Note: This piece was inspired by the short story "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
The year was 2081, and everyone was blissful. It's true: absolute and perfect bliss had been acheived by every member of society.
Citizens awoke from dreams to a sunny morning so bright that the line between dream and reality blurred into a sweet nostalgia. Every edible morsel from the breakfast table melted in a divine puddle on the tongue. Every drink, even the simple glass of water, tasted as fresh and clear as morning dew. And days were spent quietly pursuing pasttimes of leisure and frivolty.
There was no stress or sickness, no anger or unhappiness. Just a neverending bliss.
Of course, the orchestraters of this heavenly state enjoyed a much altered experience. Instead of leisure, their days were spent in perfecting the human taste buds so that even the most disdainful gruel tasted like sugary treats, and the radioactive water lost its poisonous, metallic charge. Experiments with the eye's cornea succeeded in creating a radiant sun in place of the cloud-covered gloom in the sky. Also, new breakthroughs in neurosurgery had enhanced the life experience of the citizens so they no longer questioned, or worried, or wondered. Rarely did they even ponder.
Yes, the orchestraters looked upon their improvements with a satisfied joy. For when one must live under a dismal sky and within a world barren of all sensual stimuli, the only satisfaction derives from what small joy they can create for others.
And so, day by day, the orchestraters toiled and troubled over their livelihood, while the citizens lived and breathed, blissfully unaware.
You know, whenever I read that story, it makes me think of how we do the same at school, not really allowing those who could separate themselves, distinguish themselves, from doing so in the name of education. When schools became places of social engineering, and not really educating, we started to do asinine things like treat everyone the same. Well, we aren't all the same. We are all people, people who deserve dignity, and respect, and trust, but we are not the same. I love Vonnegut. So it goes!
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