Clarence Oddbody: To what end? (Dust in the wind.)

Friday, February 28, 2014

To what end? (Dust in the wind.)

Detail of album cover from Kansas Point of Know Return, which featured the song ‘Dust in the Wind’

I wrote recently[1] about how learning to manage small upsets makes all sorts of things more tolerable.

For good or bad, that suggests a question:

To what end?

You can ask this for just about anything.

Learn a new language? Learn to play the piano? Complete the crossword? Write a book? Get a new job, nicer car, bigger house?

Everything that is a thing will turn to dust.

Ideas and deeds, good and bad, live forever (or at least beyond our ability to measure forever). Even if eternal reward and punishment are only metaphors, they embody this truth rather tidily.

10% of $1,000,000 is far less than 10% of $100, by many factors.

If that doesn't make sense to you, you probably never had to choose between snow tires and groceries, or a pack of cigarettes and a six pack, or overtime and sleep.

[2014-02-24]