Intro: Pounding bass note and a stirring fanfare of horns. Welcome to another edition of Things to Think about. Here's Stacy. The horns continue with a keyboard note held.
Relaxing piano music is in the background.
Welcome to the Things to Think About podcast, where we use fables and fairy tales to uncover deeper truths about our subconscious world. I'm Stacy Casson, and today's story explores our humanity. The Killers asked, “Are we human, or are we dancer?” We will delve into remembering or forgetting who we are in a tale I call “My Brother’s Keeper.” And now, get comfortable and relax. Take a deep breath in. And exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. And if you'd like, you can slowly close your eyes.
Once upon a time, there were two brothers who loved each other deeply. They were both part of a great people who lived in harmony with the verdant lands of their home. So, it went on for many generations. This was the time before our lives were shortened. The elder brother was content to remain in their land, while the younger brother was struck with wanderlust. The younger brother begged the elder to explore but was disappointed by his reluctance to leave. The younger brother struck out on his own and settled in colder lands. The cold sank deep into his soul and froze his heart. The younger brother felt entitled to all the lands because he had endured the cold and survived. He had brought the land into subjugation and built idols unto himself.
“Brother, I will not bow down,” said the elder to the younger. The younger had returned home nearly unrecognizable due to the transformation wrought by the lands. “What has happened to you?” he questioned. “We are all one, none more significant than the other. Even the tiny mosquito has its place and can humble the largest of us. Turn away from this delusion, brother,” pleaded the eldest. The younger would not be satisfied. He did become a god of sorts. The god of lies and deceit and tricks. All the while, the elder brother pleaded from his chains for the younger to remember who he was. The younger brother had buried his humanity to become a false god. There was not a land untouched by his insatiable desire to be above his brother.
Several generations struggled under the oppression of the younger brother. Ever the trickster, the younger brother continued to enslave their minds even though many had freed themselves from the physical chains. The elder brother still loved the younger and continued to reach out a hand in love. The younger brother always bit the hand that fed him. He hated that despite all of his power and control that the elder brother remained connected to the land, and it loved him more. The land began to rebel against the younger brother through drought and raging floods. The younger brother was a parasite and scourge upon the land and wrecked the delicate balance the elder brother strove to put back in place.
The land was dying. Many of the younger brother’s descendants had become as twisted as their false god. They hated the beauty and love of the elder brother’s family. The elder brother had walked away, unable to endure his younger brother’s hatred. “I hate you, brother,” he spat. The elder brother responded with deep sadness, “No, you hate yourself, and I hate what you have become. I love you, but I do not think I can forgive you, brother. You are not sorry for what you have done. We bleed the same blood, and yet your blood contains a poison that only you can cure.” The elder brother and his descendants had managed to overthrow the younger brother’s center of power. A few outliers from the younger brother’s faction gave up their former lives and relearned how to be human. The ones who would not change were relegated to the cold lands. The elder brother and his people once again lived in harmony with the land, aside from where they remained their brother’s keeper.
What do we owe our brother? When do we give up? And now you can take a deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. And when you're ready, wiggle your toes. Wiggle your fingers and slowly open your eyes. If you're enjoying this podcast, please tell a friend.
Closing: Closing jazzy keyboard and thrumming bass. I hope you enjoyed today's segment. Tell a friend. See you next time. Music fades.
