In a far away land there lived a tribe of cavemen and cavewomen who lived a simple hunter/gatherer existence. They travelled from place to place following food and water and shelter. Theirs was a simple life.
One day they discovered a valley with steep walls and abundant grain growing on the valley floor and wildlife concentrated around a central stream. In the valley wall was a cave. The tribe was astonished that this place had not been settled before and agreed that this place could meet all of their needs for food and shelter. After generations of wandering they decided to settle in the beautiful valley.
They entered the valley and went straight to the cave to set up a camp, but they were astonished to find a shiny, beautiful 1955 Ford Thunderbird parked in the cave. You and I are familiar with automobiles, but they had never seen such a beautiful creation before. They marveled at the smooth surfaces and the glass that they could see through and the shiny chrome that showed twisted reflections of their faces.
They fell on their faces and worshipped the Thunderbird... and they named it Karr.
Generations passed and our tribe became farmers and lived in isolation in the valley with Karr in the cave. As familiarity overcame awe, people began to touch and toy with Karr. On one fateful day a young woman pushed a shiny button on the door handle and, to their amazement, the door came ajar.
A second push shortly followed and with it the door unlatched and a new world opened to the tribesmen as they were able to climb into Karr and wonder at the interior. From this point on, (and owing to the fact that no one who entered Karr appeared to have been struck dead, so far,) Karr became less an object of worship and more a subject of great curiosity.
Our cave people climbed under and onto and through Karr and discovery after discovery began to reward their touching hands and inquisitive minds. A twist of this knob made those two sticks swing back and forth across the clear stuff in front. A push on that button, after a pause, would make a little fire starter come to life. (Many a campfire owed its life to the little button from inside Karr.)
With each day, each month, and each year, more and more of the secrets of Karr were revealed and each secret, in turn, uncovered new mysteries which would await unlocking by whichever mind was bright enough to come to the correct understanding of its use and purpose. The discoveries from the exploration of Karr brought ease and progress to the tribe.
After two generations Karr had completed the transformation from a wonder to an object. A special class had developed within the tribe whose members were experts in the mysteries of Karr. These specialists could now disassemble Karr to its smallest nut and bolt and then reassemble Karr again. On special occasions, with an appropriate ceremony to instill wonder and delight, the specialists would start Karr to amaze the people with the roar of the engine and the deep blaring of the horn.
Long years prior, the owner’s manual had been discovered in Karr’s glove box. This book had been laboriously interpreted and the information disseminated to the tribe. The people were school in the manual so that every young child could recite the information it contained. However, the specialists' knowledge had long exceeded the simple overviews contained in the owner's manual and rarely was it needed for the mechanical work they performed.
One day, after another celebration and another performance of the mighty Karr, the leader of the specialists stood to address the tribe. All conversation stopped as the specialist stood straight and proud, awash in campfire light. The specialist addressed the tribe with soft and humble words,
"Many years ago our forefathers began learning the mysteries of Karr and today, standing upon the discoveries of those who came before, we are prepared to announce the final discovery from our study of Karr."
The cave dwellings leaned in expectantly, anticipating a new wonder and revelation, as the specialist continued,
"We have learned much of Karr and its workings and now at last, as our knowledge and mastery has become so great, I can tell you our final discovery with complete confidence and assurance...
...Detroit does not exist."
One day they discovered a valley with steep walls and abundant grain growing on the valley floor and wildlife concentrated around a central stream. In the valley wall was a cave. The tribe was astonished that this place had not been settled before and agreed that this place could meet all of their needs for food and shelter. After generations of wandering they decided to settle in the beautiful valley.
They entered the valley and went straight to the cave to set up a camp, but they were astonished to find a shiny, beautiful 1955 Ford Thunderbird parked in the cave. You and I are familiar with automobiles, but they had never seen such a beautiful creation before. They marveled at the smooth surfaces and the glass that they could see through and the shiny chrome that showed twisted reflections of their faces.
They fell on their faces and worshipped the Thunderbird... and they named it Karr.
Generations passed and our tribe became farmers and lived in isolation in the valley with Karr in the cave. As familiarity overcame awe, people began to touch and toy with Karr. On one fateful day a young woman pushed a shiny button on the door handle and, to their amazement, the door came ajar.
A second push shortly followed and with it the door unlatched and a new world opened to the tribesmen as they were able to climb into Karr and wonder at the interior. From this point on, (and owing to the fact that no one who entered Karr appeared to have been struck dead, so far,) Karr became less an object of worship and more a subject of great curiosity.
Our cave people climbed under and onto and through Karr and discovery after discovery began to reward their touching hands and inquisitive minds. A twist of this knob made those two sticks swing back and forth across the clear stuff in front. A push on that button, after a pause, would make a little fire starter come to life. (Many a campfire owed its life to the little button from inside Karr.)
With each day, each month, and each year, more and more of the secrets of Karr were revealed and each secret, in turn, uncovered new mysteries which would await unlocking by whichever mind was bright enough to come to the correct understanding of its use and purpose. The discoveries from the exploration of Karr brought ease and progress to the tribe.
After two generations Karr had completed the transformation from a wonder to an object. A special class had developed within the tribe whose members were experts in the mysteries of Karr. These specialists could now disassemble Karr to its smallest nut and bolt and then reassemble Karr again. On special occasions, with an appropriate ceremony to instill wonder and delight, the specialists would start Karr to amaze the people with the roar of the engine and the deep blaring of the horn.
Long years prior, the owner’s manual had been discovered in Karr’s glove box. This book had been laboriously interpreted and the information disseminated to the tribe. The people were school in the manual so that every young child could recite the information it contained. However, the specialists' knowledge had long exceeded the simple overviews contained in the owner's manual and rarely was it needed for the mechanical work they performed.
One day, after another celebration and another performance of the mighty Karr, the leader of the specialists stood to address the tribe. All conversation stopped as the specialist stood straight and proud, awash in campfire light. The specialist addressed the tribe with soft and humble words,
"Many years ago our forefathers began learning the mysteries of Karr and today, standing upon the discoveries of those who came before, we are prepared to announce the final discovery from our study of Karr."
The cave dwellings leaned in expectantly, anticipating a new wonder and revelation, as the specialist continued,
"We have learned much of Karr and its workings and now at last, as our knowledge and mastery has become so great, I can tell you our final discovery with complete confidence and assurance...
...Detroit does not exist."
What a thought provoking story!
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