The Meaning of Life
Scanning through Facebook I saw that someone - an old friend - had posted:
"Why does life offer so many challenges? What is the meaning of it all?"
Well.
That's a mouthful, huh?
First off, I felt bad for the guy. Obviously the newest challenge in all of it has him a bit down in the mouth.
Secondly, how the hell is that question answerable?
Isn't it the question that we ask Siri, would ask Ghandi, and might even ask Springsteen if we had the chance to meet him?
I often think about what Jeff told me just days before he was stolen from all of us:
"Why don't you enjoy your life instead of trying to understand it?"
When I was writing the book I was certainly intent on doing a lot more celebrating and a lot less thinking about things, but I'm not quite built that way.
Some of the questions about how people live helps me to celebrate life. I sort of like trying to figure out behavior.
I spend a lot of time reading the comment sections on a hot topic.
For instance:
The other night a young Hispanic kid sang the anthem before the Spurs took LeBron and the Heat to the woodshed and beat their asses in Game 3.
The kid did a nice job.
It was a feel-good deal, right?
Except the comments on Twitter were ridiculous:
"Why is the beaner singing our anthem?"
"Send the wet-back the hell out of here!"
"An illegal immigrant? Singing our anthem????"
I was horrified, of course.
And I thought back to the challenges and meaning of life question, and trying to understand human behavior and the hurt, pain and angst of it all.
Life is suffering.
But life is also wonderful.
We are what we make of it.
The meaning of life is to love and be loved.
We face the test every day.
We need to be strong to battle through.
When I get too down about it, like everyone else, I question things.
One thing I've tried hard to do is not spread hate.
Because that has nothing to do with any of the answers.
"Why does life offer so many challenges? What is the meaning of it all?"
Well.
That's a mouthful, huh?
First off, I felt bad for the guy. Obviously the newest challenge in all of it has him a bit down in the mouth.
Secondly, how the hell is that question answerable?
Isn't it the question that we ask Siri, would ask Ghandi, and might even ask Springsteen if we had the chance to meet him?
I often think about what Jeff told me just days before he was stolen from all of us:
"Why don't you enjoy your life instead of trying to understand it?"
When I was writing the book I was certainly intent on doing a lot more celebrating and a lot less thinking about things, but I'm not quite built that way.
Some of the questions about how people live helps me to celebrate life. I sort of like trying to figure out behavior.
I spend a lot of time reading the comment sections on a hot topic.
For instance:
The other night a young Hispanic kid sang the anthem before the Spurs took LeBron and the Heat to the woodshed and beat their asses in Game 3.
The kid did a nice job.
It was a feel-good deal, right?
Except the comments on Twitter were ridiculous:
"Why is the beaner singing our anthem?"
"Send the wet-back the hell out of here!"
"An illegal immigrant? Singing our anthem????"
I was horrified, of course.
And I thought back to the challenges and meaning of life question, and trying to understand human behavior and the hurt, pain and angst of it all.
Life is suffering.
But life is also wonderful.
We are what we make of it.
The meaning of life is to love and be loved.
We face the test every day.
We need to be strong to battle through.
When I get too down about it, like everyone else, I question things.
One thing I've tried hard to do is not spread hate.
Because that has nothing to do with any of the answers.
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