Calgary,April 2021
John felt very depressed. It was his first day of retirement and he came to the conclusion that he wasted his life. There was no purpose to his existence.
“I wasted my life. It had no purpose,” declared John in a loud voice in front of his wife Mary.
“Don’t be silly, what got into you? It is your first day of retirement, you should be happy. No more getting up early in the morning, no more worries about budgets and deadlines, now you can enjoy the results of your hard work,” replied Mary, who did not worry about the purpose of life.
“What is the result of my hard work? Did it improve this world in any way?”
“Of course it did! You have a family, and our children are successful in their own lives. What else would you want?”
“Shouldn’t there be more to life than just to have a family?
“I don’t know, to me it is good enough.”
It was good enough for Mary, but not for John. He wanted more, but the question was: What more and where to find it? In situations like that, religion could suggest some answers and John decided to give it a try.
“You remember our discussion about the purpose of life?” asked John one evening when they were watching TV. “I visited the minister of the close-by church and asked him the same question: What is the purpose of life?”
“You did what? You, who never went to church in all of your life! Why are you starting now?”
“Mary, I am afraid to die. I want to know if my life had some meaning.”
“And did it have a meaning? What did the minister say?”
“He said that the purpose of life is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”
“John, you never believed in God. Isn’t it bit late for that?”
“Perhaps, but better late than never.”
John visited the church several more times, or at least that’s what he told Mary. Also, he made a new friend, Mark, but there was another problem.
“Mary, there is one thing I have to talk to you about. The minister says that now, when I visit the church regularly and enjoy the philosophical discussions about the purpose of life, I should pay some contribution. Not much, just a few hundred dollars.”
“Few hundred dollars? Are you crazy?”
“It’s not that much, others pay more. I know that it sounds strange to you, but as I said, I am afraid to die. You are right, I never believed in God, but perhaps there is something to it and those few hundred dollars will ease my mind.”
Mary said nothing. She suspected some kind of a fraud but was in no mood to start a fight. After all, few hundred dollars wouldn’t make a dent in their savings. So, John withdrew the money and Mary didn’t want to know anything more about it. Then John came with another news.
“Mark invited me for a trip. We will go fishing.”
“Fishing? That is another thing you never done in your life.”
“He will teach me.”
Next weekend John went fishing with Mark. He told Mary that he will spend the night in Mark’s cabin and that he will be back on Sunday evening. When John returned home, he looked refreshed and happy. It appeared as if he indeed found a new purpose of life
“How was the trip?” asked Mary.
“Great, I liked it very much.”
“I am glad for you. Perhaps you should go with Mark more often.”
“Perhaps.”
Mary’s happiness about John’s trip changed into a dark fury when she got e-mail from her friend Jane. In that message Jane mentioned that, while shopping, she saw John entering into a hotel with a young lady who looked like his former secretary.