I realized as I wrote this that it was something that might work for part of a novel idea I have had for some time. So, I quit writing on this entry, looking to do some research and write other aspects to compliment this idea.
Start Fiction:
"The Inner Dwellers will come to the surface one day, and the cycle will commence once again," Grandfather said. "This is the way it has been for all generations; there is no beginning, no end."
I have heard these stories since I was old enough to walk. I have always just categorized them as myth, regardless how emphatic Grandfather is about their veracity.
It wasn't until I was in my thirties and return to school seeking a Master's degree I began to visit Grandfather with a notebook in hand, documenting the ancient cosmology handed down to him from his elders.
In my Intro to Anthropology course (I had many deficiencies), I had come across several ancient cultures that had written about a "inner universe", inside the earth. At first I laughed and almost dismissed these cultures as quickly as I had my own for most of my life.
As I read more on the subject, seeking out data on cultures, I realized that while many of the legends were characteristically different, fundamentally they were very much the same legend. This was something I had not considered a possibility; the idea that other cultures through out history (or as Grandfather would say, "this cycle") would have such a incredible tale to tell, with such detail.
I often found this later conversations extremely humbling; the wisdom and knowledge Grandfather possessed was lost on me due to my immense ignorance. It wasn't just the "inners" we discussed, but life, death, farming, hunting, love, anger; dreams, consciousness, intelligence, logic.
I began to look at the stories of Grandfather, and the world as a whole, differently; I was becoming more respectful, more caring, more understanding - more open to the possibilities that exist.
End Fiction.
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