This is my 50th article for the Resident, so pretty much a year’s worth of contributions, and another year living in Portugal upon which to reflect. It’s a good moment to consider the recent past and ponder the future, for myself, for my family, for foreigners in Portugal, and more broadly, for the country as a whole, in what we might agree are tumultuous times.
In such times, I find myself wondering about the prognosis of humanity in general, and I am sure I am not alone in that inquiry.
Questioning of this kind, i.e. the ‘big questions’ and even extending into the very meaning and purpose of our human existence, is not everyone’s cup of tea. Such philosophical probing can quite easily foster retorts of “that’s a bit profound, isn’t it?”, or “I haven’t bothered with that since I was under the influence of the ‘Devil’s lettuce’ one late night at college”.
To me, the existential examination, these metaphysical matters, have always been important. Why on earth would we billions apply our noses to the daily grindstone, subscribe to society and its often-tedious treadmill, living only to ultimately die, without ever asking “why?” and wondering what ‘it’ might all be about?
If you’re this far into the article, you too might have wondered whyfor, and been happy to think about it, even if conclusions have remained elusive. Far from being the realm of philosophers and clergymen, as if this matter can be consigned corporately to a specialist department at Life Inc., I put it to you that understanding ourselves is everyone’s business, when we are not distracted in our busy-ness (which we so often are).
Those of us who lean this way – into the unknown and the great mysteries of human life – know one thing for sure. If it’s trouble you want at a dinner party or social event, talk about religion and politics. If it’s complete unease you are looking for, and a good chance you won’t be invited again, bang on a bit about the very nature of existence, and keep bringing the conversation back to the ‘meaning of life’. Should the phone stop ringing thereafter, you contact me to chew the fat about the only question that really matters to weirdos like us.
Coming back to these times, and their relevance to what I have framed here as the ultimate investigation, I have it that it’s at exactly these times that we must ask the biggest questions, and ask them as if our lives depended on it, because … they might.
Having enjoyed a recent and somewhat meteoric reputation as a great place to be, visit or move to, with its intrinsic and many delightful qualities, Portugal is now a destination for many seeking refuge from challenges they can no longer stomach in their country of origin. And this they do against a global backdrop of social and military conflict, nuclear terror, concerns about the climate, and innumerable other ‘important issues’ that you can sour your morning milk with.
If you are not careful and discerning with your precious attention and mental health, you could quite easily believe that we are fast approaching the end of the world. Armageddon is, of course, not a novel concept for the modern mind, but it certainly seems to have developed a greater mental market share, and heightened sense of urgency and imminence.
Who, in some way, isn’t then asking what the meaning of life is at these sorely testing times? Who isn’t, pardon my French, wondering #WTF in this seemingly inescapable downward and doomy vortex?
If you ask me (which you didn’t, but I’ll tell you anyway having got this far!), I will tell you now that MY meaning and raison d’etre is to experience being here on what we call planet Earth, and experience this thing we call ‘life’, together with you, at this very time – which is, of course, the only time we have.
Furthermore, despite the spells that are constantly cast over us, implying that the end is nigh, or at least some close relative of the apocalypse is breathing down our neck, I for one intend to experience this experience with joy and love, endeavouring as I go, to find peace, love, and what for many seems to be an increasingly rare sense of truth. In a word, I stand for living a ‘delightful’ life here in Portugal, which I am delighted to say is most conducive to my cause and this commitment.
The original title that I had in mind for this piece was going to be ‘Enjoy the end of the world in Portugal’. I can understand why our wonderfully perceptive and ceaselessly supportive Editor may have found that just a little too ominous to publish without arousing some concern, but I suspect you, and she, might get where I am coming from.
These, as stated, are the only times we have, and as imperfect and inflammable as they are, we might as well make the most of them, against a most agreeable backdrop, the praises of which I sing weekly.
I implore you not to drink the Kool Aid of negativity, instead choose an Alentejo Red. I ask you not to be cowed by the almost universal hyperbole of doom and disagreement, instead seek the calm pastures of the North, where cattle low timelessly, reassuringly. I suggest you listen less to your dividable and easily troubled mind, instead attending more for your true heart’s desire – as I think the Portuguese generally do – putting peace before paycheck, love before loathing and joy before jangle.
There was a time when grandfathers were a soothing voice to the younger, more anxious ear. In our times, old men seem to be starting wars, not ending them. In this country where the third age is still, to a great and helpful extent, respected and held in esteem, let’s imagine kindly whispers of encouragement and affirmation in our mind’s ear.
Let’s let those elders’ avuncular utterances echo inside, telling us that life is good, reminding us that it is okay to enjoy our lives, and that actually there’s no better time than now, no better place than here, to delight in being alive with all its inevitable ups and downs.
I am a grandfather and I offer these closing, but not (hopefully) final words, to you, whatever your age, as much as I do to my own grandchildren. However dark things can seem at times, love abides, life is good and the light is always near. Delight in this thought, even if it is not your reality.
By Carl Munson
Carl Munson is host of the Good Morning Portugal! show every weekday on YouTube and creator of www.learnaboutportugal.com, where you can learn something new about Portugal every day!
