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The Warden Was Paper

Authority without teeth looks large until touched.

Saturday, August 16, 2025

Freedom Sovereignty Self-Ownership Fear

Metaphorical Narrative

He stood tall, hat brim low, rules in hand.
Every time they stepped forward, he rustled.

One day they reached out and the warden creased.
Another step and he tore down the middle, confetti on the floor.

Core Insight

Fear often borrows size from distance.
Touch the thing—email back, call, show up, file the form.
Paper authority collapses when reality replaces projection.

Saturday Experiment

  1. Identify one “paper warden” task.
  2. Set a 7-minute timer and make first contact.
  3. Log the truth: “It was ___, not catastrophic.”

Sunday Reflection

  • Which figure in their mind is large only from afar?
  • How could proximity shrink it again next week?
  • What “hat” are they still saluting that deserves recycling?