Some people would say the base structure of all reality are little things called quarks and leptons. Apparently, these particles have electric charges or something and come together and shake hands and make elements and people and all sorts of stuff (see: everything). Some guy did some math on a napkin and come up with the number 3.28 x 1080 for the amount of these small ingredients in the universe, which is a big number, but supposedly, since the particles are so incredibly diminutive, if one were to evenly distribute them across the whole sheet of space, there would only be one every cubic meter. The author of this article I pulled up uses this tidbit to drive home the idea that A) space is big and B) space is mostly empty. But where there is something, that something, in its most reduced form, is just quarks and leptons mingling about.
I suppose if the scientists have agreed on this, it would be foolish of me to protest. I’m not one to try to disagree with stuff like that. But, it does make me wonder about constituent parts. The great PhDs have found biblical Adam and Eve in these subatomic particles, but what about stuff that isn’t material? What makes that up?
If you asked me, which you didn’t, I’d say that the constituent part of life are to-do lists. I can’t really conceive of living in a manner in which to-do lists do not exist. I mean, it just follows, right? You’re born, now you have to eat and drink, at a bare minimum. That’s a daily to-do list right there. Then, there are the optional, but recommended tasks like “sleep where you won’t die” that also get added onto the list. And this seems true for pretty much any living being, they’ve all got a to-do list and its chief purpose is to keep you alive.
Well, that’s self-explanatory. You’re just substituting “basic biological necessities” for “to-do list” and pretending it’s a novel thought.
Yes. Sorry.
But, let’s move past the basics of living. Sleeping, eating, drinking, this is like what, maybe 40% of an average day? And if you factor in the current ways in which people make this possible (see: work), that’ll account for, conservatively, 75% of the day. So, what happens in that 25%? Is that the empty space where no particles lie? I don’t think so, I’ve got lots to do outside of that 75%. Talking to people, shopping, writing, personal grooming, etc. Now, these are technically optional, but I don’t think a person exists that doesn’t have some optional to-do list tasks.
At the beginning of existence, God considered quarks and protons. At the beginning of my day, I consider my list. See, same thing. The fabric of the universe is woven with imperceptible, electric dots and the script of time is punctuated by things to do. How else would you know that life is happening, that you’re moving forward? There’s a habit nowadays, I guess, of optimizing tasks. Like DoorDash and generative AI and all that. Everything needs to be simpler and more efficient and less intrusive on our lives. Buddy, that is your life! Get out of the house and get food and cook it! Why are you in such a rush to get past the particles and to the empty space? Everyone knows that the true spirit of lazing around can only be found when the to-do list is satisfied (see: On Moseying).
I think I’ve moralized too much in this one and lost the plot, but that’s okay. It’s fine to write for the sake of writing, it’s on my to-do list after all. I was going to make some comparison between the empty space of the universe and the empty space of life, but the proportions didn’t line up.
Life is really big. Maybe not long, but it’s big. It’s stuffed full of tasks and lists and things you have to do so you don’t die. It’s easy for me to be pessimistic about being summoned from the comfy ether of non-existence and forced to try to stay alive. But I’m trying to swap this perspective to one that’s happy to have the opportunity to drag a marker through the bullet-points. It’s a work in progress.
jeez, louise 