Bouncing around inside that big empty space between my ears was an idea.

Bing,
              Bang,
                               Bong!

It ricocheted about, each time hitting a wall growing in intensity until the idea could no longer be contained. This past weekend it became time to let the idea see the light of day. Drum-roll, please and here it is:
When I die, on my tombstone and in my obituary, I want to be known as, Don Rush, the Neanderthal Philosopher.
I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Unga bahgunda,” which translated from Neanderthal to English means, “Cool, dude.”
I think I can pull off this whole “Neanderthal” thingy without much pain or effort. After all, just last year, it was discovered through the magic of modern day science and spit analysis, that yours truly had some definite proto-human DNA markers.

Said, the DNA report, “Neanderthals were ancient humans who interbred with modern humans before becoming extinct 40,000 years ago. This report tells you how much of your ancestry can be traced back to Neanderthals . . . You have 285 Neanderthal variants . . . you have more Neanderthal variants than 61 percent (of the tested population).
Genetically speaking, “Me, Caveman. You, Jane.”

* * *

Throughout western civilization we have been blessed with people who gave much thought to the course of humanity, of our “place” in the cosmos; people who pondered the fundamental state of being, nature, reality, and knowledge; folks who thought about existence. Their ideas and words still shape our lives and society, even today.
In the early days, we had the Greek philosophers. Aristotle has been quoted as saying, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Plato, “Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” and, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
Socrates, “I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.”
And, then centuries later the Enlightenment movement in Europe gave us thinkers like Voltaire, Locke, Montesquieu and Paine.
Voltaire, “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
John Locke, “What worries you, masters you.” and, “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”
Montesquieu, “There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.”
Thomas Paine, “A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom.”

The earth spins, the seasons come and go and before you know it, 200 or so years passed since the Enlightenment’s biggest experiment (America) was started. I believe it’s time for at least one new thinker to carry the torch of deep contemplation and reckoning to future generations. And, in that light of special awareness and insight, I give you, me.

Don Rush, “Boys and girls got different parts. Parts is parts. Therefore, boys and girls are different. Equal, but different.”
Tada!

* * *

Being the Neanderthal Philosopher gives me the latitude to go from A to Z and in a nano second be able to shift gears or directions whenever I need to. I do not want to be tied down to any one frame of thought or sphere of thinking. I want to change my mind when I get new or better information in my zeal toward profundities.
Oh. Wow. Wait!
“The world is a big, bad bear and doesn’t care about your feelings. It just wants to eat whatever you have have. It ain’t fair, but that’s the way it is. Get over it. And, get back to work.”
Book it! Quick, I got another!
“History is our story, so stop mucking up the waters with her story.”
Man, I’m digging this new position as a philosopher. The thoughts just keep coming. Look out world, Donny’s on fire!
Do you have any thoughts you wish to share with Don? Email, DontRushDon@gmail.com

  don rush, don’t rush me, the neanderthal philosopher