Time Spent Making Art: LIFE Part II

Life Part II

I’ve given it some more thought; there really is no purpose for our lives as individuals. There it is, and if you don’t believe me, how many of you remember Valentine Mohan, Onesime Saulmier, or the contribution to the future provided by Corporal Dubreille while stationed in New France. I’ll bet that you’re all shaking your heads, and that no one remembers. And why should you? Their actions, or lack thereof, never touched you personally, or did they? You see, if there’s a purpose to our lives it’s that collectively, unknowingly, our actions significant, or insignificant, alter the future of mankind, on all life on this planet actually. So our value, the value of our lives, of life, is not as individuals, but collectively , which leads to the question of the purpose of the collective? Is the purpose of the collective to ensure the survival of mankind, and if so for what purpose? Sir Isaac Newton once stated that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The collective thought therefore is in perpetual motion. Makes sense, but it still doesn’t answer the reason for life, for our living and dying? Is it all for naught?

Since I was getting nowhere with my thinking on this subject I decided to ask my good friend George what he thought. We met at the local MacDonalds. Normally we would have met at Timmy’s, but MacDonalds was having a special on their coffee, any size specialty coffee for a dollar. So MacDonalds it was. Between sips of a double-double I asked George his opinion about the purpose of life, and whether he thought that there was a hereafter, life everlasting so to speak. George isn’t known for being wordy. Generally his replies to questions are limited to grunts and guffaws unless really pressed, and then he may commit to a yes, or no. Today, however, he actually perked up at the question and replied that he didn’t really know, but he’d been giving it a lot of thought lately, especially after watching the Alien film series on one of the late nght channels. I was amazed when George went on to explain that he believed, after watching the first Alien film starring Sigourney Weaver, that planet Earth was a prison planet, and that we, or at least our ancestors were dangerous Aliens abandoned by a superior species on this isolated planet we call home, and that our purpose was simply to evolve and collectively determine a way to escape, and find our way to our real home. He went on to explain that it all made sense considering that our species was a violent, dangerous, species, that no doubt needed to be isolated for fear of infecting and destroying the paradise inhabited by the superior race that had abandoned us eons ago. George explained that the evidence was all there. Consider that killing one another has been honed to a science, and that we do so with no real remorse. Elon Musk, NASA, and the urgent need to create artificial intelligence, George pointed out, were obvious examples of our goal to escape, as he called it, " this prison planet.” I was flabbergasted! George rarely carried on about anything, and here he was talking loudly and gesturing wildy with his arms, and hammering the table with his fists to make a point. George explained that the reason that we had never been visited by so called alien visitors, or been able to make contact with other worlds, is that they’d all been warned about us, and besides we were abandoned in a remote corner of an insignificant galaxy, hidden away so to speak. With that George sighed and sank a bit into his seat and returned to being “quiet George.” We finished our coffee in relative silence, shook hands promising to meet again soon to solve the world’s problems, and he went one way, and I went another. Interesting, I thought. Perhaps, there’s something in what George said. Maybe this is a prison planet? Maybe we’re not meant to leave? Maybe beyond devising a way to leave there is no purpose to life, at least to our individual lives? Maybe we dreamed up the theory of a heaven and everlasting life to simply give purpose to living? So much, I thought for talking with George, as I’m just as confused as ever.

George and I never again met for coffee. Sadly, having tired of watching Alien movies he went on to watch movies made from the Marvel Comic series, and got caught up with acting out the various characters. Spider Man, and tall buildings, proved to be George’s downfall, literally!

Okay, so I'm having fun with you regarding George, and his fascination with Spider Man. But as for my confusion, not really, as I'm convinced that, although there is an answer, It's not for us to know. So, if you're able, enjoy your life as much as possible as we're allowed only one ride on this merry-go-round.

Now, getting back to art for the moment, just to let you know, I'm now working on another book. This one is an attempt to share some of the wildlife drawings and paintings and experiences making wildlife art over the years. It promises to be awhile before it's finished, and like the last book it promises to be expensive to purchase. This is why when I publish on Blurb I take advantage of the ability to produce a PDF (copy) book. The PDF sells for approximately $5.00 U.S., and oh yes, I should point out that I'm not attempting to sell the book as I receive no royalties from their sale. I make books simply as a means to archive my art and experiences,....and to share with persons such as yourself. Hopefully, by doing so I'm acting out one of the reasons for my being.... here.