The purpose of life

On Wednesday afternoon, I set off for a cool bike ride, carrying with me a book and a pen with intentions of interviewing people at random en route. My question: "What (to you) is the purpose of life?"

The first person I saw was a woman from the community; I often acknowledge her (and vice versa) when we pass each other on the road. Willingly accepting my invitation to answer the question, she replied: “The purpose of life is to be of service.”

“And what service do you offer?” I asked.

“My service is to bring joy. I am an ordained metaphysician.”

Being very interested in metaphysics myself, I lit up, and we began a wide-ranging conversation that went on for almost half an hour before we bade each other goodbye and continued on our ways.

It had been such a joyful encounter that as I rode on, I thought about how she had fulfilled her purpose at that moment – to bring joy.

My next interaction was with a carpenter, who was relaxing under a tree outside his shop. Although it was a public holiday, he had been working, repairing a chair for someone.

“The purpose of life,” he said with a chuckle, admitting that it was a question he was not ready for, “The purpose of life is...to live. To enjoy life.”

“What does to enjoy life mean?” I asked.

He laughed again. “Good question. I work. I enjoy my work. I cook. I go walking. You have to do what you like.”

Further along the route, a man with a very pleasant countenance approached me, a large bag of green mangoes in his hand.

“Mango chow?” he asked me, lifting the bag, offering it for sale.

“I don’t have any money on me,” I said, “but if you don’t mind, I would love to ask you a question.”

“Life is to live,” he began in response, as I jotted his words in my notebook. “Serve God first and from the sweat of thy eyebrow thou shalt eat bread. Work hard, love people, love children and love your parents. Love will prosper and guide you. Live in love and harmony. Allow no grumbling and never make people feel bad. That is of the devil.”

Even though he was a man, I could see in him the face and demeanour of a boy who, most likely, had grown up with elders who had raised him to be polite and respectful, probably schooled him on the Bible, given him daily chores so that he would learn the value of hard work as opposed to laziness, and guided him with basic everyday wisdom. Although not wanting the mangoes, had I had money, I would have given him the sale.

Around the bend, a man was sitting on a chair on the sidewalk listening to soca on an old transistor radio. I stopped and we chatted briefly before I presented the "purpose of life" question to him.

"Quite an interesting question," he said slowly, as though savouring a morsel of food. "The purpose of life...Well, you come here, you pass through your mother and then you enjoy the rest of it."

"What does 'to enjoy it' mean?"

"Just don't make nobody give you problems. Relax and enjoy yourself. When people come to wrong you, just don't say nothing to them."

As we chatted after, he proudly told me a bit about his trusty radio: "Twenty-30 years old and German-made! Someone brought down two – one for my friend, who keeps his inside, and one for me, which is to come outside with on an evening and listen to music and enjoy."

He mentioned that once a man stood on his radio and "mash it," but that it continued to work thereafter. The irony of this part of his tale was that the redundant soca lyrics pumping through the little speaker were "Mash it up..."

The wisdom that one can encounter when engaging with people randomly on the streets is simple – and, once we are open, we will see that everyone, in his or her own way, could be an inspiring modern guru bearing enlightening messages. These wise beings are walking around us as everyday people, often cloaked in forms that many might scorn or overlook – drug addicts, alcoholics, "mad" people, vagrants, the poor, the elderly, children and (even though they do not speak our "language") animals.