Our World and Why You are Here Our world, teeming with diversity alive in all nations, states, cities, towns, hamlets; in the obscurity of some mountainous regions; in green forests and jungles; by beaches with crystalline waters, under a magnificent sun . . . This is our world of vastly different ways of living large, of unique manners for inhabiting spaces and places. Some of us are extraordinarily fortunate, living comfortably within our more-than-adequate abodes, with food aplenty, engaged contentedly in work and leisure. Our families, friends, acquaintances, and inner growth bring joy to our hearts and minds. Others, however, have been forced into unnatural and horrible predicaments, living under immense danger at every turn, fleeing dominant forces out to stomp on their basic human freedoms and rights. Such unfortunate human beings have no comforts, not enough food, and they face the prospect of death and utter destruction at every turn. What are we to make of this? Here we exist as masters of our fate, as masters of our environment, no longer listening intently for the stampede of Buffalos rumbling the ground coming from some far-off place about to disrupt our very essence. Instead, we sit in the cool comfort of our living rooms watching movies on our big-screen TVs from the soft cushions of our lounge chairs and couches, as we munch on snacks. Then, of course, the true heroes of the world traverse the planet with one goal in mind: helping those less fortunate than themselves, pushing forth their magnanimous agendas for a better future. They are the saints of Earth. If Karma exists, only they will reach a just reward for their good deeds, while the rest of us will be reborn again time after time until we realize the true meaning of our existence – or worse we will be permanently extinguished. And what of all the bad guys? Where do they fall and fit within our world? Who are they? Are they the corrupt politicians and lawyers who base their efforts and plans on lies for self-profit? Are they the lowly criminals who steal and cause damage to everything and anyone crossing their destructive paths? Are they the self- destructive hooligans wrecking their neighborhoods and sowing hate and violence on their own streets? And what of all the good guys? Surely, they are the majority. They are the peacemakers. Don’t we all want to simply live our lives without the drama of hate and racism knocking on our doors? Peacemakers make life worth living; they do not impose their beliefs on others; they accept diversity; they promote tolerance and friendship, regardless of differences; they desire to live without dissension and chaos, without fear, without vulgarity, without disrespect. Where are you on this great spectrum of life? When the question “why are you here?” enters your thoughts, do you give it serious consideration? What’s your first answer? To be happy; to help others; to make a difference; to get rich and prosper; to be a good father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, cousin, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, friend, colleague or partner; to love. . . Are you the kind of person who fluffs this question off, saying to yourself that you do not want to tax your brain too much, that it is a waste of energy to think about this question? Are you the kind of person who follows someone or something else’s manifestation of who you should be, by adhering strictly to various religious decrees, for example? Or, do you have your own religion that you discovered over a lifetime? Do you see those who are much less fortunate than you are? Do you avoid thinking about those who are less fortunate than you are? Do you seek what makes you feel good as often as possible? Are you political? Are you apathetic? What really makes you tic? What’s your passion? Do you like to share your knowledge? Do you like to shop? Do you enjoy material things? Is it important to have nice clothes, a big house, a great automobile, nice furniture, etc.? Is pleasing and entertaining yourself all that really matters? Do you want to pick up as much knowledge as you can, or do you get tired when you have to study something that challenges your thinking and decide not to pursue learning because it is too much of an effort and you’d rather watch TV or do nothing significant? Do you just be? Are you here because you have a very specific purpose? Are you here simply because fate put you here and you have no control of the future? Are you seeking a destination or is the journey enough? Is everything random, including you? Are we all just biological brains that fire off electrical charges, or is there some spiritual essence that creates our consciousness, something that is transcendent beyond the cold biological realities that confront us daily? Of course why you are here is a very old philosophical question. What’s really important to you? Is the answer to that question enough to explain why you are here, or is there something more? I think there is something more, but I don’t profess to know what it is. Thanks for stopping by, George