Larry and Mick and the Thing that Happened

In real life, things happen without knowing why they happen. And they are unresolved. There is no beginning, middle and end; it’s all just middle. But stories may be extracted from the random miasma of events.

...

Larry and Mick found themselves in a random miasma of cheese.

“Woah!” said Larry.

“Cheddary,” said Mick.

...

Things may happen which, despite any underlying meaning or cause, appear meaningless and unrelated to anything else. Then life moves on to the next thing, and the thing which happened in the first place is relegated to the box labelled ‘?’... or to no box at all. One may or may not attempt to deduce retrospective meaning to the thing that happened.

...

“So what was that all about?” said Larry, as he passed his friend Mick a teaspoon for teaward stirring.

“I dunno,” said Mick; “but I don’t half fancy a cheese toastie.”

“Me too,” said Larry. “Get the toastie making device on.”

“Rightey-ho,” said Mick.

...

But what do we even remember? Or… if all our experiences are stored in the cerebral cortex, what minute proportion of these can be recalled and reflected upon at any given moment?

...

Three weeks later, Larry had a moment.

“Are you alright, friend Larry?” enquired Mick.

“Yes I think so,” said Larry. “But this cheese soufflé I am consuming brings to mind a feeling of being immersed in a cloudy... um...”

“Cloud?”

“Yes, cloud... of cheese.”

“Cheddary,” said Mick.

“What did you say?” said Larry.

“Nothing,” said Mick.

...

And so, as our experiences accumulate, like snowflakes drifting onto the ground, their ultimate destination at the whim of gravity and wind, with no more intention or purpose but to be what they are... are we a collection of stories or merely a chaotic jumble of electrical impulses fired by our arbitrary miasma of neurones?

...

“Shall we play tiddlywinks, friend Mick?”

“Why the heck not, friend Larry.”

< fin >