I don’t know, but I’m going to guess. Please forgive my pontification….

We are born into this world shiny and new, without prejudice, malice, or expectations of what life will bring. Infants are untapped potential, and children are inquisitive, joyful, and creative, left to their own devices. Our parents, the world of expectation and reality, destroyed us, as surely as we will destroy our own children.

Boys are told to “walk it off” and “man up,” and “don’t be a pussy.”

We teach girls to “act like a lady,” and “don’t be a slut,”

Foundational stuff that I have preached to my kids, for right or wrong. Stong men attract strong women, perpetuating the cycle.

But the goal is happiness

How are we teaching our children how to be happy, when we ourselves are often not? Conformity is the enemy of creatives, and in many ways, to living. If happiness is living in a cookie-cutter neighborhood, filled with the same boring neighbors with the same cars, living mediocrity disguised as “middle class,” then it is readily attainable. There’s more to life than that.

We get one shot

We only get one shot at life… We’d better make the most of it. It’s over before we know it.

So, what’s the point?

Be grateful that you woke up on the right side of the dirt. Be kind and generous to others. Find a purpose outside of yourself, whether it’s God or simply goodness, and act on it daily

Embrace the present and savor those sunsets, taste your lover’s kiss, feel the sun warm on your skin. Love hard and true. Forge meaningful connections with others and surround yourself with joyful souls and discard the ones who bring drama and discontent to your table.

Live, and teach your children to live. Swim naked! Go to the beach, the river, the lake. Call an old friend and make plans to hike the Appalachian Trail or dive on a reef. Teach your children what it is to live and the difference between living and merely being alive. The point of life is that journey, and if you never take it, you’ll be pointless.