What is Life?

Hey folks,

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while. There are three reasons for this. The first is that, with the US Election over, there isn't a whole lot of inspiration for new blog entries. The second reason is that school is in high gear, and I simply don't have time to put much thought into my blog (of course, I take off on Sundays, which is why I can update now).

But the real reason is more serious than all that. As some of you may know, I lost my dad about a month ago, and I really couldn't get myself to blog so shortly after his death. That said, in many ways, he has inspired the content for this entry.

Before going on, I will deal with some obvious questions. Yes, it is tragic that I lost my dad, but not altogether surprising. He was 68, and has had Parkinson's for about 11 years, and has been in quite bad health in recent years. Things kinda culminated in October, and his body just gave in, and he passed away exactly a month ago.

Dealing with my father's passing has really got me thinking about life in general. As I think about all the stuff my dad had amassed (much of which will be trashed or donated), and all the things we have to cancel (cable subscription, phone accounts), it just struck me- this stuff is so temporary. You gotta think that the people at the phone companies deal with this all the time... and what about funeral directors? This is a weekly occurence for them.

For me it emphasise the futility of amassing all this stuff- especially if it will just be trashed upon death. So, then, what is the point of life? In my 21-year-old opinion, life is about two things: a) about enjoying ourselves responsibly, and b) about making a difference.

A) Enjoying ourserlves responsibly. What does this mean? First, let me consider the "enjoying" part. Many people do believe in some sort of life after death (although my father did not). I'd be inclined to say that I do. However, there is no concrete evidence of this whatsoever. Either way you spin it, our time on earth is finite. No one really knows what will happen next. Perhaps nothing? perhaps hell? Reincarnation? "Heaven"? I'm not an authority. But what I do know is that our time on earth is numbered. We might as well enjoy the ride. What do I mean by this? I mean don't let anyone or anything stop you from doing what gives you gratification. The fact is, at least in North America, our lives are really a product of our choices. We all have the opportunity to get some form of postsecondary education and we have just an incredible range of choices and opportunities, it's just a matter of priorities, and if you really want something, then you should make it work! I'll give you an example. For me, travelling is a priority. People say, "but I don't have the money to travel". True point.... but, maybe you do? It's simply an issue of prioritisation. The average McGill student pays probably about $100/month more in rent than I do, and probably spends $50/month more on going out / drinking. Put together, that's $1800 per year, which is much more than my planned Reading Week trip to Guatemala. In short, travelling is something that makes me happy, and I'm willing to prioritise things in order for me to travel more!
It just bothers me when people aren't happy. Whenever someone is in a rut, the only thing stopping them from changing is themselves! Our lives are a result of our actions and choices, and so we might as well make the most of it.
So what about "responsibly". By "responsibly" I mean, to a) yourself, b) loved ones, c) other people, and d) the world/environment. So, while I think it's important to satisfy our own needs and desires, this must be done thought to economic and oecological sustainability, and the impact on our health and on other people. To this end, a text like the Bible (and many other religious texts) is valuable. While abiding to scriptures may seem counter-productve to "enjoying life" it really isn't. For instance, the preachings of Jesus are very much relevant to living a responsible life. We should think about the impacts that our actions have on ourselves, our loved ones, other people, and the world. When God puts restrictions on our sexual behaviour, He is really considering the complications sexual activities can cause pre-existing relationships, and perhaps even a newborn child. When God suggests taking the Sabbath, He is encouraging us not to overstress our lives. Etc. Etc.

B) Making a difference. I can enjoy myself all I want, but I would consider my life a failure if I didn't make some sort of difference. Think about it- if all I do during my life is gratify my own pleasures, what happens after I die? I fade into obscurity, and it quickly becomes as if I never lived. It is with the differences we make in someone else's life that our lives can persist, even posthumously. Fortunatley, this difference-making comes in many forms, as simple as the friendships we have. Perhaps we all dream of becoming president, or champions, or pop stars, but it can't happen to all of us- and there certainly are some things over which we have limited control. While we perhaps cannot change the contexts of our lives- some are born giften and some aren't- we can do the most with the cards we are dealt. To this end I invoke a poker analogy. Assuming you don't cheat, you have no control over the cards you're given. But, through skillful play, it is theoretically possible for anyone to win any hand with any set of cards against any other set of cards. So it is in life. I'm not saying that everyone can become millionaires with the right effort, but everyone can "win"- it just a matter of perception. Whatever circumstances you are in, if you life your life in such a way as to touch, impact, and inspire others- than you've already won. It really gratifies me to think that i can make a difference in someone else's life, whether it be by cooking someone dinner, or by giving to charity- it is one little thing that has in some way made someone's life- or at least someone's day- marginally better. The fact that I can have such a positive impact in this world is empowering and rewarding. Little things such as this may not life beyond the day, but done continually, it can have a much farther-reaching impact.

To summarise- I believe life should be about enjoying ourselves responsibly and about making a difference. We should life for the moment, and get the most out of our lives- we should see the world, or whatever else it is that puts a smile on your face. This should be done, of course, with thought and consideration. But perhaps most importantly, we should seek to leave some marked, positive impact on our world. This is my vision of a successful life. You are all, of course, welcome to disagree with it. Surely, I do not seek to tell you how to live your life- after all, everyone knows how best to live their own life. These are just some of my thoughts and I thought I'd share them with you.

Thanks for reading.