Is the Meaning of Life to Be a Rolling Stone?
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
“I sent a letter to paradise…it was returned address unknown”
–Richard Cirulli
By Richard Cirulli
The question in the headline is one we have often pondered throughout life, especially when making major life decisions or in the midst of navigating life’s gauntlet of adversity. Oftentimes, it leaves us to feel like handicapped mortals, believing that life can be cruel, unfair, unforgiving and absurd.
I must confess I approached this subject with some trepidation, since writers on this subject are either fit for the crazed or comics. I pray I will be judged as the latter.
For the sake of existential banter, I believe it’s better to not ask the question what is the meaning of life? Rather, it should be what does life mean to me?
Hopefully, our answers are not a cookie-cutter answer taken from the batch of the herd. What life means to us should be an honest dialogue within us that defines who we truly are and what we expect and contribute to our life in hope of securing our happiness and essence on our terms; by approaching our life philosophy from a very personal perspective; and to escape the nauseating habit of how some philosophers are more adept at analyzing questions rather than answering them. With this said, we can sidestep the philosophers to position ourselves to better answer the question what does life mean to me?
We may need to juxtapose what life means to me with the 3,000-year-old proverb, “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” Existentialists can deal with proverbs, just not cliches. We all know there are many tools available to us to help us tinker with our being – philosophy, meditation, therapy, religion and mysticism, to name some. And they all come a la carte.
The proverb a rolling stone gathers no moss can be interpreted in contrasting ways. For instance, do we want to tumble throughout life without direction to just follow the herd? Have you found your meaning of life by being subservient to the herd that just carries us through life in its wake.
We know of people who delegate their personhood to the herd to think for them just for the sake of validation. We often live life as that of a parrot just mimicking the words of others, knowing they will always be in agreement with the herd, in fear of thinking for themselves and engaging in growth dialogues. Or viewing the moss of life can be something to be feared and avoided, like truth itself.
Or should we make the attempt to substitute idle gossip for investing this time into improving our own lot? The wise know better; speaking ill of others raises the flag to your own insecurities and resultant anger.
I would be crazed if I were to believe we can solve the question of the meaning of life in just one column. At best it reminds us life is a compilation of events and micro-moments whose meaning evolves over time. That should bring understanding, growth and direction to our lives.
Well, maybe we can view human life as a phenomenon, which can be the bearer of a coherent meaning as opposed to reducing it to cliches such as life is a gas, bitch, a cabaret, a vale of tears or a bed of roses, hardly enough to build a case. We should try to avoid judging our life as valuable or valueless. Life should not be viewed as a zero-sum game.
I do hope this work will assist you in some small way in your quest for peace and essence in life. But let’s not take ourselves too seriously. It does get in the way of finding our essence.
Be well. Be safe. Be happy. Be nice. Amor fati!
Dr. Richard Cirulli is a published author, playwright and retired professor. His body of works can be viewed at www.demitasseplayers.com. He looks forward to your comments and can be reached at profcirulli@optonline.net.
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