It is inevitable, that the fate of all living
creatures is death. Perhaps a rather “pessimistic” way of thinking about it is
that the moment we are born, we begin dying. We perceive that the older we
become, the more life we have—for the limitations that come with being an
infant no longer apply. However, the reality is that though we are creating
more neuron connections and we are learning, and our bone mass increases, our
cells—at some point—will simply begin to die. The strength in our bones will
diminish, and tasks we were so easily capable of achieving when we were younger
suddenly become chores or impossibilities.
At this point we have lost brain cells, especially thanks the rather
idiotic decisions we have chosen to make over the years. Or joints become less
limber, our sight withers, and our skin inevitably sags. It would be delusional
to believe that our youth will go on forever. And at some point we must all
come to terms with our eminent end.
So
if life is ultimately going to come to an end—even in ways and times we did not
plan on—how are we to maintain our optimism? If we are to eventually forget,
why should we take the time to remember? This might appear to be an
existentialist question, but limiting it to that word also limits its audience.
It is not certain that most people even know what the word itself means. But
the underlying questions that come with the “existentialist” thinking—and this
is not referring to the existentialism of Sartre, or especially the nihilism of
Dostoyevsky or Camus—are all too known with every individual. And once more we
ask ourselves: “what is the point?”
I
suppose everyone answers that question differently. Some get up in the mornings
for their children, or their parents. Some get up simply because they love what
their jobs. Whatever the reason, we all try to justify our getting up in the
morning—or night in some cases—in whichever way possible. And I find that most
of the time it is not for an object, but for an individual. My phone does not
inspire me to get out of bed (though since it is an alarm, it does in a
way!). When I ask such questions to
myself, I try to answer it in the most honest way possible. The love for my
family certain does get me going, but that simply cannot be the only reason.
Living for others—as wonderful as it is—cannot be the sole reason, in my
opinion. What happens when our parents pass? What happens when we lose our
jobs? Or when children move out of the house? What then becomes our purpose? These
inquiries have led me to conclude that ultimately, we must all learn to live
for the sake of ourselves. The different experiences that make us happy, or
grant us the feelings of fulfillment must be what move us. For at times,
“living” for others might actually be “killing” us inside. So we have to want
to live and experience the world for the sake of ourselves.
I
want to believe that death does not mean the end of us. Though humans are
fragile existences on this planet, and our time is of course limited, we find
ways, as a species, to live on. We leave behind our genetic mark with our
children. We create works of art, write books, and make discoveries, all for
the sake of living on. Our existence is possible because someone, many years
ago managed to live on, and to pass on their genes, and to leave behind clues
of their being on this earth. Pharaohs had pyramids built for the purpose of
telling all the live on that they existed. Humans have written masterpieces and
composed symphonies because someone, at some point, had a passion so great that
drove them. And those people did ultimately leave themselves—in a non-literal
way—behind. However, it is not necessary to cure diseases or build monuments to
leave our mark behind. Nor is having children. Because in reality, we leave a
mark behind every minute we exist. It is the way we affect others, the way we
inspire others to act, to think. It is the small actions we make on a daily
basis that immortalizes us. And when we inspire something in others, we leave
the biggest trace. After all, wars are scars left on the planet. But what we
create with passion and inspiration is what ensures that those scars heal.