A Sort-of-Short-Story: Encomium for Life

Sit and listen, if only for a while. Stop. Feel the vastness of the world around you. Hear the sounds of life. Breathe in, breathe out, and stop.

I sit here watching the sky, mesmerized by concrete clouds rotating as if dancing figures of a music box, and I wonder. I wonder where to start. I am temporarily inclined to roll back time, back to when the universe erupted into life. For a piece of writing dedicated to the miracles of life should surely start at the beginning? And yet, when I truly consider what the creation of the universe means, a feeling grows and I realize – to ask how the universe came to be is quintessentially pointless. It is of the utmost irrelevance to both you and me. As fascinating as it is, regardless to whether you tend to agree with the Big Bang Theory or Genesis 1.1 or any other belief you might have, the birth of the universe is generally inconsequential to each of our single and wholly meaningless lives. Without it, it’s true, there is no possibility of our existence. But now that it’s happened and now that we’re here, the universe really begins with something much smaller and much more important. For us, life begins with a heartbeat. A constant drumming without which there would be no purpose to any universe, no appreciation for science, and no dedication to religion. Without a heartbeat, there can be no life, and with no life, there can be no beginning. This is not to say that a heartbeat is the meaning of life. Rather it is the mechanical rhythm that remains with us from the beginning, to the middle, until the end.

I look to my watch and sigh, recognizing that my entire life is organized depending on the tiny dial upon my wrist. Time. In terms of the universe, there is a lot of it. To understand what there was before the universe was created and what there will be once it ends would be equally as insignificant as understanding its creation. For you and I, we are here for only a brief moment in the continuum of time. If one were to ignore the fact that humans were the creators of such social interventions as lunchtime and the year two thousand and something-or-other, time would in fact still exist. It is a movement, an incremental summation of moments, to which any contingent object obeys. It will tick on, whether you are here to notice it or not. However, whilst the universe has been here for quite a while and will continue to be, it has really only existed for as long as you can remember. Just as with its creation, its continuation is truly no concern of yours. Time will drag on, infinitely. Your time is limited to the few years that you exist, and in the scale of things that’s really no more than a blink. Yet, while the universe bears witness to your beginning and your end, the entirety of your life is defined by a finite forever; to you time begins with birth and ends with death. That is to say, your universe is measurable in time.

One then comes to consider space. How big is the universe really? I personally feel that no one will ever know. How could you? The ever-expanding mass of stars and planets and galaxies can never be truly measured. Yet, the excessive distance between these marvelous things leads to such wonder. Look up at the stars. They are nothing more than burning rock and gas, but scattered across the sky like a dusting of sugar they become the remnants of magic. The distance between us and those pinpricks of light exaggerate our relative size; and we are, by comparison, so very, very small. Feel the grip of the moon. The night mirror calling the tides and adding such an ominous glow once the sun has set. Just think; people have actually walked upon its silvery deserts. And here you are, standing, both feet on the floor, face lit in moonlight. Feel the solidity of the Earth, the curvature of the world. Notice how it carries you, holds you, surrounds you. One incredible planet, washed in greens and blues, capable of supporting life. It is truly a godsend that any of us are here. Of all the chances, the likelihood, the probability, you – yes, you – are here today. You are a living, breathing miracle, and that is something to be grateful for. All of this space, and we are lucky enough, not only to be alive, but able to appreciate its magnitude.

So you are here on this beautiful planet, for only the tiniest bit of time, and it all started with a heartbeat, but where to now? Why are we here? This is something I don’t believe the universe can tell us. No matter how big the universe is or how long it has been here, its purpose is still not clear. Perhaps the universe itself has no purpose, it simply exists. You, however, do have a purpose. As the

center of your universe, you are the beholder, the keeper, and the navigator. You are in control of how you spend your time on this planet. You are in control of where you go and what you do, whom you speak to and how you see the world. Are you an optimist? A pessimist? How about a homebody or a wanderer? If we are truly honest, the universe doesn’t give a damn. Whether you are a college dropout, a Christian soup kitchen volunteer, a doctor curing cancer, or a mum of two rowdy kids, the universe does not care – it will hold you in its arms regardless. So, what is the point of all of this, if the universe doesn’t care? The only person who cares is you. From this, I propose, the meaning of life is to be happy.

Happiness makes your time on this planet worthwhile. So do what makes you happy. If falling in love would make you happy, then find your soulmate. If travelling the world would make you happy, then go and discover the undiscovered. If raising a family would make you happy, then go and have kids –bunches and bunches of kids! If earning a whole heap of money would make you happy, then work hard and earn it. Happiness can be found in two instances – the short term, and the long term. The long term is where you work towards your goal, like having children or money. It will take time and effort, there will be things you have to do that will make you unhappy before you can achieve your dream, but, in the end, it will be worth it if it makes you happy. The short term is where you find things in your everyday life that make you smile. This can be taking one step closer to your long term dream, or something as simple as having lunch with an old friend or a tight hug from someone who means the world to you. Short term happiness might not last forever, and you might not remember it in years to come, but, just for a little while, it makes you happy. So dance in the rain, read that book until two in the morning, make a mess baking, or sit contently and sew. Run far and fast, travel, be kind to those around you, fall hopelessly in love, or sing at the top of your lungs on your way to work. And don’t you dare, for one second, take any notice of judgmental glares – for they are a reflection of their life, not yours.

Sure, that seems easy, doesn’t it? But what about the bad days? I’m sorry to say, but bad days are necessary. Life will inevitably have ups and downs and the universe does not plan for this, as far I know. It just happens. And that is a good thing. For without the down days, we would have no appreciation for the good days. We cannot predict what the future will hold, so be grateful for right now – whether it is a good day or a bad day. Find the silver lining and the lesson in everything. Think back to the worst day you can recall, looking back, hindsight can almost always find an upside, I’m sure. No matter how bad things get, there is always a lesson to be learnt, you will grow stronger for it and wise because of it. You will grow and develop as a person, not from the good, but rather from the bad. What’s meant to be will be and you cannot change that. Just do what makes you happy and if one day something unhappy comes along, find the light, follow the path, and grow. It might not be anyone’s fault - bad things happen, just take it in your stride - for we are defined, neither by the good nor the bad, but how we respond to the situation we are in.

Now I sit, watching life continue on, watching the cars pass by, watching the people rush on, watching the wind whisper, and the rain fall. I hear my heart beating, I watch the time, and I look out to the horizon, and I wonder. I wonder how to end. For the thought of the universe concluding, or life coming to a stop, is never a happy way to leave things and I have only just said do what makes you happy. One could consider life after death, a slightly more optimistic outlook on the inevitable. I could tell you that you are right; you are right about what happens after we die. Though, truth be told, no one truly knows. I suppose we are like the universe in that regard. We cannot possibly predict what happens after our heartbeat grows quiet, nor can we predict what will happen after the universe comes its close. If the universe defied the odds and sustains life, perhaps we can suggest that anything is possible. Not knowing what is coming is frightening. It scares us all. However, this grim reaper, coming for us all, will take us on to a greater adventure. For now, that will have to wait, because this adventure is yet to end. Whether we know how the universe began, how long it will continue, how big it really is, whether it has a purpose or not - you are here, alive. And you have so much potential. Get out there and do what you love. Be who you want to be. Dream big, try hard. Life is a blessing that should not go to waste. I could say that the universe will not notice how you live your life but instead, I shall conclude with this: Live now, you only do it once.