Life, the Universe and the Gator.
"What is life? Is it nothing more than the endless search for a Cutie Mark? And what is a Cutie Mark, but a constant reminder that we are all only one bugbear attack away from oblivion? And what of the poor Gator? Flank forever blank, destined to an existential swim down the river of life to an unknowable destiny?"
~Gummy
One who speaks little, learns a lot. One who carefully observes the world around him learns many things about that world. Some may believe my time on this planet has been short, but to that I ask whose time isn't short? Even the Celestia sisters will succumb to the brutal nature of father time at one point or another. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
And who knows what lies beyond. Are we reborn? Do we meet our loved ones on some celestial plane? Or do we simply cease to be? Does our ultimate fate matter in the great scheme of things? We are all such tiny specks of matter, teetering on the edge of existence. And what is existence? How much do we really see? And how do we discern if what we see truly real? Or is out existence merely an amalgamation of the buzzing electrons inside our minds? Perhaps what we consider our reality doesn't even exist. Perhaps we are all a part of a greater machine, a machine that our simple yet endlessly complicated minds will never be able to comprehend.
I see the ponies moving about town, performing their menial tasks, sipping their beverages, and I wonder how each of them live their lives. All these lives filled with hope, dreams, ambitions, hopelessness, nightmares and failures all in equal measure - what do they all amount to in the end?
I see my master, so filled with joy and laughter around others, yet helplessly alone. Her pegasus friend, so confident and cocksure, yet so intensely afraid of failure, and the unicorn blessed with an eye for beauty so self-critical of her own. All talented, yet so flawed. I wonder if they notice the same thing in others. Do they see each other as I see they?
Each life has its own tale to tell. Each face bears the scars of its owner's past and each mind contains experiences etched in memory to help them better deal with the future. And what does the future hold? How far does one look ahead? Some may spend their entire lives dreaming of tomorrow, yet, if they fail to change their mindset and enjoy today then 'tomorrow' will never come. Others live purely for the moment, unable to comprehend the ramifications of their action or inaction. To them, the future is of little consequence as they happily surrender their lives to fate.
Whilst both philosophies are conflicting, are either of them truly wrong? Or do we simply strike a balance betwixt the two which suits our own narrative?
Like one's palate, perspectives and opinions change vastly through age and experience. Something which may be desirable in young age may not be to one's liking in later life. What prompts such change? Is it our drive to make our own lives better? Should we be so selfish? After all, what may benefit one may be to the detriment of another. Strangely, we are okay with making such decisions, and we make them each and every day with little thought. Even menial things, such as the origin of the paper you write on, or the milk which you consume.
What harm does felling a perfectly healthy tree have on the environment? How does that affect the critters who live there? And what of the health and well-being of those who provide these products to us? These perfectly pertinent questions pass by our minds on a daily basis. But should they? Should we be considering the marks we leave on this world before we even make them? Or do we press on in making things better only for ourselves all the while dealing with the consequences as they appear? What is more important? Our advancement as a society? Or the preservation of things as they are?
Or is it once again a case of finding a middle ground wherein the majority or satisfied? Or is satisfying everyone damaging in its own right? Think of a foal presented with the prospect of candy. The foal desires the candy, the parent has enough Bits to purchase the candy and the seller is pleased to take the money. From this perspective, all parties are satisfied, but is satisfaction truly the best result?
Consider the effect on the foal's health and the condition of their teeth. Consider how much candy the parent actually buys and how much this purchase will affect the parent from being able to supply the foal with the necessary items to ensure its safety and well-being. Once you start to look at situations from various perspectives, they become endlessly more complex than at first appearance.
That is not to suggest that this is a bad situation, but that this particular scenario requires balances in other aspects of life to prevent this from becoming a bad situation. The negative effects on the foal's dental health are countered by brushing teeth and the negative effects on the their health are countered by ensuring the candy is a small portion of a balanced diet. The parent can ensure financial stability by purchasing in small amounts and putting the candy lower on their priorities of things to buy. Without this balance, what would originally satisfy all three ponies could easily descend into a scenario wherein none are satisfied.
I take into account my own experiences in this area. My master feeds me candy in great amounts, yet I have no teeth. You would think this to be a source of extreme displeasure, but no; she understands my inability to chew and thus chews my candy for me. I love my master. She appears to many as a pony not to be taken seriously, yet I believe she is possibly the most perceptive pony I know.
Please excuse me now. I wish to inform her of my unconditional love and devotion to her. I thank you for taking the time to listen to my thoughts. I am Gummy, and I wish you all the very best in your endeavours.
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Wow this was deep.
I don't know why but this is more reflexive and mind blowing than Plato, Aristotle and all the greek philosophers together.
He sum up one of subjects of my college with easily in 1000 words. I can't believed, Gummy is the best of sustainability. You are wise Gummy, well done.
My jaw just hit the floor.
Wow, you really captured the philosophical depth of our favourite gator!
I admire the thought-provoking struggles addressed in this work. Truly, I am adding this to my library.
Well done!
7402991 7403072 7403305 7403680 - Thanks for the feedback, guys! Glad you've all enjoyed it. I've been sitting on this story for months and I wasn't sure if I was going to publish it at all. It means a lot to know it's attracting so much love.
7403729
No problem, this fic deserves it!
7403729 If you made a lot of sequels about him, I will be glad to see all of them.
7403747 Honestly, it's been in the back of my mind. I could start a new chapter each time I think of something to write. It could be an ongoing thing. Each chapter could be on a different subject. I may well turn this into a thing.
7403759 Cool, I can't wait for that.
So mind boggling
*Proceeds to stare at her for hours, occasionally giving uneven blinks.*
7405819 That essentially what I pictured, and maybe licking her eye or something, hah.
What sorcery is this? You make me think deep and laugh at the same time!
Gummy is best gator. No exceptions. Plato, Socrates, and Shakespeare couldn't provide content so thought-provoking yet strangely entertaining. And now I'm middle of an existential crisis about the amount of chocolate I've eaten in the past few days.
If you'll excuse me, I'm going to contemplate the meaning of life. After faving this story, of course.
This is so amazing!