A Parallel Universe?

            Try to imagine the life of bacteria and how it might compare to your own.  Better yet, try to imagine yourself as bacteria living on your own planet...say an apple.  With the proper telescopic equipment you can see other apples/planets a long distance away but it is impossible for you to travel that far.  Never the less, you look at these other worlds and wonder if life could exist on these far away places.  You have been taught that there is a higher power...a controller...a super being that makes or lets things happen to you.  (good or bad)  You wonder what your life is for and ask the same question that was asked by previous generations; do you have a purpose and if so what is it? 

            You go to work each day leaving your loved ones at home hoping that they will survive the uncertainties of that day.  Your job is in the mining industry and deep down you know that you are helping to destroy the world...the only one you have!  Unfortunately, you have been given no choice and must do what you are told because of the loved ones you have at home.  You realize that your own life expectancy is short by comparison to other things in your world so you try to forget about the damage you are doing to your environment.  You hope that maybe the next generation can fix things and do better than you did. 

            Of coarse you can’t forget about the threat of war.  That is something you live with daily and have come to accept as normal.  As a bacteria you have many concerns and many enemies but none as dreaded as the Bacteriophages.  These warlike beings can attack at any moment leaving destruction and death in their wake.  On a personal level you have nothing against these beings but you have been taught to hate and fear them by higher ups that are supposed to know more than you.  If these educated bacteria were really smarter why is there still a threat of war? 

            As a modern day bacteria you will be expected to live out your life doing what you’re told and not ask too many questions or say anything bad about the leaders.  Higher learning has been an issue for many generations but it matters very little if you even have a brain.  You have no voice in what is being planned for the future of yourself or your offspring.  That has been left up to the smart ones, and your ideas don’t count Of coarse you can join the ranks of the smart ones if you have the resources.  So you look again toward the heavens and wonder why you are there.  What purpose do you serve? 

            As a human, the life of the one-celled bacteria may sound familiar.  If so, we are in real trouble!