plant trees

There is an old proverb that says the wisest of men will plant trees he knows will never offer him shade. I love this because it speaks to purpose. Why do we do the things we do? What is the reason behind our actions? At a base level, it’s survival of a genetic line. We are programmed to take our genetic code, find a partner, create offspring and foster that genetic line for future generations. Is that the purpose of everyone’s life? Replicating like a virus that sucks the life from the plant we just happen to live on? Of course not! The Universe is random and life is messy, so everyone has their own individual path to take. I know several folks who find kids “tolerable” in small doses on the best of days, and are more than happy to let us breeders deal with the whole mess! So, then, what IS our purpose? Why are we here? I’m not sure we will ever get a definitive answer to that question. Not in this lifetime, anyway. This wise man plants these trees because he knows they will benefit his children and his grandchildren by providing food or wood or shade. Just as what we do today not only affects us in the now, but affects countless others in unimaginable ways. You don’t have to have children to want to leave the world a better place. Working towards a better tomorrow is perhaps the noblest thing any of us could do, leaving behind a legacy of service. If the purpose of life is to punch the clock 8 hours a day and watch TikTok videos all evening, well, some days I’m killing it. But, I really think there must be more to it all than that. And even if I’m wrong, wouldn’t you rather spend your time working to make the world better than watching The Office or Friends again?