The Suddenness of Life

In the last few months I've often found myself commenting on the suddenness of life. As human beings we tend to like our stability and certainty, so when either is called into question it can be anything from vaguely irritating to major stress inducing and life changing. There is a simple truth underneath it all and that truth is the suddenness of life. Life changes, without warning, without explanation, according to its own secret timing. Any dream you have of stability is just that - a dream. However, you'll find that once you've truly accepted this, you can easily roll with most of the things life sends your way.

Recently a friend of mine, who has lived in the same apartment for 20+ years, came home to find his complex had been sold and he was being evicted at the end of the month so they can do a major remodel and jack up the rent (which, as a ruthless capitalist, I fully support). It came as a great shock to him. But, in perspective, on the very same day, an condo complex in Cupertino burned in a gas leak and fire. On the same day, tornadoes blew apart entire neighbors in the south. On the same day, fire burned entire neighborhoods in California and Texas. It's all about perspective, it's all about the suddenness of life. My friend is going to have to find another place to live, but he’ll be moving rather intact.*

So, if you want to have some peace of mind, cultivate a benigh acceptance of the fact that the entire world can and does change on a dime. In the course of your life, your life, your environment, everything around you is going to change, multiple times, in the blink of an eye, for better or for worse. There is an old Chinese proverb that says "in the course of a long journey, a wise man is prepared to abandon his baggage several times". (I have also heard it as "...a long life...", both are correct).

*We did have a long discussion on how it might actually be better to move with nothing, as in the result of losing everything, because essentially it’s a far easier move, logistically speaking.