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The Disillusionment of Reality

It’s been a while since I blogged, much less wrote anything besides poetry. I think maybe the reason why I've been writing poems incessantly is because they are a means of expressing myself without being too direct. However, even though I have a million thoughts racing through my mind, I’ve decided to talk about the culture that we live in today. 

What’s so wrong about it? What’s so great about it? What drives us, what hinders us, what scares us, what makes us all inspired?

And I’m not going to answer any. Why? Merely because I can’t. Why can’t I? Well…because I think it’s a situation all so complex that if I were to actually wrap my brain around it, I may actually delve into maddening depths.

So then what’s the point of this introduction?

Why all the questions?

It’s because we all have them, at some point or another. We all find ourselves in that inexplicable moment away from the crowds and lost in our thoughts, wondering what makes us different from the ‘them’. Wondering what exactly is our purpose….

Does a purpose actually EVEN exist? Yes that’s arguable but if it doesn’t exist, then WHY NOT???
You see, what I’ve come to realize is that there’s two sorts of persons. There’s person A who believes steadfast in life’s purpose, and about whether there is one or not whilst person B continues questioning.  What’s so different about these two apart from the obviously stated? Well for one, it may seem bias of me to say but I believe that it’s quite dangerous to be so comfortable in your personal belief about life’s purpose and I say this for many reasons. Firstly, the world in which we live in is subject to the individual. The way you glimpse at life is your reality as seen through your eyes and shaped by your idiosyncrasies. This subjectivity means that therefore everyone in this world sees their own reality; the universe being something as a reflection of one’s thoughts and experiences.

Taken in a cultural context, one can start to see my point shape up. In the Catholic faith, one’s purpose is to live through Christ’s teachings and idealistically be rewarded for such or otherwise be placed in purgatory for our sins. In some minor portion of the Islam faith, the rewards of following Allah are the promise of virgins after life.  The Hindus believe that the last breath yields the first of another life or re-incarnation as it is so called. These are all examples of what is expected after death and hence the end result. The reason I highlight this is because people question life’s purpose based on what they believe the end result is going to be. Say for example, if one knows without a doubt that upon death that he will be rewarded with treasures beyond his wildest belief, then his questioning of life’s purpose may be somewhere along the line of, “Surely I must do good things to get this reward. This is the way to get it”. This is akin to what religion offers us; divine intervention for a life of doing good.

What about the Nihilist who differently but steadfastly believes that there is no purpose to life? The Atheist who believes in no God and hence no reason for our existence? To me, they all seem absolutely sure that what they believe is correct and are all persona Type A.

So now, what about person B??  The one who from whatever background in life, be it religiously, socially, economically or what have you. This is the person who objectively views the Universe. But then how does this person do this? This person sounds like a scientist, you proclaim.

I then proceed to tell you that a scientist need not be exclusive to this group. Exclusive to this group is person B ; someone who looks outward beyond themselves..someone who says ‘Hey, something isn’t right. ‘ With all the complexities of humans on such stratospheric levels, it is easy to get lost amongst the groups that you are affiliated with, be it your political party, your religion, your community, nationality etc. You identify within some sort of social atmosphere and strata. However, there is always that one person who sticks out their head amongst the crowd and realizes that their train of thoughts is influenced by that of society. Essentially our meaning of life comes from what our society tells us it is. Hence, detachment from society, isolation if you will, comes a great connection to the Universe as never experienced before.  You suddenly realize that your subconscious and the Universe are one; you and the Universe are one.  Your brother and sister are all connected to these threads linking us all throughout the globe in inexplicable webs etching towards our centers with the notion that we are all ONE and the SAME..despite complicated and variable backgrounds.

So then, person B, you ask yourself, what is the purpose of life?

Why were we born?
Why at that exact moment were we conceived?
Why were our DNA construed to produce us the way we are despite the almost infinite others that could have been created? WHY? WHY? WHY?

Person B may never know…but the questions will never stop.

-Charlie

The Beauty of Melancholy

Sadness dissipates and with it,

Comes the realization that life goes on.

Time ticks and time tocks

Slowly washing over you is the beauty of melancholy

A feeling like no other.

The pain, the paradoxical joy of suffering

Suddenly is evident to you. 

There is no elation if one knows not of suffering

This is assuring and as true that there is no wind without air,

Sea without water and courage without fear.

~Charlie