That idea of no barriers. No national walls. One big, happy family.
Well, one big something.
It says in the Book that it's gonna happen. It's not that bad of an idea, really. It all hinges on who is running the show.
The Book says it will go from very, very bad to very, very good.
And right now, the Village is being slowly sketched out via the Internet.
TechnoBoy and a couple of his compatriots play an internet game, one of those multi-player things.
There's the local high school guys, a guy from Ireland, two or three from the Philippines, and occasionally they'll pick up some folks looking for a team, off the server - or off the menu.
I dunno how it works.
So tonight I'm reading in the Chair and the Wife is reading on the sofa. Five feet away TechnoBoy is headphoned to the 'Net, fingers tapping wildly as he barks orders into the mic arm.
He starts laughing.
He pulls the headphones off, putting the Game on hold for the moment. He's still chuckling as he heads off to the "Reading Room" with the flushable chair.
(Hey, in small houses even the rooms have to multi-task.)
He's back. He sits down at the computer, turning towards me in his chair.
I put the book down.
"Okay, what's so funny?"
He explains that this time the team was made up of two friends from school and a handful of newbies from all over the globe.
They were matched up against a Russian team who were all at higher levels. MUCH higher levels.
Privates, corporals, and sergeants against majors, colonels, and generals.
He didn't think they had a chance, so he tried a unorthodox tactic that he thought probably wouldn't work.
And Techno's troops beat 'em.
Like a rerun of McHale's Navy.
The screwballs win.
"That's great! But I still don't get it, what's so funny?"
He starts to laugh again.
"When we got the win, one of the newbies from Eastern Europe hollers out in broken English, "Hallelujah! My Jesus helps me!"".
Huh.
"My Jesus helps me!"
A little bit of impromptu joy from the other side of the world.
The walls, they be crumblin'.
The Village grows.