But why do we have to believe in our explanations? Why be limited by faith? It works just as well to use a metaphor, something beautiful, explanatory, and disposable.

We couldn't explain how complex organisms came into being. This was one of the reasons that God was a good metaphor. Now we have a better metaphor -- the theory of evolution.

Fate is a metaphor that tries to explain certain patterns in "chance" and "coincidence." Someday, we will have a better way of looking at it. I don't believe in fate, but I use it as a metaphor until something better comes along.

A metaphor is not an object of decision. It is not something that is picked and chosen because of something, possibly ineffable, about it.

A metaphor presents itself as some concrete thing, or possibly some concrete nothing, so strongly so undeniably, our way of looking at the world is forever altered because of it.

Those lucky, or unlucky enough to find these things lying serendipidously around them are merely the vessels of the illumination that metaphor provides. And if they are talented enough, or cursed enough, we all see what they see.

And even if we are never directly privy to their vision, our world is nevertheless forever changed because of it.