I went to kill time... but when I got there, I found peace of mind.
Fate.
Choices.
Genes.
Environment.
Society.
Who/What decides who we become?
As I sit here: on a bench-in the shade-by a pond
i have the rare ability to see both book-ends of life.
Children running on the playground without a clue as to what comes next. They live simply day-by-day.
At the same time; a group of a much older generation is grouped together talking, walking, and sharing stories. I notice, they live the same way: day-by-day. While choosing whether or not to accept what they know os coming next.
While I am no where near the middle, much closer to birth than death, I'm almost jealous of their life-style. Children know exactly who they are. They define themselves with much simpler terms. They're sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and students. Instead of being individuals, their lives are characterized by their relationships with others.
The elderly, they've been on their adventures, they've met people, been places, experienced life. They know the answers. But the answers are theirs... not mine.
Our lives cannot be truly defined by others. Others' perceptions are a part of their lives more than they are ours'. To actually know yourself, you have to be able to pick yourself a part. Every piece of yourself. What you believe, what you know, what you've experienced, what you've learned... all things that make us, us. Makes our lives, our lives.
But when does that life really begin? For years, upon decades, upon centuries, science and religion have both laid claim to the answer. Conception vs First Breath (Birth). But that's not the "life" I'm discussing. Because when we look back at our childhood, or our infancy, was that life?
Or does life start when Free Will begins? And when is that? Adolescence? Adulthood? How long do we hide behind who we're expected to be, before who we really arebecomes obvious?
When will who we are and who we're meant to become acknowledge the others' existence?
And when that happens... will we know?
Choices.
Genes.
Environment.
Society.
Who/What decides who we become?
As I sit here: on a bench-in the shade-by a pond
i have the rare ability to see both book-ends of life.
Children running on the playground without a clue as to what comes next. They live simply day-by-day.
At the same time; a group of a much older generation is grouped together talking, walking, and sharing stories. I notice, they live the same way: day-by-day. While choosing whether or not to accept what they know os coming next.
While I am no where near the middle, much closer to birth than death, I'm almost jealous of their life-style. Children know exactly who they are. They define themselves with much simpler terms. They're sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, and students. Instead of being individuals, their lives are characterized by their relationships with others.
The elderly, they've been on their adventures, they've met people, been places, experienced life. They know the answers. But the answers are theirs... not mine.
Our lives cannot be truly defined by others. Others' perceptions are a part of their lives more than they are ours'. To actually know yourself, you have to be able to pick yourself a part. Every piece of yourself. What you believe, what you know, what you've experienced, what you've learned... all things that make us, us. Makes our lives, our lives.
But when does that life really begin? For years, upon decades, upon centuries, science and religion have both laid claim to the answer. Conception vs First Breath (Birth). But that's not the "life" I'm discussing. Because when we look back at our childhood, or our infancy, was that life?
Or does life start when Free Will begins? And when is that? Adolescence? Adulthood? How long do we hide behind who we're expected to be, before who we really arebecomes obvious?
When will who we are and who we're meant to become acknowledge the others' existence?
And when that happens... will we know?
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