WHAT IS THIS HANDBASKET IN WHICH I FIND MYSELF?

 

It is apparent to me that one must pick up the fragments and make them into something that can give one meaning, which is to say, context, a context in which one may exist as oneself, which is to say, in one’s life. It cannot be gotten from anywhere or anyone else, though it does not come from nothing; that which others have said and done does have its place, for it provides examples of what others have done to give meaning to themselves and their lives. What others have done can resonate with one and one can build one’s own foundation upon tried and true methods—if one has truly tried them with success. One must measure one’s own success.

When shattered, we all are faced with many fragments. And we pick up those pieces we deem to be useful as well as important, and then build something new with them. But we do not pick up the same pieces; we each pick up different pieces for ourselves. We pick up the pieces and make them into something that gives meaning to us, to our lives. We may do this many times in our lives. Are we “creating” something or are we “building” something? Is it magic or is it craft? Seeing our own way and then crafting what we see. Making it. Putting together our own vision. A hands-on thing not just in the mind. Craft perhaps as artistry. Vertically-integrated.

I see the importance of this new focus because I recognize the futility of simply viewing everything as fragmentary; nothing comes of it. One has no direction and one eventually must seek a “direction home” even if one knows it is of one’s own contrivance. One must recognize oneself as responsible to oneself and for oneself. God does not come and save us; we must save ourselves. We must be our own God. We cannot just sit around and wait to be taken care of, wait for God to get up off the couch after sleeping for eons. God knows that he set us up to learn to think for ourselves and to do the right thing. His job is not think for us or do the right thing on our behalf. It’s up to us human beings to try be human rather than just dumb little twits. If we are compelled to flow along in the current of existence, it would be good to at least know this; then we have the option of “choosing what is” rather than just being at its affect. It’s choosing “God’s will” rather than being subjugated to it, even though it changes its outcome not one iota. “Going to hell in a handbasket,” if not a surprise, can be an interesting ride.