Reflecting on the Start of a New Decade (and the Wisdom of Augustine)

“I must admit that as for many others, the last ten years were neither a singular triumph nor an unmitigated disaster. There were joys and sadnesses, the melody of life soaring high and crashing low. No one finds heaven on earth.”

Dividing time and life into decades is somewhat artificial. We don’t really see our lives as bounded by ten-year boxes. Things are more fluid, and what characterizes a decade can go longer or shorter. Think of the long 19th century, for example. Even so, the end of the 2010’s offers a chance for reflection, one which is all too rare in today’s frantic world.

For myself, I must admit that as for many others, the last ten years were neither a singular triumph nor an unmitigated disaster. There were joys and sadnesses, the melody of life soaring high and crashing low. No one finds heaven on earth. The pursuit of this paradise leads to a hell of nowhere, the never-ceasing search always driving the seeker onwards, emptying his heart along the way for wont of enjoyment of the things he has, here and now. The search for a final resting place, a perfection in this life is never satisfied. The knowledge of this tugs at the conscience of the one looking, inducing a lassitude that life is unbearable for its lack of final triumph in the world as it is.

Growing older, from 15 to 25 now, leads to the realization that dreams of Eden are just that. The quest for something better can lead to improvements, but aiming at the perfect brings only disappointment. Lowering your sights does not mean giving up on hoping for the better, but it is tempered with appreciation for what can be lost as well as gained. Things fall apart more easily than can be created or mended. This goes for our crooked hearts just as it does for communities or civilizations. Acceptance of life’s finitude does not have to be a dispiriting thing. The fact that life is bounded by the limits of existence can be a liberation: it is a paradox that limits, and acceptance of such can engender a sense of freedom. Knowing where we stand is necessary to know where we could go.