…and it was another Sunday when i lazed around, watched some TV, saw a movie on DVD, blogged, micro blogged, and read. In this case, i finished reading ‘Space’ by James Michener. In case you aren’t familiar with his works, he writes huge sagas, and in this case, he uses human characters and their lives to bring out a tangibility to what was in my mind an abstract – Space. (used in the context of the cosmos)
I really didn’t do anything world changing, and as most weekends go, this could be classified as a wasted weekend. Of course Calvin would object. To use one of my fave quotes “Weekends don’t count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless” or that wonderful “A weekend wasted is not a wasted weekend”. Anyway, it led me extrapolate that to the life being lived, especially because these days, i’m coming across a lot of literature built around setting goals, giving a meaning to life, and so on.
I think we all fight our battles with the universe, and most usually end up choosing comfortable corners from where we proceed to watch the stories unfold. The size of the corners is one of the things that vary with each of us, another is the extent of our activity in these corners. The rest of the world is a blur. Take the things that you are interested in, put them in this corner, and you should get the blurriness of the world I’m talking about. What makes these corners sometimes uncomfortable is our comparison with others’ corners and our perceptions of its comfort. Also our comfort needs vary over time.
In our corners, what we do is of consequence to a limited number of people. This number is perhaps, the measure by which we end up conferring tokens of greatness on people. A few words in ‘Space’ caught my attention
..you and I live on a minor planet attached to a minor star, at the far edge of a minor galaxy. We live here briefly, and when we’re gone, we’re forgotten. And one day the galaxies will be gone too. The only morality that makes sense is to do something useful with the brief time we’re allotted.
And that sums up the paradox quite well. What I do is meaningful in the finite time I live in, and is futile in the infinity that I exist in. And as i try to make sense of that paradox, I am also reminded of Floyd’s ‘Time‘. I’d admit that I am frittering my life away, if only I knew what the starting gun was for.
until next time, keep running… 😐
..and on the blog today ‘my corner in space…and time..’ https://manuscrypts.com/?p=1476
Michener does that to you? Good thing then I’m weaned off these days.
I do believe its called existential angst, though I have zero clue ss to what it means.
Maybe microfinance?
I’m headed in the exact opposite direction. I find everything in my life is too well-organised, too meticulous, too well-planned, too scheduled. I’m not enjoying myself anymore though I have an enviable life (and lifestyle). Quite simply I’ve forgotten to have fun and the joy of spontaneity and imperfection….of meaninglessness.
And your quote reminded me of one from The Hitch-hiker’s guide to the galaxy – “In a universe in the far reaches of the galaxy is a small blue-green planet whose inhabitants are so primitive that they still think that quartz watches are something great.” Similar to yours I think but we both took different lessons from the same thought. 🙂
sigh. i so dont agree with that. we are NOT forgotten when we die. and no matter how we fill up our life when we’re alive, none of it will make any sense. People are going to live for eternity. either in heaven,or in hell. The CHOICE is where?
austere: Space is different from other Michener books, as is ‘The Drifters’ 🙂
ideasmith: honestly, it is a paradox for me… on a routine basis, my life is organised, its the larger picture I am wondering about… the answer, we know, is 42, its the question thats bothering us 🙂
grafx: i didnt say we are forgotten when we die.. nor did the quote.. there is a finiteness for whatever we create, even memories… as for heaven and hell, that’s faith, we all have our own 🙂