Here's a thought, and I have no other way to introduce it besides "here's a thought":
Life is just playing games. You play a game as long as it interests you, and then you transcend it and move on.
When you're a kid, remember how it was always a big deal who was the fastest runner in your class, or who could spell words the best, or whatever? And then you realized, that's dumb, nobody cares. Maybe you entered the science fair, or the football team. I know I personally entered the marching band, Academic Challenge (aka quiz bowl, or whatever you call it), and juggling club. I played those games, got okay at them, but eventually just moved on. I played the college admissions game and the grades game. But I don't care about those anymore. Grades, more or less, are for suckers. I sure don't care about being the best trombonist in marching band anymore.
Now I'm playing the job search and/or grad school game. I'm almost done with the College game. Some of the games I've played on the side: the cooking club game, the exercise game, the "not being a nerd" game. It's all kinda nonsense. Eventually I'll transcend this game too and move on.
Maybe some games do matter: the career game? Maybe the deal with the super-wise monks is that they've transcended those too-- they've transcended ALL the games!
But I'm not saying playing these games was bad. I enjoyed the marching band while I was in it. Hell, I enjoyed Magic: the Gathering back when. I don't wish I never did these things, but at the same time, I don't want to do it again. So while all this sounds like me ranting about how life doesn't matter, that's not what I mean at all.
Just trying to keep it in perspective: All I'm doing is playing games. Enjoying it, but playing games nonetheless.
Also, wow, A Softer World is the best Successories posters for twentysomething* hipsters. Sometimes it's hilarious. Sometimes it's creepy. Sometimes it's kinda awww. Sometimes it's a combination of a couple of those characteristics.
*something = one. Not that I'm insecure about my age. For example, I can't wait until something = forty-five.
I love a Softer World! I admit sometimes it does totally creep me out. Originally it was just the idea of a photo comic that intrigued me, but something about it just keeps me going back.
ReplyDeleteAlso, good point. I like the games thing. I think it makes sense of another thought that crops up whenever I have a major life crisis. For example, say you have some huge overwhelming paper to write and you are all, "I am never going to finish this paper." Then I'd start to think, "I know at some point I will finish it and have a done paper. It might not be great but it will be done. Then I will stop worrying about it and it won't be such a big deal." This will calm me. Then at some point later, I will just sit there and think, "Hey, isn't it nice that it's now and there are no major seemingly insurmountable crises before me?" Hard to explain in a blog comment, but I swear it supports your argument.