Local News Update
Jonas: The New Receiver of Memory
The Ceremony
December 31st 4056
The annual aging ceremonies took place in the auditorium just yesterday. All family units gathered in the auditorium to enjoy the ceremonies and festivities. As usual, the naming ceremony took place. Each family unit received their new child. After, the Murmur of Replacement Ceremony for Caleb was held. Next, the ceremonies of 2-11 ran as usual; the eights were given their new coats with pockets, the nines received their bicycles and the 10s got new haircuts. Then, the Chief Elder began to give out assignments to the 12s in which she gave a brief speech to each child. The crowd had a laugh when the chief elder told the story of Asher’s mispronunciation¨snack.” When the audience thought child 19 (Jonas) would come up to the stage and receive his assignment, the chief elder had seemed to have skipped him. The crowd was stunned. After all the ceremonies were over (except Jonas’) The chief elder said ¨I know you are all concerned. That you feel I have made a mistake. I have caused anxiety. I apologize to my community. Jonas, I apologize to you in particular. I caused you anguish. Please come to the stage now.¨She later announced Jonas, after hard consideration, had not been assigned but selected to be the next Receiver of Memory.The Qualities of a Receiver
According to the Chief Elder, ¨He has shown all of the qualities that a Receiver must have.¨Including, integrity, ¨Jonas has, like all of us, committed minor transgressions. We expect that. We hoped, also, he would present himself properly for chastisement, and he always has done so.¨ Courage. Jonas’ training requires physical pain and he has to be ready to face it. She states, ¨… with pain of of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself is not able to describe it...¨ Intelligence. ¨We are all aware Jonas has been a top student during his school days.¨she says. Wisdom, the Chief Elder says Jonas has not yet acquired it but he had the potential to do so. Lastly, The Capacity to See Beyond. ¨I don’t understand it yet. I don’t know what it is. But sometimes I see something. And maybe it’s beyond.¨- Jonas
The Receiver of Memory
¨… The Receiver-in-training cannot be observed, cannot be modified. That is stated quite clearly in the rules. He is to be alone, apart, while he is prepared by the current receiver for the job which is most honored in the community.¨said The Chief Elder. She also says, training is incomprehensible to everyone but the current Receiver; no one understands the pain, Lastly, the chief elder mentions the job to be the “most honored in the community”.