Category: Observations

Grandpa’s Way: All is Vanity

Semer Water

This is not a religious post, but King Solomon of ancient Israel wrote the words, “all is vanity”, after trying all sorts of different material pursuits and concluding that, in the end, none of it mattered when compared with his relationship with God. Other translations use the phrase, “all is futile.” I’m sure there are similar quotations in other literature.

Solomon used the word “vanity”, not in the sense of conceit, but in the sense of futility. He had engaged in all sorts of material pursuits that many people consider to be the main aims of life, only to find that it meant nothing when you are faced with great loss, whether that is of someone, or something else, or even of your own health or life. After all, as Solomon went on to say, we can’t take it with us when we die, even though the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt seemed to have tried.

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Quaint

“Quaint,” he said.

“What?” I asked.

“Your view of the beach.”

“What’s wrong with my view of the beach?”

“There’s no sand, only rocks and water.”

“Is that really odd? Is it old-fashioned? Isn’t that the mindful way?”

“Oh, so we’re back to mindfulness, again. Now that is quaint.”

“What’s so odd about mindfulness?”

“Well, you have to admit that it’s a very strange way of doing things. I mean, you sit there contemplating your breath.”

“Among other things.”

“Such as?”

“Whatever comes to mind. The important thing is to spend time watching how your thoughts and feelings ebb and flow.”

“That’s what I mean. Quaint. Why would you want to know what’s going on in your own mind? That’s not just odd; it’s scary.”

“It’s only scary if you’re afraid of your own thoughts.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, consider this: How many people do you know who cannot abide silence? The first thing they do, every morning, is to turn on the radio or the TV, just to get some noise in their environment. Why do you think that is?”

“For company.”

“But why do they want company?”

“Because they . . .”

“Go on.”

“Okay. Because they don’t like being alone.”

“Why not?”

“Because they’re afraid to be alone.”

“We are built as communal creatures. Still, in my opinion, one of the biggest causes of anger management issues is that people don’t spend time alone with their thoughts. They are so busy that they don’t have time to stop and ponder. The result is frustration and anger.”

“Maybe. But I still don’t see why you have to take such a quaint view of the beach. No sand. It’s not a beach without sand.”

“Yet mindfulness tells me that the sand is there.”

“See. Now that’s what I mean by quaint. It’s odd how you can see that.”

“I take it that you can’t see it, then.”

“No.”

“Where does sand come from?”

“Broken down rocks.”

“I rest my case.”