The month of birthdays concludes

Being a rough and tough bear -- as well as a wild and crazy guy -- has its benefits in regard to not much caring what the temperature outdoors might be if the day is otherwise pleasant. So, among those benefits is being able to do what many gentlemen of the leisure class might do when the weather cooperates and the day is sunny -- work on his tan. In this case, White Bear found thirty-seven degrees Fahrenheit (three degrees Celsius) to be ideal. And, since he was wearing "my" new ring on a chain around his neck, it seemed like the perfect time to take a photograph of it to satisfy a couple of requests to see it. As I have noted in the past, White Bear has a habit of taking over anything and everything I might acquire.

Who, actually, is writing the story?

Gloucester:

I' th' last night's storm I such a fellow saw,
Which made me think a man a worm. My son
Came then into my mind, and yet my mind
Was then scarce friends with him. I have heard more since.

As flies to wanton boys are we to th' gods,
They kill us for their sport.

William Shakespeare: King Lear Act 4, scene 1, 32–37

Destiny: 1 -- Something to which a person or thing is destined; fortune. 2 -- A predetermined course of events often held to be a resistless power or agency. Synonym: Fate.

Fate: 1 -- The principle or determining cause or will by which things in general are supposed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do; destiny. 2 -- whatever is destined or decreed. 3 -- Final outcome. 4 -- The three goddesses of classical mythology who determine the course of human life. Synonym: Destiny, lot, portion, doom.

These are definitions of "destiny" and "fate" as found in one of the Webster's dictionaries I carry with me. It elaborates a bit by continuing that the word "destiny" often is associated with good results, while "fate" frequently is identified with not so good results.

Now, here are a couple of points that I have occasionally made in the past: One is to the effect that I believe communication is the most difficult task in the world. Part of this is because we do not all carry dictionaries around with us. Mostly, this is because we tend to accept the meanings of words as they have affected us in terms of our individual backgrounds, educations and experiences. This means discussions about words whose meanings actually imply complex concepts, which "destiny" and "fate" are, mean different things to different people.

Next, I have written here that while I believe fate intervenes in our lives intermittently, I do not believe that a particular destiny is inevitable to my life (or to anyone else's life). Put most simply, I do not believe that predestination is a fact of existence, but that chance meetings and random events might greatly influence or even completely change the course of our lives. Lately, however, I have begun to question my position in these matters -- particularly in relation to "destiny."

I no longer am as certain about my concepts of "destiny" and "fate" in an ultimate, predestined sense as I have been in the past. We meet a stranger, for example, and our lives might be changed forever. We experience an accident, for instance, and we have no choice but to leave the path we have been traveling upon and to take another. These were my beliefs in the past, and still are today. Such events are little more than common sense and largely involve matters of "fate."

Increasingly, I am beginning to wonder if we really do have any choices regarding the paths we travel. We think we do. We believe (most of us) in free choice. But, possibly the notion of free choice is a delusion.

I suppose part of this blends in with the concepts of déjà vue and reincarnation, and even with dream interpretation and reaction, but I cannot help but wonder if each of us is nothing more than a character in a script or a play or a novel whose entire life has been plotted out for us by an unknown author.

I am not considering this at all in a religious context or from any point on the compass of logic. I guess that means it is an intuitive feeling recently arisen within me.

Are we writing our own stories, or has someone already written them for us? I am not so sure as I once was, and am beginning to think a specific destiny awaits each of us no matter which pathways in life we choose to follow.

Some random thoughts

March comes to an end for another year today, and the month of birthdays for me concludes. There are five birthdays being observed among my family members and friends today, which seems like a good number. I am not even going to try to count them up for the entire month.

This particular post contains thoughts and feelings and observations and reflections, which is typical for me. I think that now, with the conclusion of "birthday month," I will stop posting things such as these, for a while, at least, and I will not post unless I actually have some "factual news" I wish to pass along.

It is possible I will resume writing here; it is possible I will start a new blog; it is possible I will fade away entirely over the course of a few months. For the present, I intend on following those blogs I currently follow, and to write comments when the mood strikes me.

The month of birthdays concludes .... and, so do I .... for now .... see you around, here and there, wherever ....