The Monsters at the End

Beautiful Pandora was created by the gods to be the perfect woman, nay, the perfect human.  She was placed on Earth with a box (originally a jar) and given one instruction: do not open the box.  It's simple.  She could have lived a carefree, perfect life.  But, as a human, her curiosity got the better of her until she could stand it no longer and had to open the box.  By doing so, all of the world's evils were unleashed, dooming the rest of humanity.

Pandora (1896) - John William Waterhouse

POOR GROVER!  All week long, we have seen the noble dreams of this dear puppet crash to bits through multiple means.  He has suffered various atrocities when all he wants to do is relax and live a peaceful existence.  But once again, someone is standing in his way, and this time, IT IS YOU!

Happier times

Before we even open the book, the damage is done.  Both you and Grover know that there is a monster at the end of this book.  All you have to do is walk away and not open it and keep that monster locked away tightly.  But you've opened the book now.  Aren't you curious to see what comes next?  Fortunately, good old Grover is there to set you straight.

But you don't listen.  You don't take this sound advice.  Something deep within you is forcing you to see this monster.  Why?  What has Grover ever done to you?  Just walk away, there is still time!

Through ropes and boards and bricks, Grover pulls out all of the stops to save your soul.  But you are driven to keep on turning.  This unnatural urge from within is giving you strength and power to topple down walls.  Perhaps, the monster is not at the end of this book, but right here with you, drawing you closer and closer towards evil.

This is it.  Your final chance.  One turn and it is all over.  Humanity will crumble, thousands will perish, millions will suffer.  Why do we have this strong desire for closure?  Even if we know the end result will be a macabre mess of death and anguish, we cannot turn away.  This book is more than a book.  It is the entirety of the life experience bound in a dozen or so pages.  No other book draws the reader in as much as this one does.  You are the main character and, I am sorry to say, you are the villain.  Every page you turn has caused more and more destruction.  There is no redeeming you if you turn this last page.

And yet...

At the bottom of Pandora's box, after all of the evils had escaped, and after all of the horrors had caused their great ruckus, at the bottom of the box laid one tiny bird.  This bird was Hope.  It weakly stumbled to its feet and spread its wings and flew.

Out there, in the now chaotic and unpredictable world, Hope exists.  It may be hard to see, hard to find.  But it is there and it can show up just when you need it most.  So maybe all is not lost.  Maybe everything will work out just fine.  We do not know what the future has in store for us.  We should not fear it.  We must face it.  It could destroy us or it can make us better.  There is only one way to find out.

Let's turn the page....

(This post was inspired by the interaction one man had with his own monster at the end found here.)