The Life of an Oyster

  

"The life of man is of no greater importance to the universe than that of an oyster."

 

    In honor of my recent trip to Scotland, I figured it only appropriate to start this out with a quote form the venerable David Hume, one of my favorite philosophers. In contemplating our place in this world, I am also inclined to believe that the above quote has as much to do with our fear as it does with our "importance." Fear is an ugly thing, especially if we allow it to govern our life. Making decisions based on fear is no way to live a life, but I would also venture that living a life built around our fears misses the greatest of points. That our life is of no greater importance to the universe than that of a shell fish.

     I am such a bitch! I can you hear you thinking it and that is fine. Maybe I am bitch or I just do not get it, but standing in the middle of busy pedestrian mall, where no one gives you a second glance, or a super market, or airport or in the middle of a city's CBD, what makes one life more important than the next? Are we better than the busker playing for spare change or the simple beggar with just a cup out?  Is our life of greater importance than someone of a different religion or country? Are we more important than people in need in general because of the happenstance situation of where we were born?

     I spend a lot of time just thinking. I find it relaxing and flew 9 hours just to go somewhere else to think and it was heavenly and therapeutic.  In addition to contemplating about the possible place of my life in the world, I often think about all of you. Why you do what you do, what you think and the possibly reasons why you think it. Obviously social media makes it much easier than you think. And if you think social media is not representative of you well.....I am big believer in saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Therefore, I take things very literally when people say them. In recent weeks fear seems to be the abundant feelings. Hell, I get it. Some horrible, absolutely horrible things have taken place in  the past few weeks. So I think about people I am related to and all you lovely souls I am lucky to be acquainted with out there and I wonder, what makes us say or feel the way we do? It is fear. Fear that we will not get to live the life we envision, fear that things we love will be snatched away, fear that we cannot control so many simple things.

      My point is that fear is such a powerful and negative force. It turns warm people cold and light people turn towards the dark. If allowed, it makes us say and feel things that are uncharitable in the least and heartbreaking to those who are effected by it the most. It blinds us to the fact that we are no more important than anyone or thing in this universe. It makes us forget that suffering is universal and that it will never pass anyone or anything over. It blinds us from that fact that our lives are left up to chance, if you are religious you say it is God's will and if you are not then it is just bad luck. Wherever your beliefs lie, it is simply the circumstance of place and time. We are not important enough in this universe to be targeted but we can happen upon the wrong place at the wrong time. Letting fear dictate our feelings towards others will not protect us from the path our lives will inevitably take.

     So, I will take the chance of to trust. The effort and actions to help. I will not ignore the atrocities of humans, but I will continue to believe that more good in humanity still exists. I will open my arms to those in need and believe they are good. After all my place in this universe is of no great importance than yours, and vice versa. But I will not go into that cold, dark place where we are willing to leave people to parish. I just cannot turn my back in the name of self preservation.

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*PS- For the love of God, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stop sharing all of those horrible hateful memes on Facebook! Speak for yourselves and always remember who and what you are speaking to-