I believe people meet for a reason. My roommate from last year was a last minute decision. Neither of us had a roommate, but we met for lunch and grew close over a year of living together. The true sign that there was something more destined about our meeting was when I noticed a little ninja figurine the size of a nickel tucked inside the ribs of a dinosaur toy she had on her desk. I had this ninja since I was seven years old and my boyfriend lost him the previous summer after the school year ended. She had found my beloved toy and kept it, actually bringing it to our room. I don’t know if you see how amazing this is, but it was a memorable event in our year as roomies. I gave her a replacement ninja too (so that the dinosaur wouldn’t go hungry, of course). I mention her because we just talked to each other online after not corresponding for a several weeks, and we both acknowledged our sadness at not being able to share a dorm together next year. I will see her at school though, so it won’t be too bad. I wonder who my roommate’s going to be, because the school is assigning me a transfer since I received the RA position too late in the year to find a suitable housemate.
I’m trying to get on topic of today’s auspicious numerical date 07/07/07.
Many couples are getting married today because people feel that this date is special since it lines up not only in order, but gamblers especially view it as a lucky number (see: slot machines). I, however, refuse to give in to this extra-lucky day belief. This day holds relevance for me because it is exactly a month away from my 4-year anniversary with my boyfriend. I believe in a higher power, but I do not believe that everything is pre-destined before one even has a chance to assert oneself. I feel that our fate becomes whatever we choose to do – God offers us several paths, and it is up to us to choose our actions. Each action affects where our storyline leads next, but the power lies within ourselves. My roommate and I may have been suggested to each other as potential housemates, but we ultimately chose to try it out. Similarly, I don’t feel that getting married on a particular date holds any special force over whether a marriage is going to succeed or not. Relationships take more than astrological superstitions to remain intact. The problem today is that people run at the slightest sign of being unhappy instead of working out their differences, communicating, and respecting each other.
I’m not saying that my relationship is without its faults at times, but it’s a healthy one. We keep each other balanced. I prevent him from being financially stingy, while he prevents me from splurging. He keeps me grounded to home and family life, while I want to always go out and be with friends. We have some differences, but a lot of similarities, and the arguments we do have are always discussed after we have both cooled down. He and I do not blame each other. We do not yell or raise our voices. We do not disrespect each other verbally, physically, or emotionally. We speak up when we feel that one of us is on the verge of breaching that unsigned contract of respect, and we allow the upset person to take control of one’s emotions before we continue our discussion towards an amiable existence together.
This idea of self-promotion or actively having influence over how one leads one’s life is not new. It is found all over existentialism, but people tend to break this down into a religious argument. People tend to believe that religious people maintain that God controls everything. I may be wrong, but my take on Catholicism (since that’s my personal faith) is that God did create the universe, Earth, and mankind, but that free will means more than whether one recognizes Him or not. Individual actions that go against His commandments are called sins because the individual chose to behave in such a way. Atheists, philosophers, others, etc. tend not to like this idea of free will because then one could say, “Well, since God knows everything, being omniscient, wouldn’t that cancel out free will?”
Theological fatalism is easily negatable. I’m not one to apply attributes to God. In fact, Catholicism and indeed, all organized religion, leaves me unsettled at times, but I feel that God leaves a loophole for us to figure out what we want to do. We can always seek Him out for guidance, but where we end up is on our own heads. This could be a wholly Western perspective though, since so many are born into abject poverty and circumstances that seem unbearable and cruel to those more privileged. I feel that God gives strength to those who need it the most, and that human suffering is even a result of the choices we have made as a species and as a larger, social conscious. He gives us the means and resources to help others, but as a whole, we choose to be selfish, regardless if our basic instincts leads us to horde so deeply. We have already overcome many of our primal instincts. It is obvious that we have tried to separate ourselves from nature for our physical and emotional comfort (do you see any natural creature besides humans with air conditioning?!) and controlling our basest instincts is a result of self-awareness. We have the awareness to create culture, religion, languages, and for me to even have this moral discussion with myself. We choose to set up a dichotomy between the haves and have-nots.
So on today, I tell you to go out and be productive. Do not rely on the stars to help you get that job promotion, that date, or to even get up and experience the beauty of the world beyond your closed in cubicle. If you’ve been arguing with a spouse and you really want to make it work, make up – do not wait for him or her to give in. Do not be abusive to others. Let a child cross the street without you whizzing by first. Have patience. Get far away from your computer, for a few minutes at least, and live. Make the meaning of this supposedly special day be about turning the world for the better. Make someone else smile. Have a great one.
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