Sometimes, we end up asking ourselves some difficult questions. And not necessarily the type of questions that have an objectively correct answer, but the type of question that doesn’t really have one. And there not being a right answer, is part of what makes it difficult. 

What also makes it difficult, is the sense of impending doom and unavoidable galactic nature of the question, which can make us feel insignificant and unimportant. Which can lead us to scurrying away from the question because gravitating around the nauseating force of the realization that everything we do is “pointless”, does not give way to a fulfilling or pleasant life. Or more simply, it does not make us feel good, to think about big, scary things like death, and how insignificant everything is. 

However, ignoring these things does not make it go away. No matter how much fun, or how much good that’s going on, or even how much there is to struggle through, the inescapable is still on it’s way, and there is no way to outmaneuver something so galactic. You cannot sidestep a world-ending comet, no matter how blue your suede shoes are. 

Which is why it’s so important to make the life we have matter as much as it can to us. Because if it doesn’t matter to us, if we aren’t making worth out of the only (guaranteed) experience we have, then we’re simply wasting it. We are wasting the part of the universe we’re given. And even if we feel like the life we have may not be worth living, or it’s all pointless or whatever excuse we have, we still have a duty to see it through and stay true to ourselves. And not even for those around you, who care and would be stricken with great grief if you were to suddenly no longer be a part of this breathing, tangible world. But for the universe itself. 

I believe it is our duty to live for the sake of the universe. Allow me to elaborate on this a little bit more. 

We are all made up of the universe. We are all made up of the same things, the stars did their explosion nonsense, heat and pressure did whatever it did, and everything became real and now, we get anxiety when we look in the mirror. 

It’s fascinating. Truly. 

It might not be easy to appreciate this, especially when there are more pressing matters in our direct lives, but this realization does give us some perspective. The fact that we’re here at all, is immeasurably impressive. Doing what we can with the spark of life that was caught in the metaphorical jar feels compulsory, not only for our own personal sake, but also because we could be wasting something significant, on the grounds of selfishness if we do not expand on the life given to us. 

Adding onto this, which may or may not be convincing, is the realization that we must be true to ourselves. Be sincere and open to what can move us. Here is why. 

The universe is vast and awe inspiring. The sheer size and nature of it is beyond our human capability at this moment, and there is so much happening all the time. Just because we do not know it or understand it, does not mean it is not happening.

Even on a more micro scale, within our countries and cities, there is so much happening. We are all affected by things in one way or another, whether we are able to make direct connections or not. We are all shaped by our environment, we react to what we expect and sometimes try to change our environment because we want things to be more suited.

But even if we don’t do that, (which we are doing right now), it’s a truth that humans adapt remarkably well. Consider how quickly it took you to get used to quarantine back in March. That doesn’t mean you’re thriving in it, nor that you want it to continue. Just consider the day you were told to stay home, and how jarring it might’ve been, and try to realize how quickly this new reality came to terms with you. Some were probably very quick, and others a bit slower. And some may say you haven’t at all, but I truly believe that most of us have adapted and I know all of us have adjusted. We adjusted because that’s what we as humans do. We adjust to the situation we’re in and make what we can of it. We find a home in any situation we’re put in. We find our homes in the universe. And I think the reason for that, is because we are all made up of the universe. We are made up of everything around us. 

And what makes humanity so amazing, other than just our abilities, is our awareness. It is through us, through you, me and everyone else, that the universe is able to experience and understand itself. 

This is the reason I believe we should all live. Because through our experiences, the universe is able to understand and appreciate itself. And only through us, can this vast and awesome collection of dead star particles be more than just that. We can create a better, living environment than what we were left with, and allow the next collections to live better than we have. As long as we fight for what’s right, share the warm, tender feelings that we can only find within each other, spread it forward and be aware of the life we’re living. 

Things aren’t great for me all the time, and sometimes I just want to sleep and let everything wash over and off me. But, I have a duty to the universe, to myself. To stay true to myself as only I can, and experience the universe in the way only I can, because I’m the only one who has experienced the exact same things as I have. 

We all have our unique perspectives and worldly experiences, and by sharing and understanding ourselves and our experiences, the universe is able to appreciate and love itself. And the universe is really far too amazing for it to go unappreciated, or even undocumented. 

And that’s where we as writer’s come in. I find it quite motivational when I realize that there is no one else who will say the same things in the same way that I can. Even if there’s a strong correlation, unless you intentionally go into it with the purpose of theft, you will almost never repeat, word for word, someone else. And that’s why it’s important to write and document the world; which includes your experiences and everything that you can translate that goes in through the little bit of the universe that was given to you.