Somewhere, amongst the list of man's most ancient of questions (and, I would imagine the most oft asked), lies 4 little words.  These 4 words, comprised of only 12 letters, forms a sentence so short that it almost beguiles the immense magnitude of its meaning:

Why are we here?

For each person who has ever reflected upon this question with at least a modicum of seriousness, the answer is surely as varied as the individual doing the asking.   The answers may perhaps be similar in form, but they are undoubtedly unique in their nuances; one man's conclusion is sure to have found itself in the proverbial dustbin of another's thoughts.  It has recently become clear to me that we will never truly know the answer to this question - not in this life at least.

It's almost like a painting or a tapestry in a way.  Some of us are standing so close - so wrapped up in our lives - that we cant help but only see each individual color as it catches our eye, immediately forgetting the last no matter how vivid it may have been.  "Living for the now" has the unfortunate side affect of preventing us from living for the future, or even, living for the past. 

But for each of us that are standing so close, there is another who stands out in the periphery.  So far out, in fact, that they can see the whole picture only by its most basic of elements.  While they may be able to discern what the painting looks like, they can never figure out just what the painting is; the lack of detail makes it so that they might as well be blind. 

Planning every aspect of our lives in advance, by nature, ignores the little things that pop up during our respective travels.  Perhaps calling these life events  "little things" might seem like a misnomer for they can - and do - have a great affect on us.  However, one must be cognizant that, in the grand scheme of things, these events are but a moment in history contending for significance against billions of others...  indeed, such is the ruthless nature of time! 

More abstractly, though, while there are thousands of paintings in an art exhibit, each one remains beautiful in its own right because of its details; without them there would be nothing upon which to shine a spotlight, much less to feature, in the first place.  And while each individual detail remains relatively meaningless on its own, putting them together with a little foresight and a lot of passion produces something worth framing.  There is simply no denying that these details are the spice of life... they are what gives living a complexion all its own.

The trick in life is to figure out where to stand.

And while we're trying to get the best vantage point, perhaps pondering the question of "why", and in turn asking "why not?", will give us a measuring stick with which we can gauge our distance.

Why not love much and love often
Even though it may be unrequited?

Why not laugh
Not just with others, but at ourselves?

Why not help another person who deeply needs it
And say thank you when we're that person?

Why not take responsibility for our actions
instead of blaming someone else no matter what the repercussions?

Why not shoot for the stars and aim for our dreams
while never forgetting our roots and where we came from?

Why not take pride in the quality of our work
instead of the number of figures in our paycheck?

Why not speak out against the wrongs of the world
though we live in relative comfort?

Why not be a patriot
even if it means personally sacrificing much in the interest of liberty?

Why not care about our fellow man
and not just about ourselves?

In truth and knowledge,
-Scott