Tale of the Puzzle Piece

There once was a complex jigsaw puzzle. It took many adults many days to piece together the puzzle on a large dining table. As long as the puzzle occupied the table, they could not eat there, but could still eat snacks at the counter.

They started with the corners, then the edges. Next, they built islands of pieces based on similar colors. There wasn’t even a box cover to go by while building the puzzle.

After about 3 million seconds (34 days) the adults finally finished the puzzle!

Except for one piece. It was missing.

They looked high.  It was not there.

They looked low.  It was not there.

They looked in their couch. It was definitely not there.

Finally, one of the other children showed the piece to the other adults. She actually had their piece the whole time.

The adults wanted the piece so they could finish their puzzle. She didn’t want to give it to them, because she and her friends were playing with it, but the adults took it from her anyway.

They told the piece that it was the one and only piece, and was so special.

The piece knew better and refused to be fit into the puzzle.

So then they took out a hammer and tried to force it in.

The piece sure was flattened, but still refused to fit in.

This went on for some time.

Finally, the adults said, “Look, just who the hell do you think you are, little puzzle piece”?

The puzzle piece replied, “I am merely a puzzle piece. Why are you trying to make me seem like more than I am?

“I am only one among many pieces. There are many like me, and we are all equal. Why are you trying to make me seem like I am more than I am?

“We puzzles are only one among many puzzles. Why are you trying to make us puzzle pieces seem like more than what we are?

“We puzzles are only one among many games and other unimaginable things in existence. Why are you trying to make us puzzles seem like more than what we are?

“Yes, I am that piece. There is no denying that. Yes, we are that puzzle. There is no denying that. But please do not limit our view to only that. We know that the truth is both the piece and the puzzle and so much more. Those views are not in conflict.

“I am paradoxically the piece you seek and not the piece you seek and so much more than the piece you seek. You limit me by your own view of wanting to force me to be only one of two things. But you’re the ones who see so much more than me. You’re the ones who know there is so much more than such arbitrary simplicity. I am simultaneously neither and both and more than what you think I am. You among all can understand that”.

And when they understood and agreed agreed the piece found a way to fit and complete the puzzle. But only under the condition that they understood and told everyone that it was also much more than that, that the piece was only one of many; that the puzzle was only one of many; and that the puzzle was just one way one of looking at things.

The puzzle was two worlds in one: on the top side was Eden restored, an ecological and technological paradise that expanded into the cosmos, carrying the message of pure love irrelevant of religion. The colors were plain and static.

The other side of the puzzle was a psychedelic trip mirror world, a utopia of magic where thought didn’t exist, only intent that interacted with everything. It was everything, and everything was interconnected and bound together like one endless waterbed. The colors were bold and crisp and sparkling, constantly changing like an environmental kaleidoscope that calmly interacted with collective mood.

And some of the puzzle pieces could traverse from one side to the other, and even use light from the window to project their image onto other things around the room.