At a whooping 1,850,000,000 search results in 0.18 seconds, I have just realized I am not the only person who asks ‘Whats the point?’
The thing about belonging to society and learning languages is that we try and find meaning. We look at an abstract painting and we almost cant appreciate it unless we see some meaning in it, a familiar figure, a story, an emotion. If we dont find the meaning of the painting, we want to ask someone what it means. Its hard to resist the thought that perhaps you could just leave the painting on the wall and appreciate it. Ever since we are taught we learn that everything has a purpose, just like how every cell in our bodies have a certain function to perform even if it is to die (like a nail).
And this is why we spend a whole lotta time trying to find a larger meaning to life. I have met people who are so restless about finding meaning. Meeting god, making others happy, changing the world or simply as the monologue from Trainspotting commands: ‘The job the family, the big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disk and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholestrol, dental insurance, mortgage, start a home, leisure wear, luggage, three piece suit, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, 9-5, washing the car, choicest sweaters, family christmas, index pension, tax exemption, clearing gutters, getting by looking ahead the day you die’
A year ago, I received a lovely answer from a friend: ‘There is no point in anything, agreed, but that’s also the beauty of life isn’t it ? You can turn life into whatever is “pointy” for you.’ And the answer was followed by this:
This year, I got asked the same question from a friend and I replied: ‘Why should there be a point all the time? Sometimes you can just be.’
Now you may think that I am confused. First I sound impressed with the idea about turning life into any point you like, and then I also talk about just being. The thing is I dont have ‘a’ point, but many points, like a horizon. Its ambitious but I am the kind of person who wants to do many different things. It may not even work for we do have a short life filled with unexpected events. Life is a full glass of 16 million colors. Its important to just be sometimes and let yourself flow, just as much as it is important you climb to the point of your life. You can shrug me off saying that life’s a line or a to-do list, but when you close your eyes for a moment pretending that time has stopped, you can see a sky glistening in pastels.
