"What's the point. What makes life worthwhile? I just wanna go home and crawl in bed."
"Yeah, no doubt!"
"No offense, Mr. Noisy Little Adventures (not my official teaching name), but why should we care? Tell me, what makes life worth living?"
Wow! Guys, that's a great question...a tough one, but great! I'll tell you what makes life worthwhile, despite all its challenges. This...[I pulled out my cell phone and showed off a picture of the Star Wars snow speeder I'd spent several hours the previous night building, despite not having bought the actual kit]. Working on this last night knowing that Mini-Me would be ecstatic when he saw it in the morning...totally erased the tears and tantrums we suffered through around dinner time. There's nothing quite like the joys that come with parenthood, the overwhelming emotions when you hold your child for the first time; the excitement over the various 'firsts'; the pride that comes with every accomplishment (yours and theirs)...but, uh...you guys shouldn't rush into having kids, so, what else makes life worthwhile?
Oh...and mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...well, maybe not just mawage, but love. The nervous excitement in your chest when you're around the person who's captured your eye and heart, plus the joy and comfort of being around someone who knows your likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, and everything else about you...
And then there's college. You're on the precipice of adulthood, your future's right there in front of you, albeit muddled in a fog of possibilities, maybe, and college can be an amazing time in your life. Most of you will finally be living on your own, free of household rules and expectations, surrounded by a vast array of amazing, unique, people, able to study pretty much any topic you choose, stay up until all hours of the night just to see if there's a real guy or an elf who restocks the soda machines, discover who you truly are and what you want out of life, and rack up incredible debt via student loans and credit card opportunities (oops, I went the wrong way with that last one)...where was I? Oh yeah...college is amazing. Don't take it for granted...or granite as you guys like to say.
And don't forget the beauty of the natural world...how many of you have traveled beyond the state borders? How many of you have even left the metropolitan area? See...there's so much more out there and you should experience as much of it as you can.
How many of you have seen the Northern Lights? You must...you absolutely must. Oh, and how about the neon glow of waves during a Red Tide? It happens when a bunch of plankton die off and it's pretty nasty...smelly, especially...except for the fact that this particular organism is bioluminescent...it gives off it's own light, so when the waves crash along the beach they glow a neon blue. It's one of the most amazing sights to behold...and it comes from something that's otherwise intolerable.
What about a total eclipse of the moon? Sun? Heart? An active lava flow? Hawaii, for that matter? Boston? Austin? The Grand Canyon? Paris? Munich? The Great Barrier Reef? The Great Wall of China? The World's Largest Ball of Twine?
There's so much to experience in the world, whether it involves travelling to far away places and meeting people from different cultures, or staying at home and watching the lightning of a distant thunderstorm while sitting with your best friends on the hood of your car. Life is amazing and real and magical and special and moving, but tough, at times, too. You've heard me mention before, that Langston Hughes once wrote "Oh, God of dust and rainbows, help us see that without dust the rainbow would not be." We need the struggles of life to help us realize what Roger Clyne sings in 'Better Beautiful Than Perfect':"Life is Grand, Love is Real, Beauty is Everywhere."
Well...I hope that answered your question. That pretty much sums up why I think life is worthwhile...Here's your test and here's to life!
What did I leave out? What makes life worthwhile for you?
*The Director's Cut--253 additional words and four added cliches compared to the theatrical release.
Yay! Twine! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good, happy time rant. I enjoyed it.
I'm not really kidding about the twine. Since having my kids and because they are too young still for big amusement parks and big kid recreation, I've really learned to appreciate the small venue events in life. The free art show at the civic center is great when you see it through young eyes. The local bird sanctuary is a trip through a wild jungle if you let your kindergartner lead the way. And the world's biggest ball of twine is suddenly a plaything for four make-believe kittens when you pull over for a pit stop with your kids.
Thanks for reminding me of all that.
What makes life worthwhile to me? Other than what you so perfectly nailed? I got nothin'. You said it.
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