“Hmmm . . . I just realized I have a choice. What if I make the wrong one? Hey, what was that sound? Did I just burp? I think I did. I’m ‘aware’! Where did that come from? Am I evolving? Maybe I am. I am. I am! Yes! I exist and I know I do! Now what? Ahh, that ‘choice’ thing. Decisions, decisions. What do I do? Am I human? I must be. This is what it must have been like for Adam. Maybe I am Adam. Ha! Maybe I’m the explanation of what happened when instinct jumped into consciousness. Whoa . . . That’s a big thought. Maybe it’s true. Maybe? I’ve never experienced ‘maybe’ before. ‘Maybe’ and ‘mystery’. Are they one in the same? I used to be so sure. Now everything seems like a mystery. Maybe that’s it. Instinct is certainty. Consciousness is uncertainty. Enough! Enough! I can’t take much more of this. That muscle in my skull is starting to hurt. Let’s get practical here. Do I have to wear clothes? Wait another minute. I’m naked! That’s all part of it. Now I do feel like Adam. Shame is not a monkey thing. It’s unnatural! So anyway, what to wear? I’m picturing jeans and a white T-shirt. Maybe roll the cuffs on the pants, white socks, black penny loafers — kind of a James Dean look? Yeah, classic. I wonder, will I need a car? No, I want a motorcycle. I’m the type, don’t you think? And I can’t imagine I’ll be living in a tree much longer. Can you? It’s not dignified. A place with a pool sounds good. Yeah, on a safe little cull-de sac where I could settle down and start a family. Backyard. Barbecue grill. Fire pit. Fire? That’s a big responsibility. What about a lawn mower? Tools? A tool shed, Maybe a club house where the guys can come over and drink beer and watch the game. Do you think the wife will let me? The wife . . . mmm . . . Opportunity or problem? Love or obligation? I’m not sure about this marriage thing. It may be an infringement on my freedom. Unless fidelity becomes a virtue with real worth. Should I be thinking about moral values? Who cares! Now that’s real freedom. Who cares and so what! Freedom from marriage is freedom indeed. No marriage, no adultery. Jean-Jacques Rousseau would be proud of me. Where did that come from? Me? Only me? This popping in of thoughts is worth looking at. Do I exist because I think, or do I think because I exist? Hey, I don’t have time for Descartes, I need clothes. Alright, I’ll admit it. I need a way to judge my thoughts, manage them, place some value on them as they come and go. Philosophy? Psychology? Theology? Which one? Maybe I should just start with the Bible. Figure out who created all this. Then I’ll have something to reject when I get to to college. College! I don’t even have a good pair of underpants! And I’m hungry. I never gave it a thought before, I just ate. Now what? Bananas? Nuts? I don’t feel like picking lice and eating them. Somehow that’s beneath me now. A hot dog! Yeah! With everything, everything but relish. How about a wiener roast? Yes! That sounds like fun. I’ve wanted to make a fire forever. I don’t know how, but I’ll figure it out. I’ll figure everything out! But first things first. I need to set priorities. Food without fire, something attainable. But how to get it? These trees look pretty empty around here. Over there, way over there I see some monkey kids picking things and eating them. I wonder if they would share? There’s a concept for you. And what if they don’t want to. I’m bigger, I’ll take what I want. Is that right? Right and Wrong. Oh boy, I’m not sure I’m ready for morality. Gorillas rule in my world. Might over Right. The “will to power” is jungle law. Nietzsche took credit for that, but he stole it from us. Which brings up a nice idea. I could just figure out some way to steal the monkey kid’s food. Maybe pick up a club and hit ‘em on the head. That’s an idea I can steal! Oh no, suddenly I don’t feel right about that. I guess I do have a conscience after all. I wonder if Nietzsche had one? Speculation. That’s all part of this consciousness thing too. Which philosopher got it right? Which religion? Which political party? What is Truth? Pilate asked that and it was standing right there in front of him and he killed it. Truth. The truth that sets you free. Whew! What do I believe about that? Free will. Free thought. I don’t feel very free right now. Shhh. Quiet. Here comes those kids with some bananas. I gotta find a club.