On the Road

Zoe was walking down the road one sunny, summer day. Came along was a drifter with nowhere to go. His eyes were sunken, his clothes were dirty, and he smelled of cheap gin.

He came up to her and asked while expecting no answer, "What are you ... really?"

Zoe replied, "I am no more and no less that a unique point of view."

"Then what am I?" asked the drifter.

Zoe wagged her tail and said, "You are no more and no less than a unique point of view."

Each of them then went their separate ways with no more words spoken. But Zoe turned around and saw the drifter dancing a jig in the middle of the road. She wagged her tail some more and went on her way.

Zoe was walking down the road on a rainy day. She came upon a young Navajo woman holding a young child at a bus stop. They looked at one another and at the same time said, "Yá’át’ééh (Hello)".

Zoe asked the woman, "Why are we here?"

She replied, "We are here to sing and live in harmony with Mother Earth and Father Sky."

Then the young woman asked Zoe, "Why are we here?"

Zoe wagged her tail and said, "We are here to sing and live in harmony with Mother Earth and Father Sky."

Zoe wagged her tail again and at the same time they said, "Yáʼátʼééh".

Zoe was walking down the road on a cloudy autumn day and met a young man in a business suit who was carrying a briefcase.

Zoe wagged her tail and asked him, "Why are we here?"

He replied, "We're here to be successful, to better ourselves, and to aquire wealth and power." Then smiling, he said, "Why do you think we are here?"

Zoe replied, "We are here to see through the illusion of self and suffering so that we can be united with that which surrounds us."

The young man shook his head and said, "You are a silly dog."

They went their separate ways.

Zoe was walking down the road on a cold, wintry day. She encountered a young woman with a Bible in her hand.

Zoe wagged her tail and asked the woman, "Why are we here?"

The young woman smiled and said, "I'm so glad you asked me that. We are here to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior so that when we die, we will enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

Zoe replied, "What will come of your death if your beliefs are wrong?"

The woman replied, "I am sure I will go to heaven."

They continued on their separate ways.

Zoe was walking down the road on a spring day. A man was walking toward her. He was dressed in a long black coat and a top hat.

When they met, Zoe wagged her tail and asked him,"Why are we here?"

He petted her head and said, "We are here to define ourselves and the world in our own thoughts as we wander between choice, freedom, and angst. What do you think?"

Zoe replied, "We are conscious awareness dancing for itself for no other reason but to stay amused."

They went their separate ways.

Zoe was walking down the road one moonlit night, when Lucifer walked up beside her.

She turned to him and asked, "Why are you here?"

The Prince replied, "I am here to spread falsehoods, inflame hatred, promote ignorance, and cause mankind to live sinful lives. What do you think little dog?"

Zoe replied, "I think you are merly an empty invention of man used to scare people into being good."

With that, Lucifer walked into the shadows and disappeared.

Zoe was walking down the road on a cold, autumn day.

A young man walking toward her was smoking a cigarette. He was wearing a sleeveless tee shirt and jeans. He had numerous tatoos on his arms and neck.

Zoe asked him, "Why are we here?"

He replied, "We are here to understand that power corrupts, that property is incompatible with freedom, and that only in a society without rulers, where work and its products are shared, can men be free and happy. So what do you think, doggie?

Zoe replied, "Nice tats. We are here to sniff, pee, poop, scrape, and chase squirrels."