Who, What, Where, When, Why, How

It seems everyone I speak to these days has hit a bit of a wall….not so much a dead-end as an obstacle in the road. On the way to where, though? That’s what is relatively unknown. Why are we doing what we’re doing? Is this really what we’re going to do forever (or at least till retirement beckons)? What else is out there? Is this really all there is to life?

I’ve always found it unbearably pretentious to question the why and how of our existence. Sure, answers would be nice – but we’re here, we’re healthy, we’re loved, we’re happy – we should be grateful. All this “What is the meaning of life” business is best left to philosophers and drunkards at 4 a.m. Of course, they tend to wonder about it on a larger scale. As ever, my musings are more self-involved :)

I’m down with the programme – we’re born, we go to school, we go to college, we get a job, we get married, we have kids, we have grandkids, we shuffle off this mortal coil and people boohoo for a bit until they pop it too, and pretty soon there’s no one left who remembers us. If we’re lucky, we’re memorialized in a family tree some great-great-grandkid will create for a school project, or we’re a name scrawled in a few books handed down in the family. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, because I know that in some small but significant way, there’s a piece of us that gets carried forward in time, and even if it’s not recognized or acknowledged, we definitely lived.

But how did we live? Right now, where I am…I want more. Okay, I’m working, I’m doing an MBA (and I’ll probably do another after this), I have a loving family (touch wood) and an amazing set of friends (thank you). Life is routine – good, but routine. But what am I doing that’s going to leave a mark? Is it egotistical to think I can leave a mark? Is it enough that I attempt to be a good human being (and hopefully, maybe, succeed some of the time)? Is it possible that there’s something more out there? Should I be satisfied with okay when there’s a possibility that amazing is around the corner? What if there’s nothing around the corner?

I think what bothers me more than the status quo is not having any of the answers.

Played more poker….

And the run of luck is over…went from 15 rials down (which is about Rs. 1,950/-) to barely recovering my 5 rial buy-in. MUST NOT PUSH LUCK.

Oh, who am I kidding. I don't listen to myself any more than I listen to anyone else!

Sitting at work and CRAVING Coke. I'm trying to go a day without one. It's not working out well…have pulled out a tuft of hair and my desk now looks as though the creature from 'The Grudge' has been shedding all over it. Great, a bald spot to add to all my other woes.

On the plus side, going to Dubai this weekend!! Will meet D.S.! Some best friend I am, haven't even met her since October '07….Looking forward to the general insanity that ensues when we meet up. Plus whole bunch of college friends there to catch up with…including Married Ex. One would think it would be weird, but the simple fact is his wife is such a sweetheart (and a genuine one, as opposed to the keep-your-friends-close-and-your-enemies-closer-I-secretly-hate-you-you-utter-bitch-who-had-my-husband-first variety) that meeting the both of them is an unparalleled pleasure…it's amazing hanging out with a couple who's happy and in love and secure and just so fun!

Need a little change in life. I love this place with its quiet, sleepy life and 99% friendly people…but I swear I'm in a rut. Sunday to Thursday it's work and the gym and the occassional meeting up with the guys to play pool or poker. Weekends it's clubbing (at the 3-4 good clubs there are here!) and getting drunk and discussing who did what with whom while drunk. And more poker.

To quote a terrible old pop song: There's gotta be more to life….