Bits and Pieces

Meditations on Montaigne

75) Le Démente

”It is the only tool by which we communicate our wishes and our thoughts; it is our soul’s interpreter: if we lack that, we can no longer hold together; we can no longer know each other.” While this is true, it is also the case that people can carry on for a surprisingly long time without engaging one another directly with words. The sad reality of those instances, however, is filled with presumed thoughts and ideas. We eagerly fill in the empty space with what we wish to hear.

Two people can remain in this dance for as long as the illusion holds, one projecting fondest hopes, the other leaving behind enough trails of thought to make the fantasy seem credible. These types of connections are more common than we may believe and they can vary in forms. But at the heart of them all is untruth.

Many movie plots involve a suspension of disbelief, a willingness to surrender to a story that if looked upon with any scrutiny would crumble. From a young age, we are invited to wish upon a star and appreciate the once upon a time. We shouldn’t blame ourselves for believing these fantasies. I only question why some feel the need to tell and keep telling.