But analyze the
statement: Carpe Diem (Seize the Day). How do you interpret
that? Does it mean "Make the most of the time you have"? Define making
the most. Does that mean doingsomething useful? Does it mean squeezing
the most joy out of the moment? The philosopher Horace seemed to be saying we should
be "living life to the fullest"? What does "living to the
fullest" mean? Even if we are to "Seize the Day" we need a
reference marker to which we can judge whether or not we are properly seizing,
making, doing, squeezing or living. And what or who is our
Reference? It could be a cultural code, our own appetites and desires, or an outside
baseline by which we measure meaning and purpose.
A reference would be some boundary indicating which
direction is Up and Center. Think of a floating point surrounded by endless
space. Where is Up? Down? Once Up |
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and Center is established, you can
pretty much figure out Down, Left, and Right. In the same way, we need to define what
it is that we should be grasping at if we are trying to Seize the Day.
Should we simply satisfy our senses and appetites and drain maximum pleasure
out of our days and just die? What do we actually think of people who attempt to
live solely for pleasure? Just who is it that commands our respect? the Good-time
Charlie, who is always drinking, womanizing and looking out only for himself? or the
type of guy who risked his life rescuing others at Ground Zero in NYC on September 11,
2001?
Do our lives have purpose and meaning? That is the
question this journal is concerned with. Our lives are short, and getting shorter.
How do we spend our remaining days, and for what purpose? What is worth living for, dying
for, and hoping for as our life-clocks inexorably wind down?No flashy doomsday
speculations about the new |
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AntiChrist-of-
the-month. Just a plain vanilla pursuit of the meaning and purpose of these last days
of our lives.
This journal is admittedly biased. As I declared
earlier, I believe history is heading toward a conclusion where the Messiah returns and
establishes a Kingdom on the earth. So this won't be a "let's explore the
meaning of life together" type of thing. As if we could go in just about any
direction. I have explored throughout my life. And, although I am still
exploring througout the journey, I admit to having settled on my destination.
But, don't expect to be bored with dry
religious rhetoric. The road into the Holy Kingdom is long, winding and
quite interesting. The words of a creed may seem flat and dry on paper. But
so is a map. But when you actually explore some of those places a map is depicting,
you may find that there are interesting times ahead. -PVETJ-
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