And so what is the point?

… over and over again, I have wondered what is the point of several things that happen around me, things that I do, things that others do, acts of nature, etc. Some of my whatisthepoint questions are minor, almost insignificant things, others are pretty weightier issues.

I will throw out some of my whatisthepoint questions, with no rhyme or reason to the order. What is the point of having a home manicure or pedicure? It is rarely well done and chips in no time. What is the point of intense feelings at the initial stage of falling in love and then everyone comes to their senses after a few months? What is the point of a fruit tree in a remote location that no one ever partakes of the fruit and it all falls to the ground and rot? What is the point of wearing horrible ill-fitting shoes that only give us backache and bad posture? What is the point of being nice to horrible people who are as mean as the devil himself? What is the point of giving gifts to wasteful and ungrateful children? What is the point of working so hard and the government taking most of the remuneration in tax? What is the point of worrying when it does not change or improve any situation? What is the point of ironing our beddings and nightwears when all will be rumpled by the time we wake up? What is the point of having so many pillows on the bed we are going to sleep in when most of the pillows will be removed? What is the point of becoming wiser when we are older when we have already left a trail of foolishness and littered our paths with silliness or even stupidity? What is the point of exorbitantly priced anti-ageing cream, when if we hang around long enough, we will all be old and wrinkly? What is the point in packing the twins into a ‘fitted’ bra when at some point everything will go south? What is the point of facial hair on women? It serves no point but embarrassment … and the list goes on.

But I have some more serious whatisthepoint questions and please don’t shoot me down. Sometimes I have wondered – ‘what is the point of prayer?’ Some prayers are answered, others seem not to be answered and we are not sure why the answered prayers are answered and why the unanswered prayers are not answered. And before we start, we are not even sure which prayers will be answered and which ones will not be answered. Some don’t even pray and seem to get answers to their ‘no prayers ‘. Others pray all night, go to the mountain top and fast and there seems to be no answer. As Paul said, I am only reasoning as a human, please do not shoot me down.

And this takes us to the grandfather of all whatisthepoint questions. What is the point of life itself? ‘Vanity upon vanity’ Solomon said. We come naked, we go naked, we can take nothing with us. In between, we acquire and acquire and acquire, but all we must leave behind. We toil, chase our tails, do our little dance about why we are here and then it is finished. We have our 5 minutes in the spotlight and then it is the turn of the next act.

I will like to end with a clever and cute conclusion, but the truth is that I do not know the point to most of the whatisthepoint questions, simple or serious ones. However, I am determined to give life my best shot, to chase my tail with vigour, to pray in faith, to apply my anti-ageing cream diligently, to pack my twins well, to live my life with purpose and maybe, just maybe, the point will become clearer at a later time.