T.G.A. Presents: Big Questions with Little Answers

My maternal grandmother received her last rites from a priest today. This event prompted a beautifully introspective conversation between myself and my older brother, Eddie.

Eddie and I have some beef with this life. Oh yeah we do.

As humans, the more we know, the more questions we ask. The more questions we ask, the more we realize we don't know. And, the more we realize we don't know, the more tired we become.

That's probably why I sleep a lot.

So, in this fleeting, frivolous, complex, and exhausting existence, how are we to survive? How are we to suppress or overcome or disguise our fears? How are we to accept the fact that we can never really know anything for sure?

People always say that there are certainties. Here are the certainties I've observed in my twenty-four years:

1. People are unpredictable, fear-ridden, quirky little creatures. Beware anyone who projects otherwise.
2. Music, art, design, film, literature, nature, and athletics are capable of restoring the human spirit.
3. When you doubt the sanctity of life, it helps to spend time with children.
4. There is beauty in everything-- even the ugliest, scariest moments.
5. Truth and certainty are over-rated.
6. The happiest, most fulfilled people are their own best friends.
7. Bacon is delicious.

That's all. You'd think in twenty-four years I'd know more things for sure, but, let's come clean and be really honest about it-- none of us know what the hell we're doing here. Isn't that part of the joke? We all have personalities and passions and weaknesses, and while we work it out in our own brains, we have to play nice with one another.

A lot of people say it's all about love. I like this position. I don't really know how it can be applied to life. "Just love one another." Why? How? I have to love everyone?! But, it does sound pretty.

This makes me think about this crazy woman I met when I was auditioning to be on Deal or No Deal. (Yeah, I needed some fast cash, so I auditioned...no judgin.) I waited in line behind this crazy woman (we'll call her Karen) for three hours. Karen told me something that stuck: “When you need to work with someone difficult, pretend that you are God. Look at them with the love and insight that God looks down at us. Really, picture that person from the view of the ceiling and pity them. Want to bestow your love and insight on to them.”

Karen smelled a lot like marijuana and she wore band-aids on every one of her toes. (Needlesstosay, she, too, was not selected for the show.) I wonder, however, is Karen's philosophy on "getting along" the most loving and insightful thing, or the most condescending? Anyway...I'm one with USA Net's "Characters Welcome", so Karen was a hoot.

I have to close by saying that I think we need to remember to not only be nice to others, but also to ourselves. Just as Kermit reminds us that it isn't easy being green, it, too, isn't easy being human. Even on good days there's something that can make us cry or sting or just want to spoon the afternoon away. I guess if you look for the sad, you'll find it, and if you don't, you'll find it. So, we might as well laugh and dance and drink, right? Live the Dionysian life and have babies and write blogs. Some may call it narcissistic. I say do what works for you. We're only here once, so you better have fun.