trees. He suddenly paused admiring the scenery. “Such a beautiful world, I can state this to be true, because my experience of it is guided by a force, the enduring force that is Love.” 

“Love is an incredible force, my friends.” Adrian continued talking to the trees. “It guides me always to see beauty consistently through everything; in pain, I can see beauty, in anger, I can see beauty. It is the force that guides people to their true purpose and meaning and the true purpose and meaning of anything.” 

“But how can that be Adrian?” He stated, mimicking a British accent, “Isn’t love but just a feeling?” “Yes and No mates” He objected to himself. “Yes, the feeling you experience is your connection to it, once you start tapping into it and aligning your thoughts with it.” He stated, arms wide open “No, as it is more than a feeling, it offers you a choice, it does not force you, it's selfless, you have to choose it, this means you can reject it, thus free will.” 

“How marvellous, that love exists, without it, how can you truly experience the world?” He said, closing his eyes. “You can't, because you don’t know the true meaning and purpose of what you are experiencing. When connected to it, it can show you clearly the way and why something exists, thus enriching life through experience.” Adrian paused. “This brings me to the most amazing part of it...without love, there would be no consciousness.”

“You hear that Karl and Karl's mom; the origin of consciousness is love,” Adrian shouted below to the kapok tree. “Consciousness is the ability to attribute meaning as either good or evil, good is the discovery of the true meaning and purpose and only with love can you do that. Evil is dictating the meaning of something, done without love. Love is the constant. Love is everywhere. Love is part of the building block. Love is the guiding force and is the reason I can experience the way I do, as a conscious being.”

The canopy was still for a brief moment, no sound was heard. “I love life and I accept love as my guide. I accept existence the way it should be.” Adrian shouted as a howler monkey was heard below the canopy. “This is my pledge, this is my motto, this is my life, this is my answer…this is the truth.”