Marionettes and Frogs

There is so much pain in the world. Everywhere we look, there is pain and fear, and people are consumed with reacting to it. They appear to be making choices. They appear to be alive. They move, they smile, they are busy doing things.

But most people are not alive, and they are not making choices. They are only being controlled by their pain, much as marionettes are not truly alive, only being controlled by the hands above them, much as frogs can be stimulated to move by the application of electrical current without their being truly alive.

We must not be satisfied with the mere appearance of being alive. We must not confuse movement with life. We must not confuse companionship with loving relationships.

We must learn to be loved and to love, and thus the current of real life will flow through us, energize us, and give life to those around us. We can learn to do this. We can be so much more than marionettes and frogs.