Baker 1 Judd Baker Mrs. Burch Dual Credit English 8 November 2012 “The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything Else” Many people may be asking the question, “What is the meaning of life? Why are we alive,” or, “why are we here?” Well, it is time to explore these questions. According to Webster’s, the definition of life is “the general or universal condition of human existence.” Unlike in “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy,” the meaning of life, the universe and everything else is not forty two. As W. Clement Stone once said, “When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand."1 He is saying that once you find your calling, you can answer that question. There is so much more to life than a number. Most of the human population does not know why they are placed on earth. I will not be able to give reasons why one person is placed on this earth, but I can produce notable examples. We all have a reason to be here. For example, Jim is walking down the street one day. Jim is a top class dog. He attended Harvard and graduated with a doctorate. He is now a successful lawyer. As he is walking down the street, he sees a homeless person on the sidewalk. Everyone that passes by is treating him terribly. Jim, who has never helped a person in his life, sees this and begins to think. “What if one day that is me? What would happen if the stock market crashed and I lost everything? I do not know how he lost his possessions.” So Jim goes and hands the man a one-hundred dollar bill. The homeless man looks up and asks Jim, “Why?” Jim responds, “I just put myself in your shoes.”
Baker 2 Jim now donates to charities and helps with community groups. Since he put himself in that person’s shoes, he became a philanthropist. He found his purpose. He is placed on this earth to help those in need. One of my favorite quotes about being alive if from one of my favorite TV shows, “Doctor Who.” The quote happens at the end of the episode when the doctor’s love is dying. Through the show, she keeps looking for a word but can never find it. “I was looking for a word. A big complicated word. A sad word. I have found it now: ALIVE.” The doctor responds that alive is not a sad word. His love responds with, “It is when it is over.”2 The doctor’s love had it right. Being alive is a wondrous thing, until it comes to an end. We are all here for a reason. Whether it be to help a homeless man on the side of the street, or to find the cure for cancer. We all have a purpose.
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About.com Quotations. About.com, 29 Oct. 2012 (About.com Quotations) Word Press Blogs. Wordpress.com, 1 Nov. 2012 (Word Press Blogs) http://www.krsmoody.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/a-big-complicated-word-alive/ 2
