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I just stared at her in disbelief. It was beautiful to see her so intensely exited about the brightness of a human future that stood like a beacon in the darkness of a war-torn world. She spoke of a world that seemed like a beautiful dream, but which had the potential of becoming reality if....
"Peter, we stand at the threshold, today, to the brightest future imaginable," she interrupted my dreamscape that I had begun to build up in my mind. "This future needs not to be a dream," she said emphatically, "we have this truly infinite potential within us, but we refuse it. We have our eyes trained onto poverty. We cling to poverty, we are forced to accept it, and what is worse, people are prepared to sacrifice their lives for it."
"Are you saying that this is the same type of paradox that limits a person's focus?" I asked. "Are you saying this is the same kind of paradox than that which puts out of reach all, but that one single flower in the garden of life, as you had put it?"
"Yes, but is this really true?" she asked. "It seems that a lot of people are not inclined to play this game as it has been designed. Some break the imposed rules, Peter. Sexually, countless people look across the fence and dream. Some people even make that dream, reality. Most married people do so. Only the dreams for human development are still rigidly shut down. Those dreams have been killed. We talk about conservation instead of development. We talk about poverty, even recycling garbage to conserve, rather than about creating new resources."
"If we can protest socially, we should also be protesting scientifically," I suggested.
She agreed with me and smiled, but then she shook her head. "Love is fast becoming unfashionable, too," she added. "The protests are being ruled out."
She predicted that if this paradoxical trend weren't resolved soon, humanity would collapse itself into a New Dark Age, even while it has infinite resources at its feet with which to create the brightest future imaginable.
"Nevertheless, this commitment to poverty doesn't take anything away from the potential that exists," I suggested to her. "This means that the bright future can be initiated at any time during the present cycles of collapse."
She smiled again, but shook her head slightly. "No, Peter, this won't likely happen," she countered, gently. "Vast economic infrastructures are required to develop those infinite resources. If civilization collapses into a New Dark Age, which is more likely than not, these infrastructures will not be built and the existing ones will be destroyed."
She suggested that this doesn't have to happen, since we, ourselves, were proof that a change can be brought about. "We delivered the proof today," said Erica, "that it is possible to abandon a platform of poverty and embrace the riches that are literally lying at our feet. All it took was a grain of love and an honest response."
I agreed with her, fully.
We went to a different place after our dinner, to a place for dancing. A small band provided the music. No disco music could be heard there. The mood was romantic, and quiet enough for conversations. We spoke about different things now.
One of the more urgent topics that came to the forefront as the night wore on, was related to the problem of parting. The question arose what the next logical step would be in the unfolding of our affair.
"I should invite you to my home for the night," said Erica, "or we should go to your hotel and spend the night there. This would certainly meet one more deeply seated human need. This would also make our affair complete, but I can't go that far. I just can't," she added. "The foundation for this next step has not been built. You must forgive me for having to disappoint you."
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