Lying as in Inventing
That’s right, it’s here to tell you
— Why? Why in the name of Saint Peters are you lying? — Well, how can I say this? First off, there are many reasons.
Is it because you are unhappy? It could be, couldn’t it? We never know the whole truth or do we? Or perhaps it’s out of necessity? Please tell me! I beg you. I need to know the truth! The truth or a lie? Make up your mind, after all this is what the story is about.
It looks like the author is playing mind games with the audience. I apologize, he does that sometimes. So here is the truth. The person who lies, in this case, Mark, does it because he believes in alternate realities. Here is the catch, Mark strongly believes that there is always a way to embellish reality, which is why he is offering an embellishment — the alternate reality.
In case you have not noticed. Lying is a necessity, it is a drug you see. Mark is heavily addicted but he believes it’s not a drug but a beautiful thing to do, an admirable thing. He is madly in love with what he does.
Lying is a necessity in Mark’s own eyes. It’s curious right? I once met somebody who wanted an opinionated author. So here is my opinion: I energetically disagree with Mark. I believe it's the uttermost rubbish I have ever heard!
Mark sees himself as an inventor. That’s right. He does not lie, he simply offers a slightly different truth. After all, everything is a perspective, right? It’s a new version of reality for cryin’ out loud! His so-called “lies” were a storytelling exercise. They were at least 15 minutes long which was too much to be considered a lie. He was probably ashamed of the present situation hence the invention. He became more confident, storytelling was in his genes. The talented Mr. Ripley? Mark did not at all care what his fellow comrades thought of him. To put it politely, he did not give a rat’s ass.
Should I give you an example of what inventive storytelling is and how it differs from a lie? The audience should get it, it’s not very difficult. Instead of saying he spent all afternoon napping (he doesn't want to be seen as lazy, you get it? An afternoon napping is lazy behavior), he will invent a whole afternoon. One afternoon he went for a 10 km run, met his neighbor, went for coffee, fell in love, and so on. Do you get it?
Mark is inventive. Isn’t he? Oh, he so is. He dearly is. Inventive Storytelling he called it.
It was a good exercise for the brain, don’t you get why? He often thought with his guts, he’s full of intuition — Oh My God! A way of achieving Nirvana. He’s a happy and confident man. Clarisse was Mark’s neighbor whom he fell in love with while running 10k and Clarice says he was a visionary to some extent. Being capable of seeing the unseen? That’s so entrepreneurial!
The big question is? Was all this legal? Is it ethical? Clarisse looked beautiful with Mark, they were a lovely couple but there was one tiny little problem you see. Mark was not very ordinary, he was an alternative little guy. Did he wear a wig? Maybe, who knows? Maybe he’s a hippie with dreadlocks. A professional hippie? That’s being an alternative storyteller. His words were wobbly, just like anarchy. To some extent it was anarchy, do you agree? He says what he wants, there’s no room for obligations.
It’s a funny lifestyle he cultivated. Who on earth invents alternative ideas as he does? A liar as an inventor. Simply put, a different approach to reality. He’s a non-conformist, that is all.
THE END
Thank you so very much for reading. Reading and leaving feedback means so much to me. It does so dearly. If you liked this story, here are a few others you might like:
