Reading this title, you may think the remit of my blog has dramatically altered. What has gone from being a fairly casual page to muse about current affairs and interesting culture has turned into a philosophical haven. Fear not dear readers! But there are times one reaches in life - going on a plane, hitting an important milestone - when one cannot help but muse about our true purpose for our short time on this planet. Isn't it amazing what we humans - the human race - have managed to achieve? From arts to science, travels to practical developments, human creativity and ingenuity has allowed the world to develop, life expectancy to increase and general satisfaction to rise.
I only began to think about this upon hitting that important milestone. For last week I officially, in the eyes of the law, became an adult. Now I am 18, I can legally drink, elope at Gretna Green without the permission of my parents and, of course, vote! What all these things have in common is that they are actions. They require an individual to actively do something rather than just talk about it. This made me realize that actions, doing different things, are a pinnacle part of being an adult and life generally. You may think this is slightly ironic given that, for the last three years, I have spent a large chunk of my life writing words down. In a sense, this is doing something. For years I had wanted to start a blog that I would maintain over a long period of time rather than get bored of after two weeks. This I have managed to do. But you would be correct. By writing this blog, much as I love it, I have chosen to prevent myself from engaging in other activities. Humans are certainly a species that like to natter a lot. Much of time is spent with family or friends engaging in discussions that, while will develop or enhance relations on that personal scale, are unlikely to have a broader impact on one's life. Instead of remembering the specific content of the discussion, an individual will recall how they were made to feel by the other person or people they were conversing with. Thus their opinion of how those individuals are seen will be enhanced or diminished. This feeling, clearly, could form the basis of another conversation. And so the cycle of discussion continues. Whether it was in hieroglyphics or stone age pictures cavemen used to draw, we have always been people that desire some method to communicate. Words, in whatever language or form, are a vital part of a civilization, both for the survival of the tribe and for general enhancement. The main reason I love reading so much - whether fiction or factual - is because of that extreme power of words. Yet, on a daily basis, words can have little impact. We can talk for a while about joining the gym, trying to lose weight, finally going to the opticians or watching that film we have been desperate to see. But nothing will be done about it. In our hearts, completing the task is something to be done. Nevertheless, whether through distraction, the level of effort, laziness or indeed conversation, the action spoken about within our words is not undertaken. Part of life has become about speaking, saying what we intend or dream to do. It turns out these statements are only dreams, for they are never met in reality. As a new adult, I do feel a duty, an obligation, a responsibility, both towards my own individual development and that of broader society, to take part in actions. For whatever reason, I have a wish to be seen doing things. Discussion is a part of this, but actually engaging in something, even if it's as simple as strolling into town, beats most conversation. Whether this is because of attaining adulthood or simply societal expectations I know not. But while I physically feel the same, becoming a grown-up has psychologically changed me. I'm sure I will always be one to chat. Indeed, one of the first things I did as an adult was pretend to be Noel Edmonds at a family reunion hosting a mock-up 'Deal or No Deal' (that's for another blog!). Performing in front of 50 people, even though they were close family, was a step or two outside of my comfort zone. But boy am I glad I did it. For it was an action that people enjoyed, contributed to the evening and showed some courage! In life, there will be plenty more discussions and conversations to take part in, hopefully with a whole variety of individuals. While I'm sure a large chunk of them will reflect on what has already happened, a significant amount of the words will be looking to the future. Throughout life, we all speak of our aspirations for what the future entails. I just hope those positive words and ideas, at some point, translate themselves from my mouth, a hypothetical suggestion, into reality.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author:Noah enjoys writing a blog and drinking tea Archives
September 2022
Categories
All
|