An Egg
September 1, 2012
It was a car accident. Nothing
particularly remarkable, but fatal
nonetheless. You left behind a wife
and two children. It was a quick
passing. The EMTs tried their best to
save you, but to no avail ...
An Egg
Strange and Unexplained / 5 minutes of reading
Estimated reading time โ 4 minutes
It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but
EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail.
Youโre so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.
And thatโs when you met me.
โWhatโฆ what happened?โ You asked. โWhere am I?โ
โYou passed,โ I said, matter-of-factly. No point mincing words.
โThere was aโฆa truck and it was skiddingโฆโ
โYup.โ I said
โIโฆ Iโm gone?โ
โYup. But donโt feel bad about it. Everyone passes.โ I said.
You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me.
โWhat is this place?โ You asked. โIs this the afterlife?โ
โMore or less,โ I said.
โAre you god?โ You asked.
โYup.โ I replied. โIโm God.โ
โMy kidsโฆ my wife,โ you said.
โWhat about them?โ
โWill they be alright?โ
โThat what I like to see,โ I said.
โYou just passed and your main concern is for your family.
Thatโs good stuff right there.โ
You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didnโt look like a God.
Some vague authority figure. โDonโt worry,โ I said. โTheyโll be fine.
Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didnโt
have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside
but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart.
If itโs any consolation, sheโll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.โ
โOh,โ you said. โSo what happens now? Do I go to the afterlife or something?โ
โNeither,โ I said. โYouโll be reincarnated.โ
You followed along as we strolled in the void. โWhere are we going?โ
โNowhere in particular,โ I said. โItโs just nice to walk while we talk.โ
โSo whatโs the point, then?โ You asked. โWhen I get reborn, Iโll just be a blank slate, right?
A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life wonโt matter.โ
โNot so!โ I said. โYou have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives.
You just donโt remember them right now.โ
I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. โYour soul is more magnificent, beautiful
and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are.
Itโs like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if itโs hot or cold. You put a tiny part or yourself into the vessel
and when you bring it back out, youโve gained all the experiences it had.โ
โYouโve been a human for the last 34 years, so you havenโt stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness.
If we stay out here for longer, youโd start remembering everything. But thereโs no point doing that between each life.โ
โHow many times have I been reincarnated, then?โ
โOh, lots. Lots and lots. And into lots of different lives.โ I said. โThis time around youโll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 A.D.โ
โWait, what?โ You stammered. โYouโre sending me back in time?โ
โWell, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.โ
You pondered. โBut wait. If i get reincarnated to other places in time, could I have interacted with myself at some point?โ
โSure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own timespan you donโt even know itโs happening.โ
I looked in your eye. โThe meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.โ
โYou mean mankind? You want us to mature?โ
โNo. just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature, and become a larger and greater intellectโ
โJust me? What about everyone else?โ
โThere is no one else,โ I said. โIn this universe, thereโs just you, and me.โ
You stared blankly at me. โBut all the people on earthโฆโ
โAll you. Different incarnations of you.โ
โWait. Iโm everyone!?โ
โNow youโre getting it.โ
โIโm every human who ever lived?โ
โOr whom will ever live, yes.โ
โIโm Abraham Lincoln?โ
โAnd youโre John Wilkes Booth, too.โ I added.
โIโm a criminal?โ you said, appalled.
โAnd youโre the victims, too.โ
โIโm a leader?โ
โAnd youโre everyone who followed you.โ
You fell silent.
โEvery time you victimized someone,โ I said, โYou were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness youโve done, youโve done to yourself.
Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.โ
โWhy?โ You asked me. โWhy do all this?โ
โBecause someday, you will become like me. Because thatโs what you are. Youโre one of my kind. Youโre my child.โ
โWhoa.โ you said, incredulous. โYou mean Iโm a god?โ
โNo. Not yet. Youโre as a fetus. Youโre still growing. Once youโve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.โ
โSo the whole universe,โ you said. โItโs justโฆโ
โAn egg of sorts.โ I answered. โNow itโs time for you to move on to your next life.โ
And with that, I sent you on your way.
Credit: Andy Weir