Social Conundrums, Part VIII

 B​y Renee Hughes

M​ediator Kim like everyone else wore a human form. The Little Dragon's almond shaped eyes surveying us all while walking through the room. Kim's shoulder-length dark hair swaying gracefully as the Little Dragon's slight figure moved past the committee members. No one spoke, everyone feeling the powerful presence of the mediator.

K​im then stopped by my side, smiling, "Good morning," the Little Dragon said to the committee members, the mediator's soft voice filling the room. Everyone acknowledged the greeting with one of their own before the Little Dragon continued. "When a committee, especially one as high profile as this one asks for mediation there is a tendency to see this as a negative outcome. Intelligent, well-meaning people should be able to work out their own differences without assistance.

I​n my wide range of experience I often find that the opposite is true. Coming to a true consensus has nothing to do with intelligence or even high ideals. It involves understanding the unique complexities of the Little Dragon mind. We are meant to question everything thus it is natural that disagreements will ensue even among kind and caring people.

Thus, mediation should never be seen as a failure but instead as an opportunity to allow another party as myself who is not partial to any side to create what I like to call the third way. A point of view that either party can't see because they are too intimately connected with the issue at hand."

Kim paused and no one spoke. His words held me spellbound, my spirits lifting as he described his philosophy. "Now," the mediator said a warning note in his tone. "The benefits of the third way are often not clear to the parties involved initially because it will not be fully what either one wants. It is a blending of two very different but valuable ideas. Please keep this in mind after you have heard my recommendation."

Gershom then raised his hand. Kim's left eyebrow rose slightly at the gesture before he acknowledged the committee member. "I can appreciate your position Mediator Kim but several of us still feel strongly that the third way as you call it won't be adequate when we are talking about a venture that involves the fate of an entire species. Is there any way we can dispute your decision?"

My eyes closed a moment in frustration at Gershom's obstinacy. Mediator Kim, however, didn't show the slightest signs of offense. "You can always make a case that the public at large should vote on the recommendation. If rejected, then other alternatives can be introduced. "

T​he last thing I wanted was to go that route. It meant this enterprise wouldn't be ending anytime soon. Gershom's expression remained neutral during the explanation giving me no idea of what he was thinking.

"My recommendation," Kim then said drawing our attention back to him. "Is that the inhabitants receive only one directive and told it comes specifically from the ones who created them. 'Everyone and everything is connected to each other.'

N​o one spoke for several moments contemplating Kim's advice. Instead of feeling relief my anger surged at the vague directive. How would any civilization interpret it? Nothing in it at all about valuing each other all it had was the promise of connection. An idea that could be interpreted in a multitude of ways. My eyes sought Gershom's thinking he should be pleased, but he was frowning at Mediator Kim.

That ends Social Conundrums, Part VIII. Next month is Social Conundrums, Part IX. Learn more about the Little Dragons by reading the earlier blog post series titled Humanity's Evolution.

If you have enjoyed it so far, please consider giving a donation of time or money to your favorite charity. A few worthwhile local organizations are Safe Futures, Inc., Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut and Thames Valley Council for Community Action. Together we can make a difference!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Humanity's Evolution, Part I

The grass felt smooth and wet beneath my bare toes. The sunlight's warmth tingled on my face. I even sat down in the wet grass to enjoy the sensation of dew soaking into my clothes. A contented sigh escaped my lips. I sat in my favorite park a perfect place for my lecture. It held a wide expanse of grassy land dotted with tall towering trees. A small bird with beautiful crimson feathers alighted next to me. It's beaded eyes looked directly into my own. I smiled at it. The bird melted away and was replaced by a tall man stretched out languorously on the grass. "Hello Michael," I said. "You could have stayed a bird." He didn't answer until he wiggled his body on the grass savoring the wetness like me. Then he turned towards me and gave a firm negative shake of his head."  Crimson-backed  tanagers don't talk. Remember, I am a purist," he said. I nodded my head.  It was  an old argument. Michael believed that when he transformed into a physical
Read more

Humanity's Evolution, Part II

By Renee Hughes The wind picked up and the sunlight increased. I felt the swirling changeable nature of energy, the Little Dragons had arrived. I turned to Michael. "How will you watch my lecture?" I asked him eyebrows raised. "I am a purist remember," He said. "I will stay in this form." I nodded pleased with his decision. We both stood staring as a moving vortex of vivid colors woven together with rays of pure light grew in the sky. I waited for our brethren to descend from the heavens. I had modified my spiritualistic nature for this lecture. As long as the Little Dragons assumed some type of human form, I would be satisfied. Only a few hundred complied. That was disappointing. Most of them remained in the sky. "Please," I called out to the vortex. "The Planet Project could be a monumental achievement for our race or the biggest mistake of our existence. I need you to join me here!" The air shifted and a very tall man appeared
Read more

Social Conundrums, Part XIV

B​y Renee Hughes G​ ershom Hannah didn't live up to her word. S​even days were gone and other than our earlier conversation nothing more was said about Res publica . I still saw Hannah almost on a daily basis along with the rest of my supporters. Our protests against Mediator Kim's Third Way were garnering attention from the Little Dragon community at large. More than once I tried to catch a moment alone with her, but she was deliberately avoiding me. I was beginning to wonder if she had promised me too much seven days ago. I​f that were true, then the whole enterprise would fail. It didn't matter how many arguments we presented because Anne and her entourage were refuting them all. We might as well be back in the committee room arguing the same old points only this time we had a bigger audience. I didn't get any impression that the Little Dragons really cared enough to do anything more than just listen. A large public outcry is what we sought, and we weren'
Read more