Regarding Atheism (from Facebook)

Regarding Atheism (please feel free to ignore):
Someone asked me today to define why I "believe" in atheism instead of God, like they do. I'm certain that anyone, when asked why they follow a philosophy, set of views, religion, etc. immediately feels the same rapid-fire thought process go through their head as did mine. This process primarily focuses on the idea of exactly how ridiculous it is to try and respond to such a question quickly, shortly, or succinctly. You cannot describe why you believe in god/gods/spirituality/etc in 5 minutes any more than I can describe why atheism is for me.

That being said, for those who want a quick and dirty, here goes.
First, atheism is not a set of beliefs. It is the lack of belief in god/gods/etc. For me, specifically, atheism is simply an easy term to represent a wide range of philosophical views. Just like saying that one is a Christian is not a definitive answer, saying I am an an "atheist" is not definitive. We would need to discuss on a larger scale to get across all the beliefs.
Second, atheism is about logic, rationality, reason, and testable, provable information. Because it is about these things, it is also about change.

This is where some people are surprised. Atheism is about change. An atheist of 2,000 years ago would have held different views than one of today. Things change. What we know changes. What we don't know expands as rapidly, if not more so.

The most important aspect of change? If you are able to present irrefutable evidence that can be tested on the same scale as every other major piece of information/philosophy in history and PROVE IT, a "typical" atheist will be forced to change his mind.

This means that if you can prove god or he somehow proves himself to me, I will change my mind. On a dime. In a heartbeat. Without hesitation.


[Bruce Haskin] There is no proving it...that's why it is called Faith
Third, atheism, for me, is about distrusting authority that doesn't explain itself suitably. You would no more follow a government decision that told you that you had to give up 3 hours of every day to picking up garbage in your nearest city street without some kind of explanation than I will follow a belief that dictates every aspect of my life without some kind of proof of its existence.

Authority should be earned. In some cases, yes, it is acceptable for authority to act and demand without complete explanation - especially if a quick decision MUST be made for the good of all. But at some point, hopefully as soon as the DIRE in the dire situation is no longer valid, explanations must be made.

This means that atheism naturally questions aspects outside of god and mythology as well as within. I want to know exactly why we still allow lobbyists to effectively "pay off" politicians in this country. I want to know why congress is literally exempt from many of the laws it requires us to follow. I want to know why our country spends more money on "Defense" than ALL (yes, that is meant literally) other countries in the world, combined, yet we are downsizing the size of our forces and worrying about paying our troops.

Authority should be earned. With that in mind, what greater authority is there than one that dictates how you should live every aspect of your life? Morality should not be simply demanded of you without explanation. Morality should be explained and backed up. You should come into it with knowledge of WHY as well as HOW.

Thank you, Sgt Haskin. I wanted to address that as well. Faith.

Fourth, Faith. Faith, to me, is a cop-out word that means you no longer have to think about something. Instead of attempting to understand why something exists, many people "take it on faith." Instead of actually reading the book(s) that their "religion" is founded upon, they allow someone else to read it to them, tell it to them, or simply pick and choose as they will.

Instead of analyzing how and why your religious book came to me, you simply assume that what people have been telling you is true: that it IS true and was written by god and is infallible. This is despite the fact that the book(s) CANNOT be infallible as they were written by men.

One cannot examine any work of religious doctrine without almost immediately finding enormous contradiction in the work. When presented with these contradictions, most "believers" simply state that it is not, in fact ,a contradiction, or that you are "reading out of context" or that you are misreading. Yet, these same people cannot offer a real explanation outside of you must "have faith."

Testing faith: If you were told by a doctor that, when you went in for a flu shot, your leg must be cut off in order for this particular flu shot to work on your particular metabolism and then, when asked for an explanation, you were told to simply "have faith," would you trust that person? No, you would not.

Given that, why do you trust any one or anything that says you must dedicate your ENTIRE LIFE to a philosophy with no other reason than Faith?

Fifth, death. Well, what happens when you die? I don't know.

I don't know IS an acceptable answer. In fact, I don't know is an answer that most people SHOULD use instead of saying "You go to Heaven." YOU CANNOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE. You haven't died. No doctrine agrees on what happens when you die. There is no evidence to prove, in any way, that you have a soul, that you have a separate part of you that travels beyond this world into another.

What happened before you were alive? With you, I mean? Nothing. You were non-existent. This is the same thing that happens when you die, EXCEPT, you get to leave behind legacy. You can leave people, friends, memories, great or terrible works, or simply a mediocre life. That is all. It confuses me as to why this is something most people dislike and can't accept. I LOVE the idea ta this is my only chance at life. It makes me want to try harder in this life.

If you believe you are going to live forever in eternity and that to get there all you must due is follow a certain set of rules, then you are at terrible risk of not living up to a greater moral value in this world.

But I digress. I promised that this would be brief and I have already lied. I apologize.

I'll finish by saying this:

I do not MEAN to offend you when I say that I cannot believe in your way of philosophy. My primary purpose in asking about your belief or discussing my own is to share information. Exchange knowledge and try to understand one another. Following any belief, even atheism, without understanding why you follow is dangerous in the extreme.

I, as I am certain this applies to most "atheists" simply want the same even footing as every other way of thinking. However, in order to have that we must stop assuming that EVERYONE believes in some form of "faith based" existence. We don't. You don't. The field must be even. You must separate secular and spiritual and practice in your privacy. In fact, in one of the many, many contradictions of the Bible (specifically the New Testament here), we see that we are told:
Matthew 6
King James Version
1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

2Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

5And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

I posted the build up to show that I was not taking it out of context.
If you want to know why this is a contradiction and you are a Christian, then you should read more of your Bible.

Alright. I'm done. For now.

The very, absolute, last thing I want to say is this:
Please feel free to post on my board about what you believe as long as you understand that if you annoy me (just like if I annoy you) I reserve the right to remove it.

That being said, I am not easily annoyed in this regard. I like this type of discourse. I consider it of absolute and utmost importance.

• Christopher Hand
As a slight aside, another person I suggest discussing this matter with is Jeremiah Sager. He actually has a degree in discussing things like this (Philosophy) and is a highly intelligent person. He makes me think about the things I have stated above and is one of the people that will probably argue the heaviest about 90% of what I posted both with and against me.

For more famous people, look at Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett (Not late at all), the Amazing Randi, Penn Jillette, Tim Minchin, George Carlin, Thomas Jefferson (regarding some of my points, not all), etc. There are many, many more, but in the interest of brevity (ironic in stating that in my ...9th response?) I will stop.
17 hours ago • Like

• Jeremiah Sager Thank you Christopher Hand. I do welcome the opportunity to discuss these topics with anyone that wants to.
17 hours ago • Like

• Jeremiah Sager
To follow up though. You do take some leaps in your argumentation that i wouldn't follow you with though. The doctor analogy, although well reasoned, misses the point of what an educated theist would respond with. Their god isn't a doctor they just meet. It's a trusted family friend they've known forever, that gives them guidance and grace. I still don't buy faith as typically understood in the least, but i'm not sure if you set up a straw man inadverently. Also, i don't know that i would quote the King James Version. It is treated as a near canonical text these days, but both of us know it was specifically and purposely altered. What i do find beyond interesting is that i spent a great deal of time thinking about this very thing today. A statement of disbelief, if you will. I do think it would be an awesome experiment for both of us to agree to a size, and format limitation to compare notes. Dealing with topics of why different religious formations, or beliefs are lacking.

• Christopher Hand
I think you would likely easily "win" such a debate because of prior knowledge, but I am constantly striving to learn more and am definitely willing to participate if, for no other reason, than to understand and learn.

Also, I typed all that really fast and didn't really put a good argument forth regarding the doctor analogy. I'd have to fix it.

Lastly, regarding the biblical quote, I used King James because most religious people would consider it the "most valid" but I DID take the few minutes out to compare it (albeit, yes, on a website I Googled) to other versions of the Bible so as not to let it be easily dismissed.
17 hours ago • Like

• Jeremiah Sager Also, the stories of the creation of holy books. They different. The beginnings of the Quran are quite different that those of the bible as an example. A muslim is, in my opinion, better able to argue faith in the infallibility of their text.
15 hours ago • Like

• Stacy Baer Good reading guys...please do continue...
11 hours ago • Like

• Jessica 'Bertke' Huff That is in no way "short"
10 hours ago • Like • 1

• Christopher Hand ‎~smirks~ When compared to what I could type on the subject, it really is short. But I understand what you are saying. I just kind of...got into what I was doing.
6 hours ago • Like

• Bruce Haskin Well, while I am not offended, as everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, I do hope that one day you find God. I truly do.
5 hours ago • Like

• Christopher Hand As surely as one day I hope you realize the error of following a belief and encouraging in others a view that holds no rational explanation.
Rick L Backhouse
Atheism may not be a 'set of beliefs' but it is a belief system. It is the belief that God does not exist or the belief that there are no deities. It really isn't used to describe a 'wide range of philosophical views'. It is used to describe a lack belief in deities. So .. "I am an atheist" is, actually, pretty definitive.
Second: Atheism is *not* about logic, rationality, reason or testable, provable information. It is about not believing in any kind of deity. As a philosophy, atheism is no more provable than a belief in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Any reasonably honest atheist will admit this. How you *justify* atheism is not the same as 'what it is about'.

Third: Well, okay, you used the magic phrase 'for me', which pretty much negates further argument. Bear in mind, however, that what you are saying is "This is my personal opinion and should in no way be confused for a definition of atheism."
In essence: You distrust authority and are attaching that to your attitude towards religion whether or not it has any place being there. (It doesn't, btw but kudos on trying to confuse people and good luck in your military career!)

Fourth: Oh, this is too easy, Chris. Atheism is the retreat of a lazy philosopher. When confronted with the question "Why?" the atheist says "Don't know, don't care, don't believe." You think that *FAITH* is a cop out when you refuse to look further than the and of your nose and ridicule those that don't agree with you? HAH!

Fifth: Yes ... "I don't know" *is* an acceptable answer. You repeatedly use words like *evidence* and *proof* and then slip in "I don't know*. Why the f**k not? I have to say, you sound more like a beligerrent agnostic than an atheist.

You quoted the Bible ... and?

I do have to ask, though .... why do you even *care* what others believe? You obviously do. You even go so far as to make insulting posts against specific religions. Why?

Do you need a hug? (Sorry, had to do that)


• Rick L Backhouse P.S. I know Christians with doctorates in Philosophy. Doesn't make them right.
about an hour ago • Like

• Rick L Backhouse ‎@Jeremiah ... I am somewhat surprised that you would say that "A muslim is, in my opinion, better able to argue faith in the infallibility of their text" as there are holes in the 'logic' of the Quran that one could (metaphorically) drive a truck through. Perhaps you just have a very negative opinion of the Bible.
about an hour ago • Like

• Christopher Hand Hi Rick! I enjoy your additions to the conversation as well. The primary reason I asked Jeremiah to chime in and suggested that others talk to him as well is that he, without the degree he has, is a very intelligent and open individual. He enjoys learning and he is one of the most well-spoken individuals I know. More importantly, Jeremiah is very accepting of different viewpoints and is less...obnoxious about some of his views than I am. He's calmer and more intelligent. Also, he will be the first to tell you that he is not right about a great many things.

I won't answer FOR Jeremiah regarding the Quran, but I think the point he was trying to get at is that the Quran, while it has many contradictions itself, is younger and has less than the Bible. Which is true, especially if you combine the Old and New Testaments which are in themselves GIANT contradictions in many ways.

Regarding Atheism: The word Atheist merely means a lack of belief in god/gods in the most general review of the word. That being said, it is firstly amusing that one HAS to describe that view. You do not have to say that you don't believe in Santa Claus (for real), it is just assumed.

That aside, there ARE just as many differing types of philosophical views within what would be considered an Atheist structure as there are out of it. It IS a wide range of philosophical views. In fact, in my opinion, any good Atheist is goign to review a WIDER range of philosophical views and determine what they truly believe than will almost any person of religious views. Once you have your own religious view you no longer have to explore others.

Granted, Atheism itself is not ABOUT anything, but nearly every atheist I have come into contact with has valued rationality, reason, logic, etc as their basis of beliefs. However, you are right - atheism itself is not about these things. Then again, being a Christian, Muslim, etc does not necessarily mean that you follow common beliefs.

Regarding Authority: First, please don't be a dick. Saying "kudos for trying to confuse people" when that is not at all what I intended (as you should know) is dickish. I don't appreciate it.

Second, I stated "for me" because I understand that all philosophical beliefs are ultimately what YOU yourself make of them. On a broader sense I DO believe whole-heartedly and feel there is ample support for the idea that religion is closely tied to control via authority. One need only look at the history and the actions within various churches, organizations, etc to see the control religion exercises over the people who follow these beliefs.

From Rick: "Fourth: Oh, this is too easy, Chris. Atheism is the retreat of a lazy philosopher. When confronted with the question "Why?" the atheist says "Don't know, don't care, don't believe." You think that *FAITH* is a cop out when you refuse to look further than the and of your nose and ridicule those that don't agree with you? HAH!"

Faith is a cop-out that many use to not have to answer questions better determined through other means. In fact, the average believer does not even know the history and creation of THEIR OWN belief system. The average Christian, for example, does not know that their beliefs arose from heavy Greek influence (in more ways than the Platonic ideals). That is what I mean when I say faith is a cop-out.

Also, you say that "I don't know" means "I don't know, don't care, don't believe" when that is very much NOT what I was saying. I don't know is an acceptable answer and is an honest answer when confronted with something one does not know. Instead of supplying a ready answer (as does religion) one can say "I don't know" and follow that up with "but we can find the fuck out!" Religion does not do this. Religion assumes things on false knowledge. Religious people proclaim to know exactly what happens when you die, exactly how God wants you to act, etc. Despite the fact that god is not real, even if he were, how the hell can you KNOW the mind of god? How can you KNOW what he desires? And if you say "because it is in this book he wrote for me" you need to be able to back up why that book(s) is self-contradictory (which you KNOW it to be in many, many ways).

I quoted the Bible showing that the book itself proclaims (in one spot at least; this is contradicted elsewhere) that you should not go out and project your faith on others. It is arrogant. It is not something i necessarily agree with, but it is there.

Lastly, I care about what other people believe not out of any misguided sense that I want to change the way they think for THEM, but because THEIR belief, especially on a large scale, can and is often detrimental to me. Very detrimental in many, many ways. Scientific advances are stymied by religious views. Political standpoints are made using religious views. The fact that YOU believe in these things dramatically alters the way that MY LIFE functions. I dislike that.

Also, I honestly believe that anyone who actively questions their faith will at the very least learn how better to tolerate and understand the faiths of other people. Most people who proclaim a belief in god(s) do not do that. They find what fits for them and try no further.

And if I make insulting posts against specific religions that is because I find those specific aspects of those religions to be insulting. I try not to be terribly insulting myself, but it happens. I am an insulting indvidiual in some ways and for that I do apologize. I want people to review their belief, not turn away because I pissed them off.
• P.S. I always love hugs. Preferably from women with fantastic boobies.
3 minutes ago • Like

• Christopher Hand Now,with all that said, I do have a question for you. Can you respond with what you DO believe? Quick and dirty or long and detailed if you like. I am really very curious as to how a person goes from being "spiritual" to believing in Christ. Especially an indvidual that I consider to be intelligent, like yourself. Please. Share with us.

Restarting Blog

Going to attempt to restart portions of this blog with information that I write in other places.

Please understand that previous posts might be completely unrelated to new content. If I ever make money or intend to make money off of my writing I will clean up what I am posting publicly to be more attractive.

-Chris

The Nature of Things

What important thing do you want to do with your life?

Do you want to make a million dollars?
Do you want to create a new idea that spreads across the country or the world?
Do you want to save a life?
Do you want to make a life?
Do you want to be remembered by many or cherished by few?
Do you want to write the Great American Novel?
Do you want a million friends on Facebook?
Do you want love eternal?
Do you want to found a religion?
Do you want to determine the meaning of life?
Do you want to disprove someone else's meaning?
Do you want to create or destroy?

More importantly: What are you going to do about what you want to do?


On an unrelated note:

How do you like where you are? Are you constantly complaining about how much your current situation sucks and that if you could just move somewhere else, just go somewhere else, just be sent somewhere else, things would be better?

If you stop to think about where you are and what is wrong with things and why you hate what is going on SO much, you will probably realize, if you are at all observant, if you have any perception, that it is not the place.

It is the person.

The person determines the enjoyment and the annoyance. Of course, the people you are around are going to affect how you like where you are, but you create your own world. You create your own mess.

You are the creator of your own life.
The flip side of that is that you are also the destroyer.

Moving to a new place can be cathartic. But if you soon begin to feel the same pangs and longings and pains and hates in the new place as you did the old, then the realization should strike true. You are the problem.

Your outlook is the issue.

Your way of perceiving needs to change.

Perception is almost everything. Substance is required, some of the time. But perception is where the ideas come from; it is where people turn to when they think.

You don't think in facts. You think in ideas and opinions.

You don't know about cats. You know if you like them or if you hate them or if you are allergic to them.

Some of this last bit is rambling.

I'm tired and I want to go to bed.

The nature of things is that you will always want what you don't have and you will always be disappointed when you get it. Despite that, I want to exist outside of my job and my bank account. I want to be known by someone for something. I want to be together with other people and, above all, I do not want to be alone.

Writing the Great American Novel would be a bonus.

It Could Be Worse

Just because it could be worse does not mean it isn't bad.

The Complexities of Love, Lust, and Infatuation

I have recently entered into what could be termed as a "Relationship". This makes me quite happy due in no slight amount to the fact that I despise being alone with every fiber of my being.

However, this is not simply an affair made to keep me from realizing loneliness. The girl is inspiring, entertaining, intelligent and frighteningly efficient. We hit it off in such a short order that were this to continue for years and years we could say it was at least "Infatuation at first sight" if not love.

It interests me to see my own reactions to this. Usually, lust is the primary feeling and prominently controls my actions. However, as I have gotten older (and I know that I am neither very old nor very young anymore) I have begun to change my responses, attitudes, and reactions.

I am very attracted to the girl. I don't think any relationship could exist without mutual attraction. I find her conversation appealing and constantly seek to engage her mind in new and interesting ways.

I am infatuated. I am, quite possibly, in the early stages of more than simple infatuation. Lust does not seem to be playing its former fantastically large part. I do desire her, no doubt, but in most previously relationships lust decided and dictated a great deal.

I'm typing this mostly to myself. I don't have the time right now to sit and truly write. So I am entering my thoughts here and there for later perusal. I want to see later what I am like now. Hindsight and all.

Chaos v. Order

Is it better to have Chaos or Order as the primary method of movement in your life?

The answer is probably somewhere in between. A compromise utilizing both philosophies that will balance out and hopefully produce something worth being called a life.

This is probably going to turn into a rantish bit of blase banter, but I have nothing else to write about at the moment except the Self-Creation of the Lady Gaga. I want to get more research done on that particular bit of fantastica before moving on with it. Here's a tease for your antici...pation buds: The Fabulous Miss Frankenstein, or How I Learned to Create Myself.

In any case, Chaos and Order.

I see order in everything I do. I function on a daily basis by flowing through routine. Usually, I lay out my uniform before I wake the following day on days I am going to have to work. I get up, brush teeth, shave, shower, and arrive at work right around 715 (or go do PT, but we'll not deviate right now). I grab a small bit to eat and some OJ. I screw around with email for a bit. I think about shit I want to get done throughout the day and start doing it. I eat lunch about the same time.

Breaking the paragraph here because I hate giant blocks of text that aren't descriptive.

I watch sports crap on the TV during lunch because it's easy to to watch and everyone else in my shop loves all sports. I'm starting to like Football a little more, but I still cannot bring myself to truly love any of these pastimes. I didn't realize that is how that word is spelled. You learn something new...

Anyway, I go throughout my day in a fairly organized fashion. I even screw off orderly. I read the same blogs. I go through all of a story before moving on. If it interests me I either write it down, save it as a bookmark or make a note in a text program about what it was that interested me and think about writing about it later.

I work out. I eat. I study. All in orderly fashion.

Where is chaos in all this? Where is the joy of randomness? Where is the spark of life that isn't structured?

I mean, shit happens on its own and throws everything else out the window, but that isn't usually game breaking. I try to inject Chaos in when I can on my own.

I read at random. I find things that interest me and look up commentary about the books and follow links and suggestions and trace lines to other authors who are interesting.

I watch TV shows at random. I will find something that interests me online and go looking around for something else until I find something that is interesting enough to want to follow it to completion.

I am a completist. That's not a word. But it is for the sake of this argument. I like following through with something until I have learned all I can about it. Read all of an author's work. Watched every episode of a show online until it's done. Stay up to date on it. Download Discographies instead of individual songs. Etc.

I listen to music at random, that's for certain. I've listened to some truly horrendous shit over the past couple of years while seeking and sifting and trying to find new stuff, old stuff, borrowed stuff, blue stuff. Seuss stuff. Stuff. I dance around sites that say "top music of the blah" and follow suggestions by other writers about what they listen to while writing, running, chilling, eating, driving.


Is that all truly Chaos? It's not AS orderly, but there is still a rhyme and reason to it.

Order probably pervades more than Chaos in my life.
Chaos would be to go out into the cold right now and drive to some random bar and find some girl and flirt with her and be all super confident and amazing and spectacular.

But it's cold. And i'm not the most sociable of people. And apparently Order is the rule of the day.


This might need to change.

Up In The Air and the Meaning of Life

The first thing I want to say is this: George Clooney's new movie, Up in the Air, is sad, thought-provoking, and probably inspired me to be in the mood to write everything that follows. Not the content, exactly, but the theme, if you catch what I'm saying. I highly suggest watching the film. It isn't one you have to see in a theatre. Hell, I found it online and the entire time there was a caption at the bottom that said "For awards determination purposes only." I've never been one to really care about things like that. I just wanted to watch a good movie.

I was not disappointed.

Praise aside, let's get into it.

In the Air Force, while being located in the Dormitory (and yes, we call them that instead of Barracks - it adds to the image), you are occasionally called upon to participate in a duty called Bay Orderly. This duty requires you to step aside from your normal Air Force duties, throw on a green vest, and spend the week walking the dorms and making certain they are clean.

I was not selected for this duty. However, I was voluntold to take over for someone who had been selected and was not informed before she made Leave (vacation) plans for the week she was supposed to be participating. This being the New Year's weekend, I was a little bummed out that I would have to spend part of my weekend accepting this duty. I was relieved to find out that I only had to do it Thursday during the day and one day on the weekend for about 2 hours. Then, the following week. Turns out I got to Sunday as my day and that, in conjunction with having Friday off because of New Year's day, gave me a real weekend to play with.

I spent it driving down to Sumter, South Carolina, to visit my friend Jeremy and his beautiful wife Rebecca at their home. I packed up around noon (having been relieved early from Bay O duty) and drove the 6 hours down to SC.

The weekend was wonderful. We hung out. We went to a bar with one of Nott's coworkers - an excellent drinker and all-around good time of a dude. We drifted about and did much of nothing the next day. Watched some football, ate out, had meaningless and meaningful conversations, watched a jacked up movie and an amusing one.

I was due back to be here for duty at 0900 on Sunday morning for more Bay Orderly duty. I spent Saturday night hanging out at a Mexican restaurant singing Karaoke (David Allan Coe was a hit and I'm a great country singer, tyvm). I did not end up even leaving until almost midnight. I didn't arrive here until after 0500 and I got up 3 hours later for duty tired as hell.

Why did I do this?

Why is it that when the weekend comes up for me I tend to look outward? Why is it that my typical option is to drive anywhere from 3 to 6 hours to go up to New Jersey, down to Sumter, or over to Roanoke? Why is it that I will never have more than a few weeks of leave piled up at any given time and will always spend it quickly going to Houston to visit my mom and family there or to Nashville visiting my oldest friends and family there?

Why?

Because being alone effing sucks. Now, don't worry. I'm not about to go off on a long diatribe about how I'm sad and lonely and pity me and blah blah bullshit. I recognize the fact that enough other people are far lonelier than me. The human condition is to be alone. We spend our lives seeking out even the smallest glimmer of connection so that we can share how we feel, what we think, who we are.

I am merely reiterating. Spending your life by yourself is a terrible waste of the opportunity you are given when being forced out of the womb.

Human beings start as two meaningless, messy globs of goop merged together. We grow and are so NOT alone during pregnancy as to come out screaming about the removal. We, hopefully most of us, spend childhood surrounded by family and friends. We move out into the world but we never fully cut ties with the lives behind us.

Being alone sucks.

Not having friends you know you can count on is worse than being destitute. Poor means less if you have people to share some Ramen with. Play rock band with to pass the time and not think about the sucktastic feeling of being broke.

Pain is lessened by others. Stab yourself in the leg one time and start bleeding all over the floor. Do that by yourself and you're probably dead. Do that in a house with a woman who loves you, friends whom you've literally just fought so hard with they threw you out of their house and guess what happens? You don't die. You go to the hospital drifting towards unconsciousness thinking you might be pulling into a Wal-Mart and just a bit delirious. But you survive.

Anguish and heartbreak is made easier with a shoulder to cry on. A person to hug. Somebody to love.


What I'm saying isn't new. I'm not even entirely sure why I'm saying it other than to simply be writing something I truly and honestly feel.

Do not spend your life wasted away alone. If even for a moment you have the time to feel pity for yourself walk outside. Make a connection with a coworker you barely know. Drive 6 hours to visit a friend. Go online and pay $40 to talk to strangers on a dating site. Just don't be alone.

Your life is meaningless if you die without having experienced the concept of togetherness. For a person that doesn't believe in a Heaven or Hell this truly hits home. If life is meaningless and random and has no point then it is our job as, probably, the only rational thinking creatures on this planet to ascribe meaning to it. The meaning of life is to make meaning of life.

And 42.