Umbrellas Unopent in Tempests, Part XXV

As Itwethey unwinds into his tussle with the acolytes and apostles of “openness”, Guest is still with Itwethey at the threshold. Only Guest is not now sandwiched in with Itwethey on this threshold: Guest now oscillates out of the threshold, only touching Itwethey at the lowest moment of the amplitude of the oscillation. In other words, during this time of waiting ( which is created by Itwethey trying to figure something out, and which is inspired by a problem presented by some foreign and yet also internal notion of “openness” ) Guest bounces off and out from the threshold: Guest never enters, Guest never receives introduction or entry (intry) as Itwethey had intended (outietended, delicate tongue, frank handling of moments’ lust wild insincerity of promise most fleshy) (though Itwethey suspends everything in order to examine Itwethey’s ideas about “openness”; as a host, whether this is good or bad is risky. Itwethey is placing good and bad at risk.)

The scene is backlit. Molten gold coins, imprinted with the visage of Neptune, pour over the oscillations of Guest, which break the gold into rainbows. Dozens of porpoises leap into these rainbows, further fractionating it, and making the backlighting of Guest even more exquisite. It makes the scene all aquatic, perhaps as this delights Neptune, whose profile, though now obscured by dazzling prismatics here and there, appears to show a grin. Blue becomes darkness, reds and yellows take on the light. A gob of gold is not perceived as yellow or any shade thereof, but as something show stopping…In a good way.

It is not that Guest is deciding to accept invitation (Guest caught unawares, Guest “getting back to nature” stumbling upon Itwethey’s hospitality forcing Guest to come to grips with what Itwethey has succeeded, in this surprising and shocking display of humility and unaudacity (Marie Antoinette in a grass hut—audacious or not?)), to offer to Itwethey Guest’s startled, shocked, surprised inmost authentic response to “all of this”—better to describe this as Guest for the present unable to emerge successfully from Shock, Surprise, (Unaudacity—what is that: cowardice? This is the motto of the Enlightenment: Am I coward for knowing that I do not know, or a fool for pretending that’s no problem?!!!)

Itwethey is here (at this intellectual position—is an intellectual position EVER a “here”? Here we decide, as we decide openly the decision of closed openness): “openness” understood as “generosity” isn’t the slam dunk corrective or remedying addition to “openness” required to make “openness” accepting to other. Here are four considerations (is a consideration a reason?) 1. Other may not find the generous gift of Itwethey good enough in quality to be acceptable by Other (from now on in these four considerations, Other will be called Guest.) Guest doesn’t need to accept Itwethey’s trash simply because Itwethey offers it as a gift. Guest has many other Itwetheys offering many other gifts, and if ANY of these other gifts are better, Guest does no discourtesy (or more—or less?—strictly—any unethical-- act) refusing “gift” from Itwethey. 2. Guest doesn’t need the gift…It has nothing to do with Guest….Guest has no obligation vis a vis “gift” of Itwethey…Itwethey’s precious gift is Guest’s hindrance…Thrown up by Itwethey to ruin or delay or sidetrack or derail Guest’s essence (Itwethey absolves himself from what, from Itwethey’s point of view, is exaggeration, hyperbole, bearing of false witness times eleven!) 3. “Gift” is bad for Guest. Guest has a lot of independence; has through a lot of past generosity developed a great deal of capability, insight, audacity, and autonomy—Guest gets great (infinite? complete? total?)joy marching or promenading or wandering or exploring or investigating on the navigation of this wonderful GPS (God Promises Sweetness) of independence which will vouchsafe and warrant: NGN: (No Gift Necessary.) 4. “Gift” posits some psychological demands on Guest in that “Gift” demands some kind of response (negative, positive, gratitude, thankfulness, rejection—“gift” recipient must do something.) Itwethey knows what is wanted when “gift” is granted: LOVING response (cause and effect is thrown out the window here—“gift” doesn’t cause LOVE; if only it did! (No, Itwethey wouldn’t want the “gifts” he’s received to have caused LOVE or else he’d be married to ReReWooWooPartridgeSquirell, in that hovel, bonded forever.)