I am a molecule.
A little piece of the largest puzzle imaginable.
There are things going on around me, inside me, because of me, and without me constantly.
There are things I will never see, things I will never do, places I will never go.
There are people I will never meet, and lives I will never interweave with.
I sustain only my own tiny existence in this world, not even an entire dot on a map.
I feel very very small.
What is the purpose? Why are we here? What does it all mean?
People have pondered these questions for eons, with little, but usually no resolve whatsoever. My mind is boggled when I consider the magnitude of the world we live in. It becomes even more inconceivable to consider the universe... and whatever lies beyond. Even in my own backyard, there are zillions of lives existing day-to-day that I am never aware of.
There are creatures in the darkest depths of the ocean living in undiscovered crevices near the belly of the earth that NO ONE has ever seen. There are plants in the heart of the most remote rain forests that are being discovered only now - after millions of years. Every day, there are naturally occurring physical phenomenon taking place in the vast expanse of space. Phenomenon so beautiful and magnificent that one can hardly conceive that this is not the result of an artist brushing strokes across a starry canvas. Planets, solar systems, and stars are born in luminous glory as a mother's new baby is born in the florescent glow of a hospital room. There are people on this planet that have never seen a TV, or an iPhone, or a toaster, or a person of another race or culture - people living in unspoiled, undeveloped society completely untouched by politics, war, money, and religion.
Does that astound anyone else?
Why is that? Why are we all put on this planet to lead vastly different lives, sometimes violently separate from each other? We grow and learn and develop, only to reach the end and never experience everything there is to experience... and then we die. Some say that we are here to help each other, to love each other, and to make the world a better place. But I say, how do the bottom feeding creatures dwelling in the unimaginable darkness of the ocean benefit from me showing some brotherly love to my neighbor? There has to be a larger picture that we do not see here.
What is it? How do we find it? Will we ever know??
Until we do (or until I die... whichever comes first), I will continue being a floating collection of molecules in space, a fraction of a tick on the face of time's clock, and seek enlightenment in the unanswered questions.
I think people have been pondering these questions for eons. For me, after a series of set-backs (which I blogged about a little bit - (In The Moment), I started a spiritual search that was rather far-reaching. I read hundreds and hundreds of books, attended many different churches, prayed and mediated. I researched science, metaphysics, physics, etc. etc. Only then did a belief system of why we are here start to take shape into something that made sense at a "gut level." I think it is different for each person. But it sounds like you are starting the search - all the questions are being asked.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
I find it so interesting to see/read how people get to the point where they are in their lives... I think that's why I love reading your blog so much Lover of Life. I see myself going on that same journey, and finally learning something about the world I live in. It's really exciting!
ReplyDeleteWhat's funny is that I never really considered it, but the other night my husband and I were watching a show on the Discovery Channel about those sea creatures and I was baffled. I guess it just started my wheels turning. :)
Thanks for your comments! I would certainly love any guidance you might want to share along the way. :)