Circle of Life

“The circle of life is more appropriately an elongated series of curves that meets itself and meanders on into tomorrow.” -Theodicus

Elton John sang a song about the circle of life, which was a big hit in The Lion King, and it focused on how all living things follow this circle of life and death, that it all comes around again and repeats itself. Hence, the circle metaphor. But I believe more in what Theodicus says about this supposed circle. Life is a series of hits and misses of sorts, a collection of choose your own adventure-type experiences, decisions that completely change your course and create or destroy possible scenarios. So, the circle of life might “move us all,” and it might connect us all, but it also is defined by us as a circuitous path that makes everything possible or impossible.

“It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all. Through despair and hope, through faith and love, till we find out place on the path unwinding in the circle of life…” -Tim Rice (music by Elton John)

What I do love about the song, however, is the idea that life is continuous, that even though people die, others are also being born, that this is the great connection that proves our humanity. It’s also probably why most of us are obsessed with our own mortality, counting birthdays like they’re steps along a death march, fascinated by the idea of vampires or zombies who “live” beyond death, even if we know they’re not real. Even if we know we wouldn’t be able to have a real life even if they were. But in the reality that we live through, it is possible to “carry on dancing,” even after death. It is through our progeny that we can keep existing, that the world keeps moving along even after we die.

“It’s no use reminding yourself daily that you are mortal; it will be brought home to you soon enough.” -Albert Camus

I never thought about death, not when I was younger. It was in a far off future that featured flying cars, trips to Mars, and shooting stars. It wasn’t real to me, that one day this body would cease to exist and decompose back into the ground from which it originally came. It’s never real to the young because hopefully they are far away from the final realization, but as time went on I began thinking of it more. When I got my first gray hair, when my first child was born, when I began making references to MC Hammer and the young people shook their heads like I was some daft fool. It was those things that shone a light on a mirror for me and made me come face to face with my own mortality. And it’s not frightening; it just is.

“Let me give my love to you. Let me take your hand. And as we walk in the dimming light, oh darling understand, that everything, everything ends.” -Ben Gibbard (music by Death Cab For Cutie)

The best way of sustaining the circle of life, of keeping it moving forward, is to pass on our values and traditions to the younger generation so they don’t forget what came before, so they don’t drift aimlessly through life not knowing us and what we believed. It’s the true circle of life, I believe, not just procreating. Anyone can do that. It’s about teaching and nurturing, which few take the time to do anymore. Because it’s not death that separates us from the circle. It’s when we let it disappear, when we lose sight that there’s a curve ahead and we have to prepare for it, even if we won’t be around when it hits.

“Travel in faith that when we meet that far shore we will recognize each other in the fullness of lives lived and shared.” -African proverb

Sam