Syrine Ben Ayed - Week 3 - Eternal Existence
What I find most perplexing is my very own existence. My existence in a world so vast, in a universe eternal.
As I write this, I find myself nestled in the trunk of my mom’s car, perched atop the Mission hills, the gentle slopes of light brown hills visible to my right and a lush canopy of vibrant green Mission palm trees enveloping the rest of the landscape. Before me though, beyond the world below and the cars that pass, I’m entranced by a sun too bright as it peeks from behind the clouds, hovering just above the horizon and casting its radiant glow upon the shimmering silver crescent of the bay.
I think of what lies beyond the horizon and what resides on the other side of the sun.
And what I am in proportion to it all.
It’s so hard to grasp it all. Our world's place in the universe and my place in the world.
These contemplative thoughts have stirred within me since I was a child, a young girl joining my brother on his Boys Scouts campouts, long before I became a Scout myself. I was captivated by the night sky outside my tent, gazing in wonder at the million stars adorning the ever-expanding canvas above. They had always made me feel so inconsequential, just a tiny speck in this vast universe of ours; yet somehow so precious too. I was looking up at the expanding universe before me, but the stars were also looking down at me, Shining before me. And I was existing.
It’s funny because, here we are, in a world too vast that it remains an enigma, filled with its unfolding mysteries. Yet, we live and thrive, immersed within the boundless realm of math, physics, chemistry, and biology.
And I can't help but think that we were all placed on this Earth for a reason, serving a purpose greater than we may realize–we just need to find it.
So here I am, day after day, living and exploring, and wondering, what is my purpose in this vast world of ours? Where does my destiny lie, and what dreams await me beyond the horizon?
Hi Syrine, your way with words to talk about your existence is absolutely alluring and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. I especially admire the way you described Mission Peak because I felt like I was on that mountain with you while enjoying all the things that you observed there. I too have thought about my existence a lot by spending nights staring at my ceiling and wondering “why do I exist?” The universe is so much bigger than our minds can even fathom as it ranges far beyond our planet, our galaxies, and space. And yet, I still exist. This blog made me think of an Instagram post I saw a couple months back which said that the chances of being born are almost 1 in around 400 billion. That is an extremely small amount yet each and every one of us are here, alive and existing. The post really gave me perspective on life and made me realize that with chances this low, we must have a bigger purpose in this universe. I wholeheartedly believe that we must figure out this purpose and just live the days to the fullest while doing so.
ReplyDeleteHi Syrine! As always, I really like your usage of imagery within your text. I think that your writing style is very unique, and you paint very vivid images with your text. I also really like the philosophical and contemplative style of your blog, and how you relate your own identity and existence to the vastness of nature and the world. I really like your ideas about how even though we seem very inconsequential, it is because of that, that our lives are so amazing and rich. To be honest, I have never really given much thought to things such as the reason for existence, which makes me realize that I am a rather materialistic person. I have always thought of life as simply being natural, rather than fulfilling some sort of greater purpose. I really like how you included your own picture! I think that it is very beautiful! Do you usually go sunset watching, or was your trip to Mission Hills a one- time thing? Also, by Mission Hills, do you mean the area around Mission Peak, or a specific place? Although I have hiked to the peak of Mission Peak several times before, I don't think I have ever been to the nearby area before.
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