My generation is alarming ‘purposeful’ in everything that they do. I watch from the sidelines, quite amusedly, at their perseverance. On occasions, when I have contemplated upon the purpose of my own existence in the world, I have had to resignedly submit to the fact that I have no real worthy ‘claim’ to existence. While, I am personally quite self-content in this state of being, ironically there are a substantial number of people who seem to have made it their life’s purpose to figure out my purpose in life. Claiming casually that I have no concrete direction or focus in life, it is interesting to observe the varying expressions of perplexity on their faces. This statement usually warrants two responses – by some, I am dismissed regretfully, as a waste of space on the planet. But quite contrary to this response, I am sometimes looked upon as some kind of superhuman, of extremely refined aesthetic sensibilities, likened to several greats who were obviously misunderstood in their time. And it is really quite delightful to be absolutely pretentious, while pretending to intently search your soul for life’s calling.
Some people work towards a purposeful career, one that usually translates into a fine pay package. This is the common man’s purpose. Then, there are those people who persevere towards the ideal holiday – this purpose must be fulfilled in order to scale the social ladder. And because these holidays are the ‘purposeful’ kind, they go about exploring and shopping, eating out of exotic places and doing all the “to-do’s”, like maniacs on a mission, such that when they return home finally, they look like they need a holiday to get over the one that they have just returned from. But of all the activities that purposeful people patiently perform, the one that is beyond comprehension is exercise. Having supposedly indulged over the ‘holiday’, they will convince themselves that they have put on five pounds too much and will purposefully undertake the ritual called exercise. It is almost unheard of to take a walk down the street, what with all those unsightly sights of dogs, cows, and suchlike lesser beings. Therefore, it becomes their sole purpose in life to join a gym in an upmarket location simply to lose weight. As they puff and pant and persevere on the treadmills, it is a painful process. They are running towards perfection, but really perhaps they are secretly running away from the perfect life. Soon, this will lead to a nervous breakdown, and then, they will wonder……What was the purpose of it all?
