To a Friend; R. Demers

This is not an attempt to flatter, praise, or what-have-you, merely stating things as they are. In so doing, I reinforce in my thoughts and considerations the truly la mentable fact that, by and large, we are so obsessed with speed that we are bypassing the only true, productive aspects of living on this earth. In the era before we were con sumed with the glitter and tinsel of technology, we had time to place Mr. Demers is a vocational counselor in Veneta, Oregon. greater and truer emphasis upon the fruits to be harvested from quiet thought, meditation, and contemplation. The prologue for these exercises was always con versation, discussion, and just plain talkin'. Nowadays, if it's done at all, it's "dialogue," which is so much more appropriate to play-acting, make-believe, pre tense, and sham. Of course, we must observe that this word dialogue has been per verted and prostituted like all else, for it was originally associated with writing: "Written composi tion involving reasoning between two or more persons .... " (Web ster's) One could anticipate more genuine and serious thought to be invested - or manifest - if what was to be presented had first to be written. And what does "to be written" imply? The investment of time, that precious element 541 542 THE FREEMAN September through which we pass one time only, and which we squander with such reckless abandon. Because we hurry, we trick ourselves into falsely believing that we've done more with time; but as my Grand mother used to say : "You cannot spend tomorrow's hours today, without someday having to catch up, and at that moment you find these hours have been lost to you forever."

Once upon a time we realized that the only time we truly have is the here and the now, so we planned for tomorrow, realizing full well that it might never come. Now, one thing only is acceptable - to look forward to tomorrow, to the exclusion of the here-and-now and to the exclusion of all thought or consideration of one's end, in toto, in time. We erroneously think we're planning for tomorrow; but it is far from planning, it is rather anticipation and expectation, purely presumptive reactions, de void of consideration and realistic preparation based upon genuine entitlement. Our demands, our expectations, our "rights" have superseded our duties and responsibilities. Instead of taking and accepting graciously and appreciatively, we grasp and snatch greedily. Instead of dili gently seeking with humility, we crow and blow with such a know it-all attitude. Instead of reaching out and exercising that great, un touched intellectual potential which is our blessed gift, we pre fer rather to sit back and indulge and overindulge our extremely limited and restricted passions and bodily comforts in a repet itive, animalistic way. Small wonder, then, that already we treat one another like beasts!

Can we honestly say, as a small minority lawlessly tears up com munities physically and psycho logically, with the majority refus ing to do anything , that we are behaving much above a primitive animal level and are deserving of any other treatment than that ac corded untamed beasts? The animals of the pasture make an orderly contribution to our so ciety, but they have no choice. We, people, you and I, we have a choice, though the choice is con tingent upon our fulfilling a duty and a responsibility. What high and mighty Man forgets with amazing ease is that if the privi lege and prerogative is not exer cised, then man reverts to an even lower and more base form of be havior than the animals of the field. There is an abundance of historical, concrete evidence to support this observation. Denial only emphasizes our own potential self-destruction. You've been a perfect "listener."

Not one interruption! I HENRY ANDERSON THE 1960's were distinguished, among other respects, by a series of best-selling books which began with African Genesis, by Robert Ardrey, published in 1961. Some thing in this work caught the popular fancy, and it rocketed through seventeen printings. Pub lishing houses are not oblivious to intellectual fashions. In the years since, we have had six printings of The Naked Ape, by Desmond Morris; eight printings of On Aggression, by Konrad Lorenz; Ardrey has succeeded himself with The Territorial Imperative; Mor ris has succeeded himself with The Human Zoo; there have been dozens of other workings of the same lodes. This article is reprinted by permission from the May 6, 1970, issue of Manas. Mr. Ander son, a Research Specialist with the California State Department of Public Health, is author of a book to be published this fall by Crowell, So Shall Ye Reap.