There is a certain dichotomy in life with which we are all familiar: On the one hand, the individual events in our lives ebb and flow, wax and wane, come and go - but they never seem to really connect with each other in some meaningful, thematic way. However, on the other hand, when granted even only a few minutes to reflect on past events, and ponder their meaning, certain things begin to reveal themselves as common themes and motifs, big or small, which tend to permeate - and maybe even define - a group of events in our lives.
Are the events in our lives truly interconnected by some underlying dormant force, waiting to be discovered? And if so, to what degree is it our responsibility - let alone ability - to tie the events in our lives together?
In order to answer these questions, I will reference the photo in this post.
We have, what apears to be, some type of staircase. Yet, if one looks closely they will see that it is also little waterfall, a steady stream of water flowing down some stairs and into a pool.
At first glance, it is very possible that one could mistaken this staircase for a normal staircase. It pretty much resembles normal stairs. It's a bit blue, but who says staircases can't be blue?
Only upon further examination does one realize that the smooth surface is, in fact, a thin and steady layer of flowing water.
The stairs are, on the face of it, individual pieces which happen to be placed in such a way which form a staircase. But we know that someone built those stairs in that way specifically, to serve this specific function - it wasn't random. Every stair is there to serve those which utilize it to get to the next step, thereby rendering each stair a vital component of the general purpose of the staircase.
In this case, the beneficiary of the staircase is water, a free-flowing substance which is restricted only by the shape of its container or the mode of its movement. Therefore, it immediately conforms to the shape of the stairs as it makes its way down, thus providing the illusion that it's not there at all. Only occasionally are little ripples or bubbles visible on the surface.
Now, here's the explanation:
The events of our lives are the stairs - each of them a vital step to get to the next stair, the next event, the next experience. The synergy of all the stairs forms a cohesive picture, a common purpose. The same truth applies to our lives - every one of us has a number of themes or purposes in our lives which are defined by the combined meaning of the things which happen to us.
But actually figuring out what those themes are is the difficult part - the meaning behind each event is hidden in plain sight - it's the clear water flowing over the stairs. Sometimes we get lucky, we see a little ripple or a bubble - the event's meaning is more readily accessible. However, most of the time, we have to look hard to notice a common theme flowing through every event in our lives.
But once we are able to see something - the entire picture starts to reveal itself.
Once we are able to form clearer definitions of who we are and what purpose we are striving towards, we can then look into our past for lost meaning, and be better armed for future events.
We'll know what to look for, and we'll be more perceptive to discover even more - about our experiences, about our lives, about the world.
- PH
