Recently I was contacted by someone I knew in my wild youth. When we were familiar with each other, we were friendly but not deeply involved with each other, and who will ever know if either of us wanted to be at the time. We were a couple of crazy kids, part of a larger group of crazy kids, which was part of a still larger crazy generation that had come to the brilliant and insightful conclusion that the previous generation was wrong-headed in all its thinking and that we would straighten out the world.
My friend has become a lawyer.
There is nothing wrong (contrary to popular belief) with being a lawyer. Especially in this case, because she is a prosecutor and is doing her best to follow the dream of our youth and make the world a better place. However, the revelation did cause me to ask a few questions.
For one thing, how in the world did we all end up so different that we imagined we would. My friend was never the type I had imagined to be in the legal profession. I saw her as more of a journalist, fighting against the excesses of government, rather that working for it. Then again, no one ever imagined I would end up being whatever it is that I am, and they certainly never imagined me doing anything anonymous.
It's been a while since I mentioned my latest musical preference. Aside from the latest seasonal music, particularly Manheim Steamroller's Christmas Extraordinaire, I've been listening to a song from Tingwei Meng. Although my Chinese leaves a lot to be desired, the song title roughly translates to Come See the Rain Falling in Taipei With Me This Winter. It's quite a beautiful song, but heavily western-influenced.
Another question that has risen (now that I have that random thought out of the way), is the one of what really is a significant life. Is my friend more important in this world because she is a prosecutor? Am I more important because of what I do? Is there any point to the question?
Here is the conclusion I have drawn. What my friend does is deeply significant, because she improves the world around her. Whether or not what I do will improve the world around me remains to be seen. And to be a true friend, in this world that has become so superficial; to really have an impact on someone else's life in a positive way, is all the significance anyone could ask for.