Lost In A Sea of Faces
I feel lost and unsure of myself. People would often refer to my academic accomplishments and would then proceed to ask me why the hell am I still unsure. Quite frankly, it's not about what grade you got in this or that subject, or what award you received at the end of the year. I apologize if I would begin to delve into the realm of Philosophy; this is just something I have to get off my chest.
This all boils down to the simple question of "Why am I here?" Many people have asked themselves this question, some have even gone on to publish books regarding this timeless quest for meaning. If you were to ask me, I'd say that there is no one reason that would justify our existence. There is no such thing as one finite destiny for all of us. After hours of introspection and self-questioning, I've come to realize that life is nothing more than a hallway on with masks suspended from the ceiling with string that's as thin as spider silk.
By now I'm sure that I've confused a lot of people, please bear with me as I explain. The faces represent the roles that we can assume in life. Most of us, in the process of assuming these roles, break the thin fiber that supports it. As a result, we gut stuck with that role our entire lives. But a few manage to switch from one mask to another without breaking the strings.
Despite everyone's opinion, from my mother down to my friends that I should just work towards one thing I believe that we were meant to move from one role to another. We were meant to be lost in a sea of faces.
This all boils down to the simple question of "Why am I here?" Many people have asked themselves this question, some have even gone on to publish books regarding this timeless quest for meaning. If you were to ask me, I'd say that there is no one reason that would justify our existence. There is no such thing as one finite destiny for all of us. After hours of introspection and self-questioning, I've come to realize that life is nothing more than a hallway on with masks suspended from the ceiling with string that's as thin as spider silk.
By now I'm sure that I've confused a lot of people, please bear with me as I explain. The faces represent the roles that we can assume in life. Most of us, in the process of assuming these roles, break the thin fiber that supports it. As a result, we gut stuck with that role our entire lives. But a few manage to switch from one mask to another without breaking the strings.
Despite everyone's opinion, from my mother down to my friends that I should just work towards one thing I believe that we were meant to move from one role to another. We were meant to be lost in a sea of faces.
I really planned to make this longer. But then again, I don't want to turn this into an essay.
3 Comments:
At September 7, 2004 7:33 PM,
friendly-journeyer said…
How do I say this? Hmmm...
On your grades, let's put it this way. Your grades matter if you care about your course. Why? Because if you DO care, you'll almost definitely get your job based on that course, which in turn will finance you for the rest of your life. If you don't really care (which I think is your case), they won't nearly as much.
But that's not a main point. Moving on to that...
First, we aren't necessarily meant to move from one role to another. Some are, some aren't. It's just a question if you have both the ability AND the will to, in your words, "switch masks". However, we ARE meant to make a contribution to society at large, may it be gargantuan or miniscule, positive or negative. What kind of contribution we give depends on the mask we wear.
Second, are we really meant to be lost in a sea of faces? If we are, then I guess entertainment as we know it cannot exist. But it does (bigtime!), so I guess it's again a question of having the ability and the will (courage!) to make oneself known to the world.
Sorry if I'm not completely making sense... I have a headache, you see. O well, just make sense of what you can comprehend.
At September 7, 2004 7:36 PM,
Anonymous said…
This might turn into an essay. I'm bored, so sue me. I warned you anyway.
Hmm... nice analogy, it's not one I've heard before. It does make sense the way you've depicted life though at the same time, as with most descriptions, it is somewhat lacking in some aspects.
Nevertheless, I do agree with the part about the roles. Circumstances change, people change and life goes on. To stay in one role for the rest of your days would be like the denial of life itself. Yet you would often see people working towards that one goal/persona, focused always on only it, only to fall into hopelessness if deprived of it's completion. People are weird.
Damn my melted brain is complaining. looks like I can't make this into an essay after all. I think I'll just go exercise my brain by pondering on just what mask to wear next =P Or perhaps in discerning what I have on at the moment =P
At September 8, 2004 8:50 AM,
stani said…
read the five people you meet in heaven. life makes more sense afterwards.
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