"what is it really all about?"

I had a conversation with a woman yesterday. She was anywhere from 70 to 80+. She told me she never tells her age but that she has had two face lifts. She described herself as a "Smart Old Jewish Lady" and told me "Life comes down to two things, Money and Sex". Her logic was sound and her conviction/passion was palpable.

When I walked away, I felt a sadness that I took the next hour sorting out. If that is really what it's all about (and all these years I thought it was the Hokey Pokey, haha) than I don't want to "play". What I realized is that in a way she is right. At our basest level we struggle and compete for "power" with everyone around us. Fear alone is the root of our "evil". I do not believe that anyone is inherantly good or bad. Fear of failure, abandonment, "not being good enough", past hurts and insecurity (and a million other bad experiences and maybe even some help from our DNA) all lead us to our "lower selves". We are capable of very bad things from there. If you think about how toddlers behave you will see the core of all of us. Our loving sweetness interwoven with our "MINE" and our constant asking for things. We have to learn to consider (even to notice) other people. Empathy and compassion are partly natural and mostly learned. It takes work to grow and tend the "good" in a child and in an adult. The gifts these yield are subtle and may never be "impressive" to other people who measure your worth by money and power.

It seems to me that "what it is all about" is the journey to make it not be "all about money and sex". Somehow I doubt that even if the whole world envies your life, you will find much joy in it without believing yourself to be worthy and "good". There are many paths open to us. For some, Religion, yoga, teaching, music, art, nature, volunteering, charity, parenting or just being a good friend. Whatever path is yours to follow, find it and work hard to find your way to what it is "all about".