The Meaning Of Life

     This morning as I was eating breakfast, I reached across my kitchen counter to grab the only part of the newspaper I ever read, the comics section. Skimming through to find the comics I like to read the best, I landed upon Broom-Hilda. A picture of the comic is attached below as well as what the characters say in case anyone has trouble reading the picture.

 "Irwin I'm trying to develop a philosophy of life. A phrase thats sums up everything in a neat little handbasket of words.

Something applicable under any condition.

The key to life in a nutshell"
(Broom-Hilda).
"Yawn. I'm going to get something to eat" (Irwin).

"That's IT!" (Broom-Hilda).


At first I just enjoyed the joke implied by the comic, that the "key to life" is "going to get something to eat." I eat all the time because I swim a lot and need a constant flow of food to keep my body healthy during swim season. I absolutely love food, so the idea that the point of life was to simply eat was quite amusing and appealing at the same time. However as I thought more about the comic while finishing my breakfast, I realized there was some truth to it.
     The majority of our lives is centered around one thing and one thing only, food. Its not just a way of sustaining life, its a thing we use for comfort, entertainment, religion, and creativity. There are new tv shows being created everyday centered entirely around food that people love. I know, I myself have spent countless hours watching shows on the Food Network Channel. Also, different religions and cultures are very specific about the foods that they eat and cook daily. If someone goes to church there are times you'll be ask to eat and drink bread and wine. However its not simply just bread and wine, it represents the blood and body of Christ. Furthermore, even most holidays are centered around food. Thanksgiving has turkey, Christmas has ham, and Halloween gets all the candy. On a simply a daily basis eating is important to every culture. Meals are a time in which everyone must stop what they are doing for awhile, relax, and usually converse with friends or family.
     Food means many things to many different people and since its such a normal part of our daily existence its sometimes hard to notice the impact it has on us. Eating has become much more than just simple activity needed to sustain life. Our entire lives revolve around food.
So is eating food a good philosophy to life? Does it sum it up in a nice little handbasket? I think the key to life in a nutshell is that we need to go eat food.