20. The green fuse

Come stand with me at sunrise on the naked cliff and know the minuteness of man, the immensity of his planet. Look up, down, out, and you will see the green fuse, but not the force - which is unknowable.

Come turn with me toward mammon and catch the full blast of our drive to fashion, to harness, reflected back at us through the myriad of burnished windows stretching far along the sandstone ridges and the green gullies, now overrun with years of our toil and our abandon.

Come lean toward the east and catch the updraft from the pounding seas below, the spray of salt and the warmth of the rays rising up into the heavens from the distant horizon. Sense the power of the waters, the energy of the winds and luxuriate in the warmth of the sun, as you ponder your place.

Come walk with me toward mammon.

17. Let's do breakfast

Geez, look at that, all fellas - on a Sunday morning before eight!

Huh. I read the other day that the most rapidly growing household demographic is single and male and over 50. Maybe they come down here for the company.

And for someone to cook for them ...

Well, maybe there is some truth to that. But, it is also just a cynical, throwaway line. Go on, admit it.

Hah! Never ...

You know, I reckon that if society keeps evolving as it is, the concept of a house will alter. We will need blocks of dormitories, motels – a double bed, a bathroom, and a jug. Human society is evolving into a bee hive. Males are courted until they produce offspring and then they are put out to pasture because they are more trouble than they are worth.

Get out of here! What the hell are you on about?