The recent chopper crash in Taplejung that killed 24 distinguished people illustrates how unpredictable our lives are. Perfectly healthy individuals can perish just like that while those plagued with terrible diseases might go on to live long and agonising lives.

Sometimes, I sit down to mull over the reason for my existence. But there is no point to this futile exercise. No matter how hard we try, we’ll never be able to find a ‘perfect’ answer. We’ve got to move on till that fated day when the grim reaper comes calling.

It might be worthwhile to remember that the only way to live is to treat every day as one’s last. And so I sing and dance and make merry while I can. If we start to look too far into the future, we will see nothing but utter gloom.

It is no surprise that the most successful people have been the ones who have lived their lives a day at a time, while never forgetting their roles in the bigger scheme of things.

It’s hard to accept death. It’s even easier to believe, at times, that we are immune from it, and our family members and friends too. Alas, one day, the bitter truth hits us all.

Sometimes we are given the time to realise the approach of this reality. But, for many, the approach is so sudden and so overwhelming, the way those 24 were taken away. But the world moves on. And so must we — despite the losses, the bereavement and the painful memories.

We have to take life like that, with all the fights, all the frustrations and all the feelings of hopelessness that come to us.

Nonetheless, I find it fascinating to ruminate, not about our future, but about the past. Yes, that past most of us never bothered to look over in our rat-race. But it is the past that helps provide a semblance of meaning to our futile lives.

Evolution, for instance.

Is there no meaning in the evolution of animal-hunting, chest-thumping apes into fun-loving, social bipeds?

We know so many things that our ancestors didn’t. Yet we have only scratched at the surface of knowledge. How will human society shape up 100 years from now? Will people have to ‘die’ then?

What will it mean to live forever? This eternal quest for truth can never end.