Why are we here?

Wow, that's a heavy topic.  Do I really want to take this one on?  I know there have been books written about this subject.  I have the type of mind that if something can't be explained in a couple of paragraphs, it is either physics or too complicated for me to understand.  I'm a pretty smart guy, I think.  Not brilliant, nothing special, but I tend to look towards Occam's Razor and focus on common sense to understand most issues.  Have you heard the phrase, "Common sense is not as common as the name implies? "  I like that.  So this is why I think we are here.
     Everything can be compared to a movie.  Take a second and think of a movie that epitomizes why we are here.  There are many.  The one that got me thinking was,,,  yep, you didn't guess it,  "City Slickers."  It is a 1991 film written by Lowel Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, love the name Babaloo.
It starred some great folks but I remember of course Billy Crystal and Jack Palance.  Jack was Curly in the movie, a worn out, old cowboy at the end of his range.  Grizzled, prickly, mean, a man of few words.  He communicated more with his body language than his voice.  Off the set I remember seeing an interview, hell, it may have been at an awards show, I can't remember. Anyway this cat jumps down to the floor and knocks out several one armed push ups.  He was in his seventies.  He immediately became a hero of mine; he and Jack Lalane.  Anyway, I digress.
  Billy Crystal, who played Mitch Robbins, and his buddies were all going through life's issues.  I think they were near forty years old or so.  It is an interesting time of life when we spend an incredible amount energy chasing goals and providing for family and trying to be successful from a societal standpoint.  We have a lot of responsibilities during this time and the pressure can be intense.  Unfortunately, during this time of turmoil, we often have the least amount of support that we have had our entire life.  Think about it. When we are small, we have our mom and dad.  This lasts into our late teens. After 18 years of support, we are ready to fly the coup and launch out on our own.  School mates, our first or second girlfriend, our work buddies seem to fill the void quite well.  Into our mid twenties we decide to focus on one person to build a life.  Then kids come along and the support you were getting from each other begins to go out to the kids.  I think most young parents have felt the time when they feel alone, unsupported, always giving.  The wife is working hard to support everyone in the family.  The husband is probably on the tread mill of life trying to make more money to provide in a comfortable manner for his family.  Feeling the need to buy the necessary things that the kids need to fit in and manage their own small journey.  Anyway, you get the picture.  I was there. Most people I know are or were there.  It is universal, it seems.  At least in America.  Anyway, I digress again.
     So a cattle drive happens. (You need to see the movie)  Lots of problems ensue on the drive.  Mitch and Curly don't hit is off well, but Mitch can tell that Curly has some cowboy wisdom that Mitch would like to know about.  I remember something like Mitch asking Curly either the meaning of life or what's important in life and Curly being hunched over in his saddle thinking, contemplating and saying,  "It is only this one thing,"   He holds up one finger.  "One thing".  What?  What's the one thing?  Tell me, I want to know.  Damn. The guy falls off his horse with a heart attack.  Classic.  I remember thinking, shit, I may never know what the one thing is.
  
Fast forward, twenty years.  I am now 60+, dealing with cancer, having read a lot of self help books on peace, happiness, the spirit, The Dali Lama, Agape, inner light, reincarnation, near death experiences etc, etc.  But it wasn't until recently I realized, at least for me, what that "one thing" might be.  So now is your chance,  do you want to know the meaning of life?  Why we exist?  What is truly important on this earth?  Its easy, send me a self-addressed stamp envelope and a million bucks in small, unmarked bills and  I will be glad to send you a  hand written explanation,  in simple terms, how you can find happiness, improve the quality of your life and begin to reach your full potential as a spiritual and physical being while on this earth.  It will be worth it.  Don't wait.  This offer lasts only for my current blog readers and may be withdrawn at any time.  Gephardt Approved.