Once, long ago, a man bought an umbrella. He felt that the need was to protect himself from the elements which would affect both his temperament and whatever clothing he happened to be wearing at any given time. Over time, he noticed the material which provided him covering would become tattered. Now, whether this disintegration was the fault of the elements or from operator error, no one could say; regardless, every four years he found the need to purchase a new umbrella. For whatever reason, there were only two models of umbrella available at these 48-month intervals: a model exactly the same as the one previously purchased, and a model which was advertised as being able to provide coverage where the first one lacked. The consumer, depending on whatever state of mind they were in at the time of procurement, would sometimes at random close their eyes and choose whichever umbrella seemed to meet the needs of the day.
Time rolled on, and the eyes of the individual noticed that the coverage of the umbrella, irrespective of which one was chosen, grew in coverage area. At first, this provided a secure feeling that no matter what fell from the sky, danger from the elements was something of the past. Increased material breadth, generally considered a positive, allowed the man to roam from place to place without worrying about his clothes or inclement weather. How content it was to know that risk to one’s person or possession was something that, every four years, became decreasingly a matter of mental awareness.
Then, critical mass was achieved, and umbrella technology evolved to include visual screens and audio feedback. Curious, however, that sometimes the umbrella would encourage him to lead with his left or right foot, depending on which model he purchased. Since the shelter remained (and increased), he did not spend too much time worrying about whether or not the visual and audio feedback accurately reflected the conditions of the outside world. This state of being permitted him to spend more time looking inward, often meditating on personal goals and how to achieve an “enlightened” state of being.
As the man aged, he became aware that the umbrella’s range of coverage had actually exceeded his feet, and began to curve inward. This presented him with a conundrum of perspective. On one hand, the protection, entertainment, and self-based view of the world provided an overabundance of time to “grow” and discover his own self-worth. However, the metal tines of the umbrella brought with them physical pain and a complete ignorance of what was happening in the outside world. Certain days, the rain seemed to be falling down in buckets. Then, whether this idea came from one of the screened images or from his own aching feet, he began to wonder if the sounds and sensations upon the umbrella were real or artificially created.
This line of pondering soon led him to a heightened level of anxiety. He needed something to blanket his body from danger, didn’t he? There was no question about it, the umbrella was a possession which not only drew a line between him and the dangers of the world, it provided a service which he himself no longer knew how to create for himself. His curiosity led him to, on occasion while within the safety of buildings and domiciles, question others on their views on the ever-growing umbrella.
For the most part, others were in favor of the umbrella of the day. Occasional gripes aside, few would echo his inner sentiments that the canopy had devolved into a means by which to place people within a shell of ignorance. “That’s conspiracy talk” they’d say, and soon his closest friends began to casually forget the sending of invitations to his address. Of course, there was always the screen within the umbrella.
Advanced technology allowed him to share his ideas on a platform commonly dubbed “the water-proof web.” Miraculously, he discovered that he was not alone in his views of the parasol of the day. It appeared that griping of the mobile human cage was something that many were concerned with, though few and far between were practical ideas on how to change the present circumstances. Coincidentally, the excitement that the man in question felt with his new-found camaraderie actually led him to spend more and more time within the umbrella he so readily criticized. This artificial happiness, though in speech he condemned, finally gave him a real sense of purpose and connection.
Ahmad Esfahani lives in Greenfield.