Last Saturday, I published a blog about viruses. Viruses are again not in the most recent “Tree of Life“. Most scientists argue that viruses are not alive as they lack metabolism. Only some scientists disagree. A 2015 Science Alert article claims that viruses should be included in the Tree of Life as they “ARE alive and older than modern cells”.
For the past 10 years or so I have been trying to find and reconnect with a friend from school. Unfortunately, he has a first and last name that is very common in my country. Consequently, I got too many search results in Google. Last Friday, I finally tracked him down as I had found his address in one of my old agendas. His wife told me that he had died more than 12 years ago. That news shocked me.
Life and Death are such strange concepts. I am alive and alone. He is dead and left a wife with two young children. I am still looking for the “explanation” as it seems such a contradiction. To some extent, I think and feel that the explanation is about Purpose. The Purpose in Life and perhaps even in Death. Latter is too hard to explain right now as I am just at the beginning of my soul searching.
Being all alone has made me wonder several times why I am still around. I used to get my purpose from work and raising a family. Those days are gone. The only thing that lets me to believe that I still have a purpose is my writing and perhaps my caring for others. My compassion is however also my Achilles heel and has also brought me misery.
Ancient wisdom teaches that everything around us is “alive”. Ancient polytheistic religions focus on the living earth, fire, sky, water and wind. However, “some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth”. See my 21 April 2016 blog: History, legends and myths.
Today we prefer seeing things in black and white. We separate Life from Death but we don’t know what to do with viruses. Are viruses dead or alive? It looks like a bloody simple question to most humans but even scientists don’t have an answer. Perhaps we should apply the duck test: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
On 12 January 2016, I wrote a blog with the title: “The meaning of Life = living a meaningful life”. I am particularly proud of this paragraph which I then wrote:
“The meaning of life cannot be the pursuit of happiness as both happiness and well-being are the result of living a meaningful life. I think the meaning of life is to use your unique talents in the interest of humanity and also in your personal interest. At the end of our road, we shouldn’t need to wonder whether we lived a meaningful life. Obviously, talents need to be used for the purposes of virtue rather than vice. Vice may give meaning to Life but doesn’t create a meaningful life”.
I have lost two dear friends already, one in 1998 and now another one in 2003. I cannot explain why. Perhaps they know themselves. I strongly feel that my Purpose is keeping me alive. Somehow I start to doubt that Love is a Purpose in itself. The only thing that I do know is that Love does not separate Life from Death. Love is all around.
Love Is All Around (1967) by The Troggs
artists, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise.
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