“We have only this moment,
sparkling like a star in our hand...
and melting like a snowflake.”

Inner Space and the Astronaut Neuron

A small tale to tell your kids before they go to bed:
Once upon a time on a perfectly normal blood cycle, a small little neuron in someone's brain, without quite knowing why, began to wonder about who he was after all, and what thing is this going around about the Great Brain that all other neurons speak about and to whom they say they serve.
In his quest for knowledge he decided to quit his job and began talking with his other neuron companions about his doubts. To his astonishment he found that other neurons had different opinions of what they were supposed to be doing there, and what the Great Brain was. Most neurons thought the purpose was motor coordination. Others said the most important thing was to keep the internal organs alive and functioning. And some had the opinion that the priority functions were the intellectual faculties which they served. The smallest minority believed that creativity was the highest faculty of all and the one the Great Brain most appreciated.

Surprisingly, our wandering neuron, unintentionally began a neuronic war! The neurons of the motor coordination side began to fight with the internal organ neurons. The memory neurons and the neurons of the intellectual side began persecuting and killing the creative neurons... Confusion and war began to spread all over the brain. Our little neuron could now clearly see that none of his colleagues really knew the answer to his questions. That they would never agree on what was after all the purpose of being a neuron and what ultimately was this thing called the Great Brain.

Disappointed, the little neuron realized that he would have to continue alone in his pursuit of knowledge. And so it was that he decided to search for the Great Brain. Perhaps the Great Brain had the answers to his questions!

Trip after trip, the small neuron came to know the Frontal Lobe, the Occipital Lobe, the Parietal Lobes and so on. But nowhere could the Great Brain be found. The small neuron became tired, frustrated and dissatisfied not yet getting the answers he sought.

Suddenly a strange feeling arose, telling him that he should go into the bloodstream. Finally he gained the courage to follow this feeling, and so he entered the bloodstream. He decided he would try to know the source of this red flow that nourished all the neurons, and everything else he knew. After many travels, small adventures, and strange conversations with the strangest cells he ever saw, our hero finally came to the source of the flow. A huge muscled blood pump, which seemed to shine with a strange electrical discharge, stood there as if floating. But strangely all this made our small little neuron feel confident and safe.

- Welcome my son. I was waiting for you! - Said the strange shinning organ.

- Hello! Are you the Great Brain?

- I'm afraid I am not. But I know you have many questions... Maybe I can help you!

- Yes I have! I want to know who I really am and why it is important to execute my functions. And I also want to know what is ultimately the Great Brain!

- You and all your neuron companions are part of a very special organ. All of you together constitute a whole, the Great Brain. You cannot really understand this whole, but you can feel it within you! It is extremely important that you carry out the functions you've been entrusted to.

- But other neurons have different functions, and nobody seems to know or agree on who and what really is the Great Brain. They all just argue and fight with each other about it. No one understands each other anymore... It's chaos! Nothing seems to make sense! I gave up my functions so I could know the Great Brain, so he could tell me why I'm here, why all this...

- My dear neuron. They all have a different function to carry out. And they all do so with dedication and love for the Great Brain. But it is normal that when faced with other tasks from other neurons they feel confused. All this is perfectly natural, because they are only neurons! They cannot understand the Great Brain in its entirety. But do not worry about them. The real issue here is you. Your curiosity and desire to know who you are, why all this, this thirst to know the Great Brain... In truth I tell you that at this precise moment, although you may not see it, you are fulfilling your role, you're doing what you were supposed to do.

- How so? I quit my functions! I came to this strange place and I'm confused! How can I be fulfilling my task?

- In your quest for knowledge, and due to the mess you started with the other neurons in the hemispheres and lobes, you initiated a revolution that is currently having a huge impact on the Great Brain! The Great Brain has himself just began a process of enquiry. He too wants to know who he is and what is his role, because he, like you, is only part of yet another Greater Whole. And eventually he will also come to me in order to pose similar questions. And I will give him the answer he so longs for... And all this because a single neuron decided one day to ask himself "who am I?" ...

- But... but... I'm confused ... what Greater Whole is this? And how can the Great Brain meet you? Who are you?

- HA HA HA HA ... always curious! I am the Greater Whole! The Cosmos! The Great Brain's Mother... He calls me the Heart!

Amazed and happy, despite not having fully understood what happened, our hero began his journey back home. Back to his workplace where he hoped to tell all his colleagues what he had learned about the Great Brain, the Heart and especially this thing never heard before: the Greater Whole, the Cosmos...

Our little neuron thus returned to the brain and told all about his adventures to his brothers. After hearing this wonderful story about the Heart, the Cosmos, the Greater Whole and the important roles they played, they finally understood that all tasks were equally important and interconnected to serve the Great Brain. And they all went back to work, happier than ever before.

Thanks to our small little neuron, one small little brain finally understood who he his...

The End

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