I believe we were all brought here to be beacons or exemplars of some aspect of the universe. The great philosophers often referred to life as “a great cosmic play.” Shakespeare reminds us that “we are all players” on the stage of life. It is my believe that this concept applies across the board to all aspects.
There are many paths to take and once we choose, we become an exemplar from which others can learn if they are truly observant. Literary artists and other artists from various forms often take on the task of sharing their observations. By now many of us are familiar with the story of Dr. Faust who sold his soul to the devil for ephemeral material success. If they are not aware of Marlowe’s famous story, they are certainly aware of the play Damn Yankees where Joe Hardy sold his soul to the devil so that his Senators could beat the Yankees.

We are familiar with the story of Angels unaware and those who mysteriously come into our lives at opportune moments to protect us or deliver us an important message or gift. We have seen examples of love and justice through Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King and countless others who have literally or figuratively sacrificed their lives to move society forward. We have seen the embodiment of great evil with the likes of Hitler, Idi Amin,Ariel Castro, and unfortunately many others who showed us the harm that can occur when people are shortsighted, petty and focus only upon their pleasure or aggrandizement.

My question for you dear reader, is what exemplar do you choose to be? How will you be a beacon? Many feel that an order for their life to be of consequence they must do something of great significance. Here is the rub. There have only been 44 presidents of the United States. With all due respect to those men, you don’t have to emulate them to have a life of consequence. Dan Rather, the great news reporter once said something very profound about heroes. He said, his heroes were sanitation workers, the men and women who maintain the streets and the cops who walk a beat. He wanted to convey the message that greatness does not always lie only with our leaders but also with the cogs in the wheel who allow the system to work. I will convey in old Ribald joke that supports Rather’s theory.

The body parts one day had a casual discussion about which part was the most valuable. The brain said of course it was because it did all of the thinking. The heart went next and said it was the most important because it pumps blood throughout the body. The lungs chimed in and said they were most important because they supply the body with oxygen. It went on and on with the feet arguing that they were most important because they took the body wherever it needed to go. Finally The anus spoke up and said it was most important because it handled the elimination of waste. All of the body parts laughed at the claim of the anus. They said how could it make any claim to greatness. Well the anus got very upset and refused to eliminate any waste for three days. The stomach began to hurt the brain couldn’t think and the legs and feet didn’t feel like walking. The body parts soon apologized to the anus and realized that it’s job was just as important as any other part.

The moral is that we are all cogs in the cosmic wheel. It does not matter whether our task appears to be substantial. We are all necessary to keep the world moving forward. Find your unique qualities, whatever they may be. Revel in them for you were put here for that purpose. Be the proverbial Dutchman who with his finger saved an entire country from flooding. We are all blessed and integral spirits equally valuable to the universe.