Summary

The article reflects on the vast complexity of life and human existence, emphasizing the countless events and choices that have shaped our current reality and individual identities amidst a rapidly changing and often chaotic world.

Abstract

The author of the article invites readers to contemplate the intricate web of historical, biological, and personal events that have culminated in their present existence. From the evolution of humans to the unique genetic and life experiences that define each person, the narrative underscores the extraordinary nature of everyday reality. It also acknowledges the diversity of human experiences, with each individual living a life distinct from others. The piece further delves into the rapid technological advancements and global challenges of our time, including the pandemic, economic disparities, and armed conflicts, while questioning the role of the individual in the face of such global complexities. The author concludes with a personal note on the struggle to stay informed and engaged, advocating for collective effort to influence positive change in a world that often seems overwhelmingly chaotic.

Opinions

The author marvels at the evolutionary journey that led to the emergence of humans as bipedal primates with advanced cognitive abilities.
There is a sense of wonder about the countless ancestral connections and tiny events that have shaped each person's existence.
The article suggests that despite sharing the same world, each individual's perception and experience of reality is unique.
It points out the rapid pace of technological change, which many people struggle to understand, despite its profound impact on society.
The author notes the stark contrast between the daily lives of people in developed nations and those in war zones or less developed areas.
There is an expressed feeling of helplessness and uncertainty about how individuals can effectively contribute to global issues from afar.
The piece emphasizes the importance of staying informed, listening to diverse perspectives, and attempting to make a positive impact, even if the contribution seems small.
The author believes that collective action could potentially steer the world towards a better future, despite the inherent unpredictability and craziness of reality.

Craziness in Our Very Reality

Meandering thoughts

Photo by NASA on Unsplash of an astronaut in space above the Earth. Separate and yet a part of the current craziness of reality.

Do you ever just stop and think for a moment about all the tiny little things that had to happen for you to be exactly where and how you are right now?

About all the tiny little things that had to happen over millions and billions of years for homo sapiens to come out like we are?

So that we could come out as a bipedal primate with an abnormally large brain that can handle complex thinking and even consciousness and language?

As opposed to some sentient form of bacteria? Or a smarter version of the dinosaurs? Heck, dinosaurs were around for 165 million years. Imagine what they could have been if they had an extra hundred million years.

About all the other tiny little things that had to happen over hundreds and thousands of years to for you to come out looking, thinking, and being like you as opposed to the other almost 8 billion people on this planet?

About every single ancestor that had to get together with that other specific person/ people so that you come out looking, acting, thinking, and being you? One difference along the chain and you may have come out very different.

Even full-blooded siblings can come out very different from each other and that’s with the same two parents providing genetic material. Heck, even twins aren’t perfectly identical in every single way.

All of the tiny little choices, accidents, encounters that have happened so far to make you the person that you are currently at this exact place in this exact time, reading this exact article.

And yet, every other single person has lived a life very different from you. They exist within their own head, interacting with the same world as you, but come out very differently. At any given second, 7.9 billion people are running around living their lives, in their own heads, and experiencing a different version of life than you are.

And what we feel as the present is an ever-shifting reality.

500 years ago, people were living in the present, colonizing the New World, creating new sects of Christianity, waging wars, dealing with untold diseases that they didn’t understand.

A hundred years ago, we were reeling from the Great War, dealing with an influenza outbreak, enjoying the post-war prosperity that would soon end in the Great Depression.

And today. Oh boy, today. We live in a world unimaginable to people 500 years ago, 100 years ago. Technology is expanding at an exponential rate and yet many of us couldn’t tell you how the smartphone in our pocket works or god forbid the wi-fi.

We live in a global society where traveling across the globe for just vacation is a reality to many, though not everyone. We live in a world where most people in developed nations have a smartphone and yet the divide between the rich and the poor seems to expand more every day.

We live in a pandemic world. I don’t know if we can call it post-pandemic yet, but we are on the other side of it, at least here in America while less developed nations are still struggling to receive treatment, aid, and vaccines.

While many of us have lived during a war/ grand international military operation, we are now faced with an invasion that may very well spread to other countries in the Baltics. There are people around the world right now desperately trying to flee from their homes that have suddenly become part of an active warzone.

And again, this is not necessarily anything new considering the situation in the Middle East and yet how often do we stop and think about the fact that while we are commuting to work, booting up the laptop for remote work, or meeting up with friends, others are part of an active war zone.

And yet we feel paralyzed, wondering how we could help from halfway across the world, wondering if the advertisement for the charity or Call To Action flashing across our screen is legit or a scam, wondering what this world is coming to.

Living in the global age we live in means knowing (to a degree) what is happening on the other side of the world and knowing that in many, many cases each one of us individually is unable to help.

So I sit here at home, trying to stay informed, trying to go about my daily life and responsibilities, trying to listen to the voices that need to be heard, and trying to find out how I can help.

Like so many others.

Reality is a conglomeration of craziness and chance.

We’re all just trying to live in it. Trying to survive in our own way.

I honestly don’t know how to end this article. There is no magical solution. There is no advice that I can give.

All I can do is continue trying to stay updated, trying to listen, and trying to figure out what I personally can do to help in all the different catastrophes that are currently happening, even though I know it is not much.

Maybe, if enough of us do this, we can impact a change. We can help guide our world leaders to somehow bring us into a better reality than it currently is, even if reality is by definition, crazy.