491. English faces this same demise in a time more likely
measured in years than in centuries.
492. It is likely that the next great advances for humanity
will come from third world countries with minority languages. If these
countries are forced to Anglicize their tongues in order to co-exist in the
modern world, we may forfeit our chances for survival and for advancement.
493. There are some things that we can do to combat the
stagnation of our culture The first suggestion is to teach bilingualism to our
children. In fact, multi-lingualism would be better. Ideally, all humans would
speak at least three languages. These would consist of a major popular
tongue—essentially English, Russian, Chinese—a classical language—for example,
German, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese—and an emerging
language such as Farsi, Thai, Korean, Afrikaans, etc.
494. By schooling our people in this way, we impart to them
the past, present and future. They will see the classical concepts that are
engendered in our modern thinking and have a truly dynamic grammar with which
to create.
495. Alternatively—possibly simultaneously—we should be
inventing new grammars and new words. Words should be invented even before
meanings are found for them. Then let people strive to define them with their
experience.
496. Whole new structural systems for communication should
be invented to encourage expanded thinking. If we can invent multi-dimensional
forms of geometry; can create massive computer systems of ones and zeroes; can
fly to the moon; then surely we can utilize new grammars to conceptualize new
ideas and to experience new events, emotions, and thought processes—perhaps even
new senses.
497. A god must never allow its limits to be tested, for
once tested it is confined to those limits, unable to grow, and therefore
doomed to die.
498. To state that a god must
never allow its limits to be tested is to limit the god just as effectively
as testing them; therefore it is the creation’s inherent responsibility not to
test the limits of its creator/god. To do so defines the limits of its god,
thereby making the god less than god.
499. Boredom is a
substitute for deciding what to do, for creating, inventing, and thinking. If
all the bored people in our world decided to do something creative (anything!)
we would colonize the universe before the end of the century.
500. Final paradox: Frenetic activity may equally be a
substitute for or a cover for ones boredom with oneself, ones inability to
create, or ones incapacity for love.
And for good measure:
501. It’s hard to make a decent living as a professional
victim.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This ends The Book of Wesley—his five hundred (and one) points of philosophy. The original writing was completed September 16, 1985. The editor has attempted to transcribe and correct Wesley's manuscript without over-editing, though occasionally sentence structure was changed to clarify concepts. The book does not reflect changes in society or our world over the past thirty years. Sometimes, however, his concepts are frighteningly on target.
J. Wesley Allen was a character created in my first novel, Behind the Ivory Veil which has never been released, though hope still exists. I proudly finished the manuscript and gave it to a trusted friend to read. He handed it back (all 120 pages) and pronounced it "Freeze-dried. If you added a little hot water it would be a whole book." Walking home that night I started going over all the questions I would ask of this character if I were interviewing him. I clearly heard him say, "If you'd shut up, I'd tell you how the world is. The entirety of that which exists has being only because it has been remembered . . ." Thus began The Book of Wesley. It was the first time (but certainly not the last time) one of my characters took over a conversation in my head and basically ignored me from that point on. Perhaps one day, Wesley will speak again.
