So I had a weird day today.
It's my sisters birthday, So for a present we went to my mums old family friends restaurant and then Cirque Du Soleil. It was a very small unsuspecting place out the way in south London called Jacks Place.
I went in and my jaw dropped. The walls were covered with Ties, memorabilia, Hats. It's like an old sports bar but way better. Jack was a rather popular guy, The restaurant was always full when he was alive, He had various presidents visit, He got the right to London (A huge honor) and was even on Norwegian TV (When Norway had 1 channel). The whole deal with the ties on the wall was that during the 60's you would not be allowed into a nice restaurant if you didn't wear a tie. So Jack being the big bloke he was would cut off your tie if you walked in. It was a statement about how he wanted this place to be good food for anyone. And the food was incredible, I had a sea bass that just melted in my mouth.
So i spent a good 50 minutes just looking at the walls, Scanning the pictures and picking out faces i knew. Jack's dead now, But his daughter (My mums old friend) runs it. Angela, She has a husband named Tanj. So we call them Anj n' tanj.
While eating my dinner with my family and Anj and tanj we talked about Jack, His life, Our lives and what was the future of this gem of a restaurant. They were planning on selling it on, It had a good run but it was time to move on. It was almost heartbreaking seeing this little place on its last legs, It's not that they cant afford it. In fact they own the land, and it makes good money. But they're old and don't feel up to it anymore. They were the kind of people you'd feel you've always known if you met them for the first time.
So after having dinner we left to see Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert hall, Neither of which i had ever seen. So this was an experience for me. The show was fantastic, It was a mix mash of comedy and acrobatics. The lady's on Silks, The men in Rollers, It was a feast for the eyes. So clearly as i was watching this performance about a little girl lost in another world, I began to think about life.
I was thinking about how i can be a part of something as profound and huge as the Royal Albert hall, How something so large and beautiful was made by man. And even tho the people on the stage seamed larger than life, They were just like me.
In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood. -William Safire
Slowly as i watched the feats of strength and agility, I came to a few conclusions.
One was about meaning, The show had a loose plot about a young girl being transported to another world by a hat, And as i tried to figure out the plot it dawned that there was none. By having no meaning it suddenly got meaning. It has meaning to different people, and therefore will always have meaning despite having none.
Its the act of trying to find meaning in something that gives it meaning. Any conclusion we reach is one we've already drawn, But haven't realized yet. In a strange yet beautiful way, That's a good way to think about life.
Another was that I'm deeply, Deeply in love with life. From its great halls, To its little restaurants tucked away in Battersea. I feel warm, And happy to be alive.
I don't think i ended today with any answers, In fact I'm more confused than i was when it started. But in a beautiful way that gave my life more meaning, It's the search for meaning that gives it value. I still have no idea who I am, Or what i'm getting myself into with life. But I'm so glad I'm here, That's all i know.