Life = Something Going On

Is life a continuum?

 

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines it as "a coherent whole characterized as a collection, sequence, or progression of values or elements varying by minute degrees".

 

For me, the crucial part of the definition is the last part - varying by minute degrees. When I think about my life as a continuum, I find it difficult to fit it into this definition. My life has not changed by minute degrees. On the contrary, there have been some quite extreme changes. And, though I say, my life, I find similar instances in the lives of some people I know. Perhaps, it happens in everybody's life.

 

Then why, one might ask, am I thinking about continnum in life. The reason is that I had always thought about life as a continuum, or rather, in continuity. Now, as it turns out, it was even more foolish of me to think about life to be in continuity. The subtle difference in the two terms is that, continuum allows for some variation, whereas continuity does not. However, the closest I could come to a word that would bring some semblance to 'life' as something that has a begining and an end with some changes in it, was 'continuum'.

 

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines continuity as "a: uninterrupted connection, succession, or union; and, b: uninterrupted duration or continuation especially without essential change".

 

Comparing continuum and continuity, I feel more comfortable with the prior than the latter, though still not satisfied with the word. As I understand it, everything that has a begining and an end, is a process and that process involves certain steps. I am sure that people who study spirituality could possibly have a better definition. I am sure that the people who study physics or engineering or any kind of science could give a better definition for what a process is. But for me, as a layman, I consider a process as something that has a begining and an end, and betwixt I have to go through some steps.

 

But, life hasn't given me till now any sense of ontinuity, continuum or process. However, to be a little bit more comfortable with some word that allows me to define 'life', I choose - process. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines process, simply as 'something going on'. Although it scares me to apply this definition to life, it however allows me to at least be a little bit satisfied with what I can call 'life'. Something going on, is not something that inspires confidence in me and nor does it tell me anything. However, my curiosity to define life lessens a tad bit.

 

The most common definition of life that I have heard of till now is that 'life is a journey'. I think that, that is one of the most naive definitions. That time is in the past, when going on a journey meant literally going out into the unknown. Now, even if you need to go to the next town, you get there using a GPS. And, GPS systems are now even available on mobile phones. So, the unknown will only exist in your journey if you go into the moutains or the deserts or the jungles into areas where human habitation is uncommon. So, I think that the definition of 'journey' itself has probably changed. The dictionary I keep referring to, says that journey is an act or instance of travelling from one place to another. The destination is known in a journey, whereas in life, it is not; unless you consider death as your destination. If that is so, then I don't think this blog post is for you.

 

A journey involves travel and travel involves plans. I would really like to meet someone whose life turned out exactly as he or she had planned it (granted they should have had some plans first). In my experience, insignificant as it may perhaps be, nothing goes as planned. Something does go on, and that is - life.

 

So to conclude, a certain degree of acceptance of the definition of life as a process, helps me to accept the sudden changes that happen in life. Since I accept that life is 'something going on', then I also accept that anything can, essentially 'go on'.