... from Kurt's article are a few fundamental truths I already knew.

Of course humans lack the Godlike perspective that would allow them to see where they truly are in the grande scheme of things. They do, however, have an amazing tactical ability that has lifted them to the top of the evolutionary ladder. They can see the lay of the land around them -- and are equipped with an uncanny flexibility that allows them to adapt to changing circumstances, and look far enough ahead to chart their own course, once in a while.

THOSE are the stories that Kurt's article says people love to read. Stories in which events (and how characters respond to them) showcase humanity's strengths in the face of an uncaring universe. Stories that show folks facing terrible odds and still coming out on top somehow. Sometimes it's with the help of a Deus ex Machina (from the Latin, "god in the machine"), some plot device like the fairy godmother that comes out of nowhere to save Cinderella. Sometimes it's just a twist of random fate.

And sometimes it's because a character is smart enough, strong enough, and lucky enough to buck the odds and win.

Having only stories like Hamlet would rob us all of hope. If we truly came to believe that we're all lost sheep wandering in a fog of uncertainty, unable to take control of our lives because every decision could be the wrong one, we would all be defeated before we began. Vonnegut may be right -- Hamlet MAY be the truth. But Heinlein wrote the best rebuttal to Hamlet's truth in all of literature, spoken by Lazarus Long, his immortal protagonist:

"Certainly the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you. If you don't bet, you can't win."

Life has always been a series of gambles -- one calculated risk after another. Maybe you don't know what's going on ... but maybe you do. So take a chance. Make a choice. If the game is rigged and you'll probably lose ... what do you really have to lose by trying anyway?

That's why I write the stories I write. Because people need to know that if you do bet ... if you take a chance and make a stand ... sometimes you can win.

Kurt's a genius. I just learned a long time ago that optimism IS a survival trait. And it's better to try and fail than never try at all. So my characters put it all on the line and let it ride. Because that's what heroes do. Heck, it's what Hamlet did -- he never really knew for sure what was going on. But he took his best shot at making things right. And that's all any of us can ever do.

*smiles, hugs*

Randa