States of Change Chapter 43: Gem (Idaho)

 States of Change is an ongoing work of serial fiction.

The speculative story-line seeks to inspire thought on ethics, culture and our planet's future.

The year is 2076, decades after Oosa's defederalization. 

Fifty independent States have forged unique societies from 

revolutionary technology and ideology

Ten days paddling had taken its toll. The rush of the Snake River ebbed, flowed and tumbled. Autumn downpours had made things dicey here and there but thrillingly beautiful all the same. The dawn launch will lead Gem down the last thirty miles of their adventure. As a sun peaks above the horizon, enchanting Venus fades into the background sky. Gem powers to the center of the river and glides with the current, a smooth finale to their rollercoaster waterway experience. 

In a hybrid contemplative and meditative moment, they reflect silently: Hard to believe I have had my AR implants offline for more than a week; that's the longest I can remember ever being disconnected.  Ten days of old school, wetware adventuring!

Gem's skin glistens with the damsel-fly filigree of nano-wiring, all fully inactive. Not a single bit of data has synced or flowed for their entire trip. The emergency sensor array on the bow of the campinggear laden kayak is the only elec-tech even in passive mode.

Another thought rolls gently inside Gem's mind: The on again off again trance-like state of communing with natural wonder has been enlightening at a core level. Especially when I find myself shower-singing out of the blue. Is the singing simply to add some pseudo-companionship to fill the time or is there something deeper at work? 

Resist, a classic prog rock song from the Ooso prog-rock era now slips past Gem's lips as a tree speckled canyon slides by on both sides of the river.

I can learn to compromise

Anything but my desires

I can learn to get along

With all the things I can't explain

Pausing, Gem mulls the feelings in their heart: I truly have discovered something sacred these last few days. Early on, sure, the data disconnect was hard, missing social media threads, family and friend AR game nights, entertaining misinformation memes, interactive stoicism workshops, and just the never-ending pulsing flow of information and updates on minutia ad infinitum...data, data and more data. 

Was it day four when I let out that particularly exuberant sigh? After that I let the thoughts of everything going on that was out of my control just go. And then the paddling and maneuvering began to flow without afterthought. Past relationship memories, artistic ideas, and simple tasks ahead still surfaced but without any imperative intensity.

Mid-thought, mid-paddle, their lyrical outpouring continued:

I can learn to close my eyes

To anything but injustice

I can learn to get along

With all the things I don't know

With only hours left on the Snake River corridor Gem's accumulated inner peace caved momentarily yet the stream of consciousness continued of its own accord: By day's end I will be back in the ambition race. Will I be satisfied with that? Although living a life of peace for this trip has been centering, I know deep down there is more to life than this escapist, flowing, river meditation mindset. 

They inhale the air, deep and moist. It'll be okay. Maybe I'll figure out the relationship thing finally. A life with the right companion would be a completely new river to navigate, discover and enjoy. The challenge would be finding a great match, willing to spend time both together and separately, an in moments time might just stand still for each of them as they discover their best selves together. 

On that mental vision, Gem smiles, a smile that is part of a greater reality, a reality where warmth and chill intertwine in thin layer of river mist, a reality where the Rabbit Moon now gently drifts high in the western sky, a reality where Gem starts singing anew.

I can learn to resist

Anything but frustration

I can learn to persist

With anything but aiming low

Rush's full song Resist can be listened to HERE