Pretty Sure I'm Dead

Chapter 9 - THE FINAL EXPLANATION OR AN ONCOMING TRAIN

Plenty of books tease you with a promise of an ultimate explanation for everything. The only book I know of that actually delivers on the promise is Douglas Adams' Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. The answer to life the universe and everything, as I am sure everyone knows by now, is 42. Of course, this answer is subject to numerous interpretations. My answer is no different.

There is never a single absolutely correct answer to any question, despite what religious fanatics and political extremists think.

There are in fact 42 absolutely correct answers. I can't say that they are all always correct in each and every universe of the multiverse, but with luck we occasionally find one that suits our current universe. Normally, the best we can hope for is to avoid the multitude of wrong answers. The best way to do this is to always keep an open mind. Of this I am absolutely certain and undeviating. I refuse to consider otherwise... wait,  oh well, so much for consistency.

I've always said that for every problem, there is a simple solution — and it is wrong. Unfortunately, it is the simple solution that most people gravitate to.

People love simplicity so let me keep it simple for you. Taken in its entirety, life is an incomprehensible absurdity. It is only in its individual pieces, the day-to-day episodes of our individual lives, that it has any meaning whatsoever. And it is not the episodes that change political boundaries or even the ones that make breakthroughs in science or otherwise change the world that matter. No, the importance of an episode is measured by its emotional content. 

This is best demonstrated by example. The movies and literature are full of them and usually get it right. I'll start with one with which most people are familiar and which ironically gets it both wrong and right. It is Rick's famous farewell lines to Ilsa in one of my favorite movies, Casablanca. 

Here is where Rick gets it completely wrong. Rick says, "Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now. Here's looking at you, kid." Ironically, the reason the movie has such an impact on us is because we do care about the problems of three little people. The world changing war is just a backdrop for the emotions that are what is really important. The only thing that ever truly matters are the personal problems of individuals. The film's theme song, however, did get it right, "You must remember this, A kiss is still a kiss, A sigh is just a sigh, The fundamental things apply, As time goes by." Did any of my reader's really think I could write a book without quoting at least one music lyric? "Play it again Sam."

The story Thistle Wish by @MoodyMooseMouse is another great work filled with such significant moments. It is the story of a young girl with a very rare disease and how she copes with it and with life and love in general as we all must. I really enjoyed this story as I am sure everyone who reads it will. The point is a single life is always important. Each of our lives are like this and we should focus on appreciating our lives and making the best of them. Because each life amounts to much more than a "hill of beans." Thistle Wish concludes with a poem the last lines are, "The meaning of life is to live. By chance I belong to today, existing as I should, perfectly imperfect." Of the 42 absolutely correct explanations, that is my favorite.

I ended my Sharing Afflictions trilogy explaining it was being written from my death bed. So, it is only appropriate that this work is written post mortem.  I can finally see that light in the distance they talk about. They always say don't go toward the light, but by now you know me well enough to know I'm not going to listen. I think I'll check it out. Who knows, maybe therein lies the explanation, but it is probably just an oncoming train.