Thursday, July 01, 2004

The Function of Life

What is the meaning of life? So goes the eternal popular unanswered question.

Well just possibly it's the wrong question.

Everything and everyone in the world seems to have one or more function, an ability to perform or carry out a task or action. A function is a property of an object or an entity. It is like a jigsaw puzzle piece that through its specific shape is capable of filling an empty place in a greater whole -- whether filling it with a material presence or action or effect or influence or movement. And, many entities and objects can fill more than one empty place along more than one dimension, and serve as multi-dimensional puzzle pieces.

A human being is a jigsaw puzzle piece for an almost infinite range of dimensions. We can do and be so many things and fill so many roles -- lover, parent, enemy, confidant, foil, savior, cheerleader, deceiver, teacher, friend. The list stretches to infinity.

And one of our most complex and fulfilling roles is that of being alive, living.

Thus, the act of living is a function of us -- the marvelous function of life.

No need to dwell on meaning. Simply let us perform this function to the best of our abilities.

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