“Every Game has Mechanics, specific, defined systems or processes within a game that players use to interact with the game world and achieve objectives. They determine how players can manipulate the game and how the game responds to their actions.

“We’re down to the final two Elements of any Game: Mechanics and Feedback. Mechanics are the actions or systems players use to reach their goals.

“Without Mechanics, the Game of Life wouldn’t even get off the ground. For instance, what does it really mean to Spread Love? We have mentioned it many times, but do we truly understand what it involves? If we do not, how will we know when we have achieved it?

“The Game of Life is packed with systems and processes designed to help us chase Perfection or Happiness, through our Soul and Garb. We’ll dive deeper into these later, but for now, just a quick overview.”

“Some mechanisms are designed to benefit the Soul (and later, the Self). For example, Souljourning involves a multi-step process: a Soul’s desire to journey, followed by Introspection, planning, goal-setting, launching, and full engagement.

“The most complex mechanism, of course, is Spiritual Vibration, which covers how Love Energy is emitted, transmitted, and received. This topic is deep and complex, with much to explore.

“On the other hand, Garbs have their own mechanisms. They start with the Five Senses, constantly processed by the brain, and include Observation, Memory, Thought, Reasoning, and Creativity—all essential processes.

“Garbs interact through complex, sometimes conflicting Relationships, struggling to find ways to coexist through Communication, Deliberation, Compromise, and Partnership, as well as Opposition and Isolation.

“Community mechanisms start with Representative Governance, which balances individual Free Will with the Collective Will. This balance is crucial for Souls to freely Spread Love, defining Liberty as governance-permitted Freedom.

“Democracy is the only system that truly balances collective and individual will. America serves as a model for representative governance—of the People, by the People, and for the People. In a democracy, Citizens ensure Diplomacy, compromise, and respect among leaders through Volunteerism, Voting, and Patriotism.

“I have saved the most crucial mechanism for last: Spiritual Equilibrium. This is what allows every Garb to balance the Competing Intentions of Garb and Self.

“Spiritual Equilibrium is what the Holy Books refer to when they mention ‘Heart, Soul, Might, and Mind.’ Unfortunately, the mistranslation “Thou shalt Love…” has misled Mankind and obscured the true message.

“The correct translation should be “Thou will,” as in “Thou will, when thou…” In other words, you will (accomplish the Spreading of Love by balancing the energy of Might, the intellect of Mind, the passion of Heart, and the wisdom of Soul.

“Every Game has Feedback, information provided to players about their performance. Feedback helps players understand their progress, learn from mistakes, and adjust their strategies based on their actions and outcomes.

“Even with all these mechanisms, Garbs still need a way to know if they are acting in line with the Will of ALL and spreading Love as their Selfs desire.

“Human Emotions are a trustworthy indicator of one’s Spiritual Equilibrium. A Soul, being an extension of ALL, can only emit positive vibrations. Negative emotions come from Garbs themselves, not Souls.

“So, if a Garb feels Fear, it means they are leaning too much on Might and Mind rather than on Heart and Soul. But when they feel Love, it is because their Heart and Soul are more influential than their combined Might and Mind.

“In short, our Emotions are the best Feedback. By paying attention to them, you can easily see if you’re living according to the Ten Graces.

“Liberty gives its citizens Choice. Without its example of Representative Democracy, Humanity could never know true Liberty. And TempTerra would have no need to exist.

“Electing leaders who are faithful to the Ten Graces is the best way to preserve Liberty, and in the end save Humanity from itself.

“If America’s model fails, Humanity could collapse. If Humanity collapses, Souls would lose their chance to seek Perfection and TempTerra would lose its need to exist.

“So, what do you think about the Game of Life?” I glanced around, making sure everyone was following. “Why are we here, sitting on a small part of Hadrian’s Wall, which stretches 75 miles from Solway Firth to the River Tyne in England’s Northern country?”

I scanned the crowd, spotting Lionel and Martin right up front. “You,” I said, pointing to Lionel. “What’s your take?”

Lionel called out, “He knows my name!”

“I know everyone’s name!” I said, and the crowd laughed. “Now, come on, Lionel. No more delays.”

Lionel started, “It’s like you mentioned earlier—the problems that seem huge in TempTerra don’t really matter in Everly.” He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded.

He continued, “Take this wall we’re sitting on. It was built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep out northern invaders. But look around. Beyond the stage, all I see are rolling hills and streams. Turn around, and it’s the same beautiful landscape.”

“Exactly,” I added, taking back the floor. “The Souls on either side of this wall were the same. Garbs might differ, but Souls are equal in ALL’s eyes.”

Martin jumped in, “The concept of Immigrants is just like this wall—manmade. Why such a fear of others? What makes someone an immigrant? Why be so obsessed with ‘those over there’?”

“Exactly,” I said, “’here’ and ‘there’ do not exist in Everly. They are manmade constructs – artificial boundaries!”

Lionel nodded, “There’s no ‘us’ or ‘them’ if we’re all equal Souls.” The crowd applauded.

I paced the stage to shift the focus. “Our biggest challenge is getting Garbs all across America to see themselves as SoulYous, not GarbYous. If only they would. Instead, they see through mortal eyes and feel vulnerable in an artificial reality of their own making.”

“So, what’s it all about, Elfs?” I asked, making eye contact with my audience. “Why TempTerra? Why Garbs? What’s the purpose of Souls and Everly?

“In a single word, Choice! Everything comes down to choosing. Choice is the rope in the tug-of-war between Imperfection and Liberty. Get that?”

“This whole Game of Life was created by ALL for one reason: to give Souls a chance to choose love at every turn. That is it. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“This is why America is so crucial to the survival of Humanity. America is the magnificent, magical, mystical, miraculous incubator of Liberty.

“So, next time someone asks, ‘What’s it all about?’” I said, locking eyes with the crowd, “You’ll have a one-word answer.” I paused for effect, letting the silence hang. “Choice,” I declared, the word slicing through the tension like a hot knife through butter.