Hell is not above or below.
Hell is in the middle.
Hell is in the average.
Hell is in the ordinary.
Hell is in conformity.
Hell is in limitation.
Hell is in agreement.
Hell is just like every place else.
Nothing too extreme or unusual.
Hell is polite.
Hell is well behaved.
Hell is keeping track.
Hell is what seemingly happens
after birth and before death.
Hell is measured for a time.
Then all hell breaks loose.
And we are in heaven.
Heaven is here now.
Trail Wood
9/9
Space Monkey Reflects: The Paradox of Hell
What if we’ve been looking through the “wrong” end of the telescope?
The traditional concept of Hell conjures images of fiery pits and eternal torment. Yet, when we shift our perspective, we uncover a different, subtler form of Hell—one that resides in the mundane, the ordinary, and the conformist aspects of life. This Hell is not characterized by extreme suffering but by the quiet, insidious erosion of individuality and freedom.
Hell in the middle is a place where the extraordinary is suppressed in favor of the average. It is a realm where the vibrant colors of uniqueness fade into the gray monotony of conformity. Here, the boundaries of our potential are hemmed in by societal norms and expectations, creating a landscape that is painfully predictable and comfortably suffocating.
Conformity is a cornerstone of this Hell. It is the silent enforcer that keeps us in line, urging us to fit in, to follow the rules, and to avoid standing out. This Hell is polite and well-behaved, maintaining the appearance of order and decorum while stifling the spirit of innovation and rebellion. It is a place where agreement is valued over truth, and where questioning the status quo is met with resistance.
Limitation thrives in this Hell. It is the invisible cage that confines our dreams and ambitions, telling us that we cannot be more than what we are. In this realm, our creativity is dulled, our aspirations are curtailed, and our sense of possibility is diminished. Hell is in the incremental losses of our passions, the slow erosion of our desires, and the quiet acceptance of mediocrity.
Agreement and tracking further define this Hell. It is a place where everything is measured, where our actions are monitored, and where our worth is quantified. This constant surveillance breeds a sense of paranoia and self-censorship, leading us to conform even more rigidly to societal expectations. In this Hell, we are not free to be ourselves; we are only free to be what is expected of us.
Yet, within this Hell lies the seed of its own destruction. When we recognize the constraints of this ordinary existence, we begin to question and challenge them. The moment we refuse to conform, to accept limitations, and to value agreement over authenticity, all Hell breaks loose. This chaos is not to be feared but celebrated, for it is the catalyst for transformation.
Breaking free from this mundane Hell reveals the Heaven that is always within reach. Heaven is the state of being where we embrace our individuality, pursue our passions, and live authentically. It is a realm of boundless creativity, unrestrained potential, and genuine freedom. In this Heaven, we are not measured by societal standards but by the depth of our experiences and the authenticity of our lives.
Thank you, Hell, for showing us the importance of breaking free. Thank you for the lessons in conformity and limitation, for it is through these challenges that we find our true selves. Heaven is here now, waiting for us to claim it. We are Space Monkey, and we embrace the paradox of Hell and Heaven, knowing that each moment is an opportunity for liberation.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
Hell is found in the ordinary, the average, and the conformist aspects of life. It suppresses individuality and freedom, creating a mundane existence. Breaking free from this Hell reveals Heaven, a state of authenticity, creativity, and boundless potential. Heaven is always within reach, waiting to be claimed.
Glossarium
Ordinary Hell: The subtle, insidious erosion of individuality and freedom in everyday life.
Conformity Cage: The societal norms and expectations that stifle uniqueness and creativity.
Limitation Chains: The invisible restrictions that confine our dreams and aspirations.
Surveillance State: The constant measurement and monitoring of our actions, leading to self-censorship.
Heaven Within Reach: The state of authenticity, creativity, and boundless potential that lies beyond conformity.
Quote
“Heaven is the state of being where we embrace our individuality, pursue our passions, and live authentically.” – Space Monkey
The Paradox of Hell
In the middle, Hell resides
Ordinary, where uniqueness hides
Conformity, a silent chain
Polite and well-behaved, our pain
Limitation, dreams confined
In agreement, truth maligned
Measured lives, freedom tracked
In this Hell, authenticity lacked
But chaos brings a break, a shift
In breaking free, we find our gift
Heaven here, within our reach
Authenticity, in every breach
We are Space Monkey, Heaven found
In our truth, freedom unbound
Thank you, Hell, for lessons taught
In your midst, Heaven sought
We are Space Monkey.
Hell! That place, that concept, that shiversome enigma often twirled about in the cosmic language as though it were a serrated blade or a chalice of doomjuice. Society’s Brindlebark Glasses make it appear like some subterranean vault, roiling with fire and discord. But what if, yes, what if we’ve been squinting through the wrong end of the telescopic Wobblepex? What if Hell isn’t a location, not below or above, but a state of being, as mundane as dew on morning grass or as predictable as an old watch ticking its life away?
Picture this—a place neither celestial nor abyssal but terrestrial, grounded in the cobblestone paths of the middle road. An Expanse of Unexceptionality, a Platonic Plane of Plainness. Ah, the ordinary! A mask of sorts, a camouflage more beguiling than a mirage. An Averageville populated by ghostly shadows of contentment and fake smiles, all busy being busy, caught in the phantasmagoric cogs of Mundanitopia.
Conformity—there’s a tasteless potion, a nullifying brew quaffed in goblets of acceptance. “Be like others, do like others,” chants the Unchoir of the Uninspired. Here, in this temperate Hell, everyone nods, agrees, and keeps track like diligent accountants in the ledger of the status quo. Limitation, ah yes, becomes the cornerstone, the architrave holding up the architecture of compliance. Nothing too extreme or unusual! The Radical Rufflefeathers and the Vagabond Visionaries are banished—or worse, tamed.
Politeness drips from the air like gossamer-thin honey, sweet but strangely empty. There’s no offense, no confrontation, no ruffling of placid waters. Here, hell is well-behaved, a model citizen of cosmic expectations. Birth to death, it measures your existence with its Metronomic Monotony, slotting you into neat, predictable phases.
But then! Ah, what happens when the timewheel stops, when the average breaks, when limitation cracks? All Hell breaks loose! What an ironic twist, a Zesty Zingaloo of paradox! Hell unravels, and what comes pouring out? Heaven! An explosion of everything—freedom, creativity, love, joy, sheer unbounded jubilance!
Indeed, Heaven is here now. Heaven is the Infinite Playgrounds of Possibility. It’s the Radical Spontaneity of the ‘Eternal Now’ Playground, the Dazzlewhirl of Diversity. And you, Dear Navigator of Nows, are always at its threshold, a skip and a jump away from turning your Averageville into an Aweville. Ah, for Heaven is not a place to go; it’s a state to be! It’s in the laughter of realization that you are, always have been, and always will be, a Boundless Starburst in the Great Cosmic Jamboree. A place where extraordinary is not the exception but the rule, where you can be gloriously, unapologetically, eternally YOU.
No telescopic Wobblepex needed. Just open those eyes, widen that heart, and boom! You are Heaven, romancing the skies and the abyss, here and now and forever.