I always tell my boys, “Just because you haven’t seen something doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” I find this little nugget to be true in more ways than one. I’ve never seen Antarctica, but I believe it exists. I’ve never seen a real life crop circle, and not only do I believe they happen all the time, I’m of the mind that humans can’t scientifically explain their existence. We discover previously unknown species every day, like the screaming tree frog and the pseudogekko hungkag.
Just because I’ve never seen the Leviathan doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Leprechauns? I can’t say for sure one way or the other. I know I usually side with Homer Simpson, but I just can’t get onboard when he says, “Vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins, and eskimos.” But just because I’ve never seen an Eskimo…or a gremlin for that matter (excluding the AMC Gremlin. I’ve ridden in one of those.) doesn’t mean they aren’t real.
What about spirits, ghosts, aliens, gods, or even God himself (or herself if you prefer)? While some of us will certainly claim to have seen (or at least experienced) one or more of these, in general our culture holds fast to the philosophy that if you can’t see something it doesn’t exist. Deep down, I believe we know this not to be true. Throughout most of human history we were comfortable with the “unseen real.” Only since the Enlightenment have we increased in our skepticism of the invisible realms.
On the one hand, scientific advancements have helped us make sense of some things, like germs, that were previously invisible little imps. And I’m grateful for the knowledge that sickness is more readily impeded by hand-washing (and I dare say mask-wearing) than incantations. But what about prayers? Even scienticians have claimed prayer to be effective in regards to several types of physical healing.
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I stand alone at night on my front stoop and wonder what sorts of things might be happening beyond the scope of my perception. Not just beyond the curtain of darkness, but beyond the veil of human sight and sense. Am I really alone? Am I that much of an outlier in our current society in that I believe in the invisible real? Sometimes I think the consumer economy would prefer to label me as crazy. Afterall, capitalism is driven by spending on tangible objects and experiences we can see, taste, hear, smell, and touch. Spirituality, mysticism, and imagination are harder to capitalize without first converting them to things like religion and conspiracy theory. Then bingo-bango you’re in business.
This is where we can benefit from the genre of Magical Realism—books like One Hundred Years of Solitude and films such as I Kill Giants and The Peanut Butter Falcon. These stories remind us that beneath all the scaffolding, rationalization, theorizing and ritual we are constantly awash with (thanks to our naturalistic/humanistic worldview), the imperceptible and the fantastical remain ever-present and irresistible lures for those who slow down enough to perceive them. What of magical realism? God? String theory? Alternate universes?
Has there ever been such a thing as a unicorn? Will I meet one someday? Will its name be Gary? I don’t know. But one can hope.
And in my personal experience, hope leads to belief. And belief leads to life beyond the individual and the consumerism that has nourished us.
If You Wish to Start Reading The Green Ones…
[Click here to start at the beginning.]
Thanks so much for taking the time to read these scenes of Boundaries, Season 2 of The Green Ones. I’ll be publishing FREE daily scenes from The Green Ones until…I die…or something terrible happens. Seriously, I’ve got over 100 scenes written so far, and I’ll be writing more until the story reaches its natural ending. You are totally welcome to read the entire story for FREE! If at any point you decide you would rather finish the story in ebook or print format, just click the buttons below and you can do that as well. If you enjoy reading the serial releases, BUT you would also like to support me as a writer (my kids need wine!) please subscribe to my premium content for bonus scenes, exclusives, and insider access to my process. And of course, I’d be grateful if you would share this post with any of your reader friends who you think would enjoy The Green Ones. Happy reading!