Friday, October 19, 2007

Sunday Scribblings: Le Roi Raymond the First

This week's Sunday Scribbling's prompt: "My first act as Queen/ King of the World will be..."

My first act as King of the Land of Autonomy would be to decree that people let each other live their lives and do their work without smothering oversight and interference.

I'm assuming that the Land of Autonomy would be a magic kingdom where the word of Le Roi Raymond the First would not only be the law, but would have creative force and what I would say would come into being.

Therefore, by the force of my benevolence, meddling would vanish. Workers would do their work and be trusted that they know what they are doing and would be free of needless bosses and administrators mucking up the joy of their labor with petty rules, ignorant memos, abstract, out of touch productivity plans, and oppressive company organization charts.

Mine would be a kingdom of anarchy. The Land of Autonomy's national motto would be "Leave Well Enough Alone". Workers would profit from their labor, not CEOs or administrators or magnates, because in the Land of Autonomy the perceived need for CEOs or administrators or magnates would evaporate.

One of the miracles of the Land of Autonomy would be elimination of irritation. Cigarette smoke would not irritate others. Neither would perfume. Citizens would take joy in their freedom and would encourage one another to follow their own paths regarding how they love others, the language they use, and the traditions they enjoy. Illusions of a nation united by monolithic cultural values would disappear in the Land of Autonomy because the value that would prevail would be each to his or her own path of expression, livelihood, and spiritual practice, or lack of practice.

Slowly, but surely, words like "impose", "shove it down my throat", "proselytize", "enforce", and "enact" would melt away from the tongues of citizens like a peppermint lozenge, because in the Land of Autonomy there would be nothing to impose, shove, proselytize, enforce, or enact.

Citizens would be free. Free will would be so absolute that the idea of disapproval would fade away as even a choice to make. Autonomy would be so prized that it would inspire acts of charity, not out of guilt, but out of the powerful, free urge to help others and to cooperate within a nation where no one was trying to take away what a citizen has. Paradoxically, autonomy would heighten the citizens' sense of being social citizens. One person's happiness and well-being would be understood to enhance, not threaten, another's.

Le Roi Raymond I would not be king for long.

In the Land of Autonomy, I wouldn't be needed.

You can find more Kings and Queens here.

11 comments:

Robin said...

Sounds like a lovely place to live - where do I sign up?

Anonymous said...

I like the idea of social citizens.

Great post!

Christy Woolum said...

Long live the king... until he is not needed.

Joseph C. Harris said...

i like this land of autonomy. Long live the king.

Beau Brackish said...

But who will tell us who we are supposed to fear? Where will we direct our misplaced anger and resentment? Autonomy is such a revolutionary concept. Is America ready for it?

Great post!

Sandie said...

What a great post. I really feel many of the same things. I knew I should have written mine before reading any others, because yors sums up my thought better than I ever could.

Tumblewords: said...

Most people need someone to follow - even in autonomy. I'm thinking your reign will be long!

Cherie said...

Sounds like my kind of kingdom - Long Live the King!

Unknown said...

Thanks for this King!
Can you come give this speech at my place of work?

Patois42 said...

I do believe I could be very comfortable living in your Land of Autonomy.

nonizamboni said...

Ahhh, this is my kind of place and I say, long live this kind of anarchy! Consider me a loyal subject.