Who Determines What Is Right or What Is Wrong?
Lil Jonny was getting low and had to get to the store real quick if he wanted to stick around. He tied his running shoes and ran out the door, failing to close it behind him, letting in the cold November air. He ran as fast as his little legs could bare, up Fifth Avenue. He went past the church, down the hill, across the river then trekked through a thin layer of glossy mud, almost slipping more than once as he made his way through. He had to hurry. He looked at his arm, it read 3m31s.
Through the mud and into the forest, he followed the rocks to get to the Stonehenge Cabin.
Lil Jonny stepped on a large rock beside the front door of the cabin to give him height in order to use the brass door knocker. It was an awkward angle and the thing seemed to weigh a hundred pounds. But he managed it every time and his arms were becoming stronger because of it. He figured when he was his Paps age, his arm would be as big as Hercules.
“Hello?!? Mister Wellaby, it’s Jonny, I’m late because I didnt listen to Mama and now my time is running out. Hurry!!” Jonny went crazy on the door knocker, surely people near would hear this sudden banging noise as well as his cries for help.
“Mister Wellaby, pleeeease hurry!” Jonny was in tears now. He jumped off the rock and tried to enter the cabin but the two locks prevented him from going anywhere. Mr. Wellaby answered the door a moment later, tired and red eyes. Jonny looked closer and seen sunken eyes and purple skin, he wasnt looking the best.
“M-i–i-s-ter Wellaby? Is that you? Is everything okay?” Jonny asked.
Wellaby chuckled. Then whispered something under his breath before saying, “Fine, fine my son, I was just taking a short snooze, come on in!”
Jonny was hesitant for a second but after one look at his arm that read 1m44s, his skepticism was gone.
“What can I do for you today boy?” Wellaby took a seat in his old rocker, the only piece of furniture that seemed to be used in this cabin. The rest was covered in plastic wrap tightly wrapped around each piece. Even the kitchen table. Everything seemed to be made out of an old wood that would rot of exposed to air for too long.
“Times running out, I need you to fix it quick! Quick!” Jonny was erratic.
“My boy, weren’t you here the day before last? I filled you up pretty well, how did you run out of time already?” Mr. Wellaby asked.
“I-I-I don’t know.” Jonny lied.
He lost 20 more seconds of his time. He looked at his arm it said 55s. “I-I mean I didnt listen to mama again and I snuck out past dark. Me and my friend stole chocolate from the store, broke a school window and yesterday we pushed down Seth Truman and stole his ball.” Jonny knew it wasnt the time to lie, he couldn’t afford to lose more time.
“That’s more like it boy.” Mr. Wellaby rubbed his calloused hands on Jonnys silky, pale arm. When he was done, his arm read 2d3h.
“Two days? That’s not gonna get me very far Mister Wellaby. If I make even one slip up I’ll be running all the way back down here again.”
“You see boy, there are certain chances we get in this world and if we keep taking advantage, those chances are going to be taken away from us. The point of this system is so that people choose good instead of bad. But if you keep choosing bad and having someone fix it for you, you are never really going to learn now are you boy?” Wellaby advised.
“S-s-o-o this is it for me then? Two days and it’s all over?” Jonny’s eyes started to well up.
“I have a plan for you yet son, dontchu start your pity party. Boys your age are supposed to listen to their mothers. Your mother, Eve is a very wise woman and that is why I rarely ever see her down at the Cabin, begging for more time. She is effortlessly a good person. Her only fault is she always tries to find the good side of people, to find the excuse for why they did what they did. But sometimes there is no good side and there is no excuse.”
“Are you saying that I am bad and have no good side Mister Wellaby? I can be better, I promise.” Jonny was trying to hold back his tears again.
“Jonny I don’t think you are all bad. There is a dark side in all of us and for the “bad” people the bad side dominates. You won’t let it dominate though, will you Jonny? I think there is a great sadness in the bad ones. I have tried to put across that anger and resentment are acids that destroy their own container but people seem to hold on to things that should be let go. They allow the dark to take over. But you Jonny are not a bad person because you were at fault a few times. You must grow from your faults, strive to be better. Being a good person isn’t a destination, instead it’s something we must pursue all the time.” Mr.Wellaby went into his small kitchen to make himself a tea. He offered Jonny some lemonade, he took it and gulped most of it down.
“Well what makes someone a good person Mister Wellaby? I want to be good just like Mama.” Jonny asked.
“Well you see it all depends, lil Jonny, on the person judging. When people think you are a “good person” they are putting you in a jar with a label on it. This label holds ingredients of whatever each person considers a “good person” to mean. You make them feel good and they expect you to do so at every circumstance of their life. Every part of you is stuffed in that jar so when you go against them; when the time arises when you are no longer making them feel good for whatever reason, they deem you as morally wrong, or a ‘bad person.’ It is all about staying true to you. What your moral conscience tells you to be right or wrong, not what other people think.”
“Well what if what I see as right, everyone else sees as wrong? Doesn’t that make me a bad person also?” Jonny wanted to know everything he could before leaving this Cabin today.
“Good or bad is determined by your own moral nature. The most fundamental of all alternatives for all living creatures is life or death. Only humans can initiate the selection of which alternative to pursue and how to do so. The choice to pursue the alternative of life over death establishes ones life a primary goal. Which is the standard of measure for all values one acts to gain or keep its pursuit. Whatever contributes to ones life is the ethical ‘good.’ What detracts from life is the ethical ‘bad.’ Actions of body, speech and mind that bring happiness are right. Those that bring suffering, discontentment and dissatisfaction are wrong. Do you understand Jonny?”
“W-w-ell how do I undo my bad actions Mister Wellaby? Can I take them back by doing something good?” Jonny didnt want to be deemed as a bad person his whole life. If he had any life to live that is. Now, more than ever he wanted to be the best person he could.
“Around here, we don’t look backwards for very long. We reflect, see what can be bettered and we move forward, opening new doors. Curiosity makes us want to look back but moving forward is our best bet. In this instant gratification, technology-driven, over-schedlued, busy world we must learn to slow it all down. Stop, think, be grateful for what we have. Do good because you can. Realize how good it feels. If you are wrong, fess up. If you are stuck, ask for guidance, theres nothing wrong with needing help. If someone needs help, help them. If you make a mistake, apologize.” Mr.Wellaby said.
“If so many people chose bad, won’t it make it harder for us to choose good? Especially if it’s the people close to us?” Jonny worried.
“The most important thing of all is to not let bad people take away the goodness in yourself. Pay bad people with your goodness, fight their hatred with your kindness. Even if there is no victory over other people, you conquered yourself. Don’t let them change your spirit and realize that not everyone you hang out with, or laugh with is your friend. Everyone has their own intentions in mind. You come second. Real situations expose fake people and you will see that as you get older, lil Jonny.” Wellaby assured him.
“O-o-okay Mister Wellaby, so how do I get more time on my clock quick so that I am able to be around when my little brother is born in a couple months? And to help mama?”
“Well, son I want you to go out there and see what it is like to be selfless. Do favors for neighbors expecting nothing in return, instead of helping your friends steal Seth’s ball; help Seth get his ball back. Listen to your mother, help her around the house, don’t give her any trouble. Find yourself some friends that make you feel good about doing good things instead of ones who may pick on you for it. Show up early, put all your effort in. Don’t complain about things that can be changed if you simply did something about it. Be humble, and always be kind. We all fall off every once in a while, and that is okay; you will get the hang of it boy and you will realize how much better it feels.” Mr. Wellaby finished his tea, placed the mug on his coffee table, picked up the newspaper and started to read, blocking his face from Jonny. He seemed to be done.
“Okay Mister Wellaby, thank you for the help. I will do better.” Jonny walked towards the front door, used all his might to pry the heavy wooden door open and headed out. When he stepped out he heard Mr. Wellaby say something but it sounded like he was talking to himself.
He said something along the lines of “He’s only got two days, he better do better or say goodbye to time, boy.”
Jonny ran all the way home and gave his mother the biggest hug when he returned. He planned on being just like his mother, someone who lived for everyone else instead of herself. He would help her find herself again and take on some of the burdens of life.
The pressures of every day life sapped Jonnys energy making him a stranger to himself. But he knew deep down he was good, he only followed the path of bad because it was the ‘cool’ thing to do. He now knows that kindness and selflessness are the much cooler ways of life than those of lies, mischief and disappointment.
Use your time wisely guys
We got one shot. Use your time to your advantage. We all have the same 24hours in a day, we all have the ability to be extraordinary. Your choice. Here are some good book recommendations on how to manage your time more wisely:
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
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Ava Preston
Love your style of writing, I would be interested in reading a book you wrote. Maybe short stories or articles like the ones on your site? Maybe even an e-book? There are so many people out there creating content and making money for it, and with your skills you can do the same! Look into it maybe. Either way, keep up the good work girl!