Chapter 4. You Just Wait
Herman's God demands all of his love, made abundantly clear, God self and others but Herman doesn't get all of His. More from himself than others on most days but when he needs it most some days more from others. Herman thought if he had a complaint about the Supreme Being that might be it. Abandon the children in the forest, see if they find a way out. Then bags trunked, starts the car and missing in action since.
Herman could not do anything without the thought of reward. The result of action is reward. When he opened his eyes he expected to see, anything more was sophistry. Herman appreciated sophistication. He liked costume and tradition as an occasion. Of course in the Utopia v.1 Herman subscribed to a wedge of the bureaucracy supporting the pageantry and figureheads necessary to gather and bind, steer and enthuse as long as our tribes insist on gathering was to be celebrated and regarded. Just a thin slice of the pie.
Utopian masterminding was not Herman's calling, more a past time, a hobby like gathering wool and digging holes and looking. Herman found what he was looking for once he found a bottom.
Doesn't mean he won't dig again, in case he needs reminding.
He learned later he'd never learn. Some things were worth the wait but only in hindsight when the wait was over.
Later that night gone where Herman went when deep asleep and snoring he would have felt a gentle patting on the top of his head and if he was an old soul knit together a whisper. "Patience Herman patience."
Herman knew it was part of the Mister E. mystery, waiting for what you hope never comes. Nothingness should be dreaded Herman thought but not something to be afraid of, the more common the more inevitable whatever that meant.
From outside Herman felt thunder and a drop of water on his earlobe though he was in a room with no plumbing and a sound ceiling. Herman cursed this damn fool thinking and he tried to still his mind.
He chewed his cheek raw when he was a kid and a couple of times since when he unleashed his full worry, maximum fret.
But the hormonal adjustment necessary, the melodic nuance, brain snap adjusted and Herman returned to the moment somewhat frustrated and sad.
Then, like a faceful of bracing cold water, he laughed and remembered he had a mouth to feed. Herman thought highly of his body and treated it well. This wasn't necessarily obvious about his appearance, looking at him, hard to tell. Near obese, near diabetic, heavy smoker, swimmer's ear chronic and he took two covid shots before he caught on. He looked around and though a tight squeeze he thought he fit in. So Herman figured he was on the right track. The plug's in the jug, there was that.
Herman's Dreamtime Exhibition #4 digital image Ross Miller