Alone

I’ve been listening to The Martian by Andy Weir lately, and while not a long book, it’s deep. The story follows Mark Watney, one of the first people to step foot on Mars. He also might be one of the first to die on Mars, too…

As I reflect on this story, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to be alone on Mars, or anywhere for that matter, for an extended period of time.

Think about it for a second:

There’s nothing.

Zero.

Nada.

Your only friend is dirty mars dirt.

Nothing to do.

…

But wait, maybe there is something to do, something to keep your mind occupied. Maybe there’s something to be had out of nothing or very little.

Just like Watney in The Martian, at times we find ourselves in similar situations, in less than ideal circumstances. Sometimes, we’re down to pretty much nothing (read: ramen). It can feel like all hope is lost and there’s no point in continuing to go on. No one is coming to save you and no one is even noticing you’re in a void.

I’ve talked about having a good support system before, and I’ll mentioned it again. Having good friends and family, even if only a few, around you to keep pushing when it doesn’t seem like there’s a reason is critical.

Imagine where we’d all be if nobody supported each other and we were left to fend for ourselves. No camaraderie, no friendship, no push to do better (or just do). Life would be utterly dismal and meaningless. We give meaning to live and meaning to those living life by supporting one another, even it’ll be a long time before help arrives. Sometimes one needs to duct tape life’s pieces back together to keep them in place in the short term. No one said it had to be permanent.