Bravo the Humdrum – Part 2

“Hence, when he observes in his own experience that a child issues from the union of the man and the woman, he might suspect that it is in the nature of union to produce fruit, or, conversely, that the fruit owes its life to a prior union. Further, he might observe that it is in the nature of that union to be ecstatic, and he might thus conclude that joy is somehow written into the sources of life. And he will undoubtedly see that there are pain and agony involved and will have to come to terms with what he can see only as an intrusion or an ambiguity—that pain is somehow bound up in the whole process of joy. And, seeing his infant suck its mother’s breasts, he will understand that growth and strength derive from nourishment, and that that nourishment issues from the self-giving of another life—milk from the mother, or meat from the calf, or flour from the wheat. And he might see that all these humdrum necessities—dishes and laundry and cooking—are the accouterments to the liturgies celebrated in this temple.

Moreover, watching that growth, he will see the paradox that authentic freedom is won not by child’s being granted every wish (an infinite number of chocolates, dancing on the windowsill, etc.), but rather by curbing and channeling and, alas, denying. And in the denial (and perhaps punishment) he will observe again that there is a lamentable discrepancy at work in things, tearing at the fabric of the diagram—in this case a discrepancy between inclination (more chocolates) and perfection (good teeth). He will see also that the truth of the matter is not necessarily known intuitively by the growing child, but that facts have to be learned, either by authority (thou shalt not put thy pinkie in that gas flame) or by experience (ouch). And he will see at work over a long, long span of time the difficult notion that reward or fulfillment commonly follows rigor and renunciation and austerity (the winning pole vault, the Ph.D.), and is not available on demand.”
~Thomas Howard