Imaginary Keith is flushed and out of breath when he walks in the door today. I suspect the heat, at first, but then see that he is holding a book in his hands. It doesn’t even look used - the corners are crisp and straight, the cover a very soothing blue.
“You haven’t been working at all this morning, have you?”
“Yes I have. I fixed a sprinkler.”
“Three hours to fix a sprinkler? I’m going to have a hard time billing that one out.”
“Okay, I only worked a few minutes, maybe five. We were out working at Brian’s this morning. You know I always get talking whenever I go out there.”
“I see.”
“But the guys were working. Things were getting done.”
Brian has been working on a book for some time now. I don’t even know how long. I know that Imaginary Keith brought home a rough draft of it at least a year ago, maybe longer, and we looked it over then. Keeping track of time is so hard these days.
“So, is that Brian’s book?” I ask.
“It is. He even signed it for me.
For Keith,
Both the Imaginary and, especially, the Real.
Good reading,
Brian
“Sounds to me like we’re suppose to share it. As a matter of fact, it sounds to me like it’s mostly for me.”
“Nah. That’s just the way Brian writes, all mysterious and elusive. But you’re welcome to read it.”
“Well, at least tell me the name of it.”
“It’s called Return to the One.”
“Open it up. Read me something.”
“Okay. Here’s a chapter called Time Is Temporary.”
“That sounds about right. Go on.” Imaginary Keith begins reading.
Here in our universe, material things (including thoughts produced by the physical brain) always are separated by time and space. Since time continually brings about changes and only one thing can occupy a certain space at a particular time, there is a constant push and pull within materiality.
Imaginary Keith stops. “Do you think that means even things like you and me? Even imaginary friends?”
“How would I know? You’ve only read one paragraph. But relationships, even those with ourselves exist within time and space, so I suppose so. And I would certainly call ours one of “constant push and pull”. Keep reading.”
Life on earth bears an unsettling resemblance to a crowded parking lot at a popular shopping mall the weekend before Christmas: there is incessant circling around and jockeying for position, some leaving and some arriving, people frantically striving to be somewhere other than where they are now. Such is the way of this material world, says Plotinus, but not of the spiritual world.
“Wooo! Now that’s easy on the ears! Better then that stuff you were reading to me this morning.”
“I think so,” Imaginary Keith says.
“You get reading. I’m going to get on the phone and see if we can’t get him over here for coffee or dinner or something.”
“Who, Brian?”
“Well, yea, I suppose he could come too. But no, I was talking about Plotinus. I’m going to see if he has time to stop by.”
“You mean squeeze the two of us into what I’m sure is his already hectic schedule? It can’t be easy being a mystic philosopher. The man has got to be busy.”
“Are you kidding? Sitting around thinking all the time? Why do you think philosophers spend so much time talking about time? It’s because they have all of it in the world.”
“I think you’re over simplifying. I think you’re just going to add to the push and pull of his life.”
“Those are Brian’s words, not Plotinus’. Now, get reading. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a clue what Plotinus will be thinking about. We need to get up to speed before he comes over.”
“True.”
“I don’t even know the simple things. I mean, does he even like coffee?”
“I find it stimulates thought.”
“Well, that’s a start. But we’ll need more then that to hold our own with a third century Greek philosopher. This Plotinus could be a slippery fish.”
“Hey! Look at this! My name’s in the acknowledgments!”
“Let me see that.”
“See, right there. Plain as day.”
“Hmmm. Nope. I don’t see you listed. That’s my name you see, not yours. Sorry.”
“What?!”
“It’s one of the perks of being real. Seeing your name in print occasionally.”
“Well next time you can go over and fix the sprinkler then. If you get the perks, then you can do the work.”
“You’re threatening me with five minutes of work? You’re going to have to do better then that, especially when Plotinus gets here. Now quit wasting time. Get reading.”