To exist is to experience, it is much more than breathing and being. It reminds me of empiricism, the idea that knowledge is derived only through observations and experience. Perhaps, in savoring my existence, my life let me experience a journey in Philadelphia.
The journey there was like an explosion of joy, the fact I would experience something that would exist through me for years to come extended that joy like it was my birthday a million times over. The joy of being in a new city, somewhere unfamiliar, made the idea of “being” so moving. I would often find myself looking outside the hotel room window, seeing people go on with their days, remembering how minuscule I am in this world, and realizing how beautiful it actually is but how daunting as well.
Exploring is the founding principle of existence because it makes us observe. This founding principle ruled my days through this journey. The walks taken, draining, but still stuck in my own little world, seeing places of history and realizing how connected we all are in an aspect.
For example, I spent a Thursday looking up at the ceilings of the Freemason Temple. The rest of my days in Philly were spent appreciating a protection we often fail to recognize.
As I am always naturally, I write about life in general, and I wrote about the ceilings, putting it as “Simple things of life connect us, the ceilings for example, protect the things below, it plays a vital role in structure but yet so distinct across cultures. From colors to writings to pictures, these statements of structure carry within them history, no matter how small or large, the time they carry exists above us.” The fact that these inanimate structures carry life within them makes life so interesting.
These walks also made me miss the unwalkable, car-infested suburbs of Palatine as I put it when jokingly texting my mom.
My late Grandmother always went on about the importance of learning, mostly due to her impressive background in education and Alzheimer’s disease. It always made me realize how professions dictate us even in sickness -she actually loved education though.
Anyways, as she put it, “Education is where the tire touches the tarmac.” I would often find myself confused with her ramblings but now realizing she probably meant it as some foundation of our life as it helps us learn.
As I’m writing this now and looking back upon my days spent learning at the journalism convention, I realize that learning is such a beautiful skill that most, if not all, are capable of. Just listening and watching during the speeches made me realize how much I’m immersing myself in learning and how plenty of other students were as well. These students whosat amongst me were so dedicated to what they were learning that I was so touched by the passion humans have at times.
Unfortunately, good things do come to an end and soon my days in Philly were going to become memories on my phone and within me. Fortunately, I’ll be reliving it again when the photos app does a recap on my time there.
To ramble on, I leave you with my thoughts: “Breathe in a way that makes you experience, not just exist. Breathe not only as a form of living but as a way of truly living.” And with one of my favorite quotes from Oscar Wilde: “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.”
