A tap on the shoulder...

We are misguided in so many of our attempts to make sense of the world and our place within it. Think of the efforts we make to raise our social status and enhance our reputations. Think of how we write a screenplay for so many of the projects we undertake, and then judge their success by how closely they conform to our original script. Think of the way that football fans outsource their mental equilibrium to the fluctuating fortunes of eleven footballing millionaires. Think of how we assume that the authentic life we crave is just around the corner. Think of how we convince ourselves that, with better time management, we really can “have it all”. Think of how we hold ourselves – and others – to standards of behaviour which are impossible to meet. Think of how we compare ourselves, unfavourably, to other people, especially in trying to meet current standards of beauty and body image. Think of our vain and expensive attempts to “reverse the visible signs of ageing”, instead of adjusting, with equanimity, to the passing of the years.
     Think of all the imaginative ruses we employ, to maintain our illusions and keep life at arm’s length. Think of the energy we expend, to avoid learning anything new. Think of the strenuous efforts we make not to be in the here and now. And then, perhaps even before we’ve learned how to live, the grim reaper taps us on the shoulder and says “game over”...