Dear Yuyutsu,

While I was away in the US, Marie got a caravan and drove around Queensland. She filled three notebooks with an account of her travels, encounters with people, poetry & philosophical musings.

Shortly before Marie died, she gave me those notebooks.

She wrote the following on Wednesday, August 11, 1993:

I think it's the absence of any goal that has given me this freedom just to be. We are always told we must have a goal in life, whether it be to accumulate wealth, achieve professional success & recognition or to make the world a better place. One must have a goal. I have always unconsciously rebelled against this idea, the idea of an "ultimate aim in life." There are always "goals" in the plural that give life zest & meaning - the goal to reach the mountain top & enjoy the view, the goal to help a friend in need, the goal to pass exams so one can work in an interesting field.

The "ultimate aim in life" I think is life destroying, a negation of the present, which is after all, all we ever have, and ultimately, I believe unachievable. When is rich, rich enough, power great enough, recognition satisfying enough?

The meaning of life is life itself. How it came about is a wonderful question to explore. "Why" is meaningless. It implies purpose. It implies a creator. It implies that we have a purpose in the mind of the creator....

She was happy when she wrote that. She was free of God nonsense, and she helped me to free myself of that garbage.

Hi David,

I was very close to the 'Old Man', and we often discussed these things later in his life, the Old Man's been gone around 35 years now (1987). We once made a pact, that ever who went first, (I was banking on his demise before mine) would contact the other from the "after life" if at all possible, the Old Man is yet to keep his end of the bargain. then again I might be at fault, and just not receptive. What do you think?

Dear Paul and David F.,

I did not refer, not on this thread anyway, to the "meaning of life" (if such a thing even exists). I have no idea why you chose to introduce this new topic at this point in time, so late in this discussion.

«Believers when confronted with the reality of life, and the possibility it could be meaningless, will quickly retreat to their comfortable position of "faith", which requires no explanation»

Whether or not life has a meaning, everyone confronts that reality, believers or otherwise. Some retreat to their faith, others to their booze. Faith does require an explanation, which is why there are books upon books to explain it. Anyone who understands faith knows that life is hard and will not automatically become easier without right effort, that mere belief in whatever won't make a difference.

«as they cannot accept that life could well be meaningless.»

I can accept it. That question whether or not life has a meaning doesn't even bother me.

«She was free of God nonsense, and she helped me to free myself of that garbage.»

There is so much nonsense people create around the concept of God.
It is good to be free of it.

While one can become free of any concept(s) of God, one cannot become free of God Himself/Herself/Itself, because that is who they truly are: one cannot be free of oneself!

«the Old Man is yet to keep his end of the bargain. then again I might be at fault, and just not receptive. What do you think?»

Silly, why would you expect anyone to remember you or their pact once they no longer have a brain? Even people with Alzheimer Disease don't remember it!

Dear Paul1405,

I think you loved the Old Man, and I loved Marie. Possibly, some people have a life without love, so they have to invent imaginary entities or accept imaginary entities that someone else has invented. It fills a barren life, and a life without love is a barren life.

Shakespeare wrote:

"To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveler returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of?"

Death is an undiscovered country. When we encounter it, we are no longer capable of discovery. While we are alive, we can live and be open to love.

I shall call my son, William, in a while. We live in different time zones so I have to be aware of that so I don't call at the wrong time. A great thing about love is that it is elusive but not exclusive. Usually, talking to him gives me joy.

When I was in rehab in hospital recently an older
man during our life-style exercise program asked me
what did I intend to do for my "salvation?

To be honest - I didn't know how to answer that.

All I could come out with is - "I will try to obey
God's commandments."

I did not say anything more.

How would any of you have answered the man?

Dear Foxy,

When asked an intrusive question, I think it best either to ignore it or ask a question in return. eq. "What do mean by salvation?"