Barkley the Dog Butler

Man is free to choose. Choice is the right of all men. However, isn't it fascinating that the choices of others often frustrate our own free will, often completely and most annoyingly? We've been given such a great gift, but at the same time, this free agency can also be our most devious enemy. This is where destiny comes in. This is where things become out of our hands, and we must rely (on faith, mind you) on the idea that the choices of others are actually the most important choices being made. We act selfishly, and we do things that serve our own egos. It's how man functions, so get used to it.

But what if our collective selfishness was actually what shakes each one of us out of this selfish funk? I'm not saying we all start becoming self-centered ninnies, but rather that we learn to understand the strange way in which we all affect each others lives, so indirectly and so unintentionally. Chaos theory became a buzz word after Jurassic Park was released, but it was often relegated (in my circles) to the idea of nature having drastic and unseen effects on the world around it. But doesn't the same theory apply to humans? I had never considered that. We are constantly frustrating the efforts of everyone around us with our own personal choices. Think about it: we get in our car to drive to the store, and we come to an intersection with a yellow light. Do we gun it? Or do we slow down? Say we slow down, and stop, then the person behind you has to stop too. Now lets hop cars. Now that person has lost the chance to choose. They must now wait at the light because of a choice that YOU made, making them late for their daughter's dance recital, and forever affecting that relationship. And, all because YOU chose to stop, and not gun it.

Horrible, right? Now, somewhere out there, a father and his daughter aren't on speaking terms. It was the last straw. Now what? Well, this person has been presented with an opportunity to make a choice. Do they continue to not speak, out of pride or shame, or do they make amends? This is the most important question of all. And its where we are able to take control. See, we often are so quick to blame ourselves, and blame the ones we love for our frustrations, and our failures. But what if, just what if, we start "blaming" the guy in front of us, the unknown fella, just trying to be a safe driver? It is technically his fault anyway, right? But he made a rational choice! He did nothing wrong. He meant no ill will!

We HAVE to take into account unseen factors when we start to see our life as a failure. We have to remember that we cannot affect the choices of others. We will never have the power to manipulate another person's choices to the point of perfect adherence to our own selfish agendas. Why? Because that'd be ridiculous. It'd be chaos. We HAVE to let the world function as it should, in this seemingly random series of choices and consequences, and we HAVE to be willing to let things go. When we're angry at the choices of others we take away from them the right to have ever made that choice. We're being selfish, believing that our choices are the only ones that should matter.

Ultimately, though, our path to happiness is in our hands. These unseen circumstance may alter our world irreparably, but we must course correct. We must find a way to make amends, and move forward. We're all broken and damned souls, cursed to live amongst other broken and damned souls, but we've been given a way out, a way to find some semblance of happiness, and ironically enough, that way out is us.

Fascinating.

Thank you, LOST, for inspiring this train of thought. You da man, brutha!