It Occurs to Me
It occurs to me that as human beings we wander a lot. We wander from place to place, from job to job, from person to person. And oh yes, we wander in circles quite a bit, too. Most of us even spend an inordinate amount of time just wandering around inside our own heads!
But to what end? I mean when it’s all said and done, as they say, what are we left with? Really, what was the point of all that wandering? The answers to this question are myriad, I suspect. Theists might respond by quoting sacred texts, atheists by citing quantum theory, and existentialists…Well, isn’t life just one big, enigmatic moment anyway? Regardless of conviction, I imagine that most people feel lucky to arrive at the end of life’s journey with their psyche or soul intact.
From my perspective, the answer seems fairly straightforward. How ever we move through our lives, whether meandering at a slow stroll or catapulting as if shot from a cannon, there is only one constant. And that constant is connection. As humans, we crave this contact, sometimes to our detriment, but always, I think, with conscious intent. Our work….connection. Our art…..connection. Our families, our friends, our recreation and on and on. Even war, which represents an extreme dissociation from connection fits this human condition.
I work as an advocate on a domestic violence hotline. During any given eight-hour day, my mind and heart fill with the pain, suffering and fear of those who call our number. Many times they feel alone and just want to hear the voice of someone who might listen and care about what they have to say. Others call in the midst of crisis. But I must say that I talk with truly amazing people. Just last week, a woman took my breath away. After spending about twenty minutes explaining her very dangerous and difficult situation, she still took the time to wish me a good Easter holiday with all of its blessings and to thank me for my work.
I feel that this spirit of connection is what we can carry with us into eternity, the netherworld or our next life. This is how we can evaluate where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished. And this shows the value of opening our minds and our hearts not only to universal goals, but also to the individual in our direct path. While wandering through our brief existence, we can choose to take notice as we slide into, out of and around peoples’ lives. And the resulting positive energy could be and is, amazing. This is my view of meaning and this I believe.