The Road to Paradise - A Quest for the Meaning of Life (By Ms. Tamara Moskal)

(Disclaimer: The guest posts do not necessarily align with Philosocom's manager, Mr. Tomasio Rubinshtein's beliefs, thoughts, or feelings. The point of guest posts is to allow a wide range of narratives from a wide range of people. To apply for a guest post of your own, please send your request to mrtomasio@philosocom.com)

(Ms. Tamara Moskal's Content)

Story Synopsis by Mr. Chris Kingsley and Co.

"The Road to Paradise - A Quest for the Meaning of Life" by Tamara Moskal is a thought-provoking exploration of life's meaning, blending reality with fantasy. The narrative structure invites readers to connect personally with the author's experiences and thoughts, offering a relatable framework to explore their existential dilemmas.

Moskal effectively weaves philosophical questions into her narrative, raising important themes such as the nature of purpose, the concept of paradise, and the existential limits of human knowledge.

This resonates with classic philosophical inquiries about the meaning of life, making the article intellectually engaging. The candid discussion of depression, loneliness, and the void left by achieving worldly success adds a layer of emotional depth, allowing empathy and reflecting a universal human experience of seeking purpose beyond material achievements.

The creative use of a robot philosopher from childhood, named Trurl, adds a fantastical element to the narrative, creating a unique, almost dream-like atmosphere that enhances the philosophical exploration.

Overall, "The Road to Paradise - A Quest for the Meaning of Life" is a thought-provoking exploration of life's meaning, framed through a personal and imaginative lens, engaging readers by addressing universal themes of existential crisis and the search for purpose.  

(Background music)

What is left of the meaning of life after you experienced the pleasures of youth, loved, suffered, and reached your professional goals? Did I already succeed as a human being, and it's how I will return to my cosmic origin? While Mother Earth will recycle my biological body indifferently, did I earn the privilege of my life's energy rising to the heavenly stars? 

"HELLO, I'm lost on this lonely planet. Is there anybody out there who can show me the way out?" 

After thirty-five years of being a society-pleasing adult, my existence crumbled from the heights of personal success to suicidal nihilism. When I finally reached my professional goals, the hard-earned comforts of life gradually stopped making sense, and ultimately, I lost the joy of being alive in a maze of purposelessness and depression. 

In my fantasy, I stood alone in the desert, looking at the hazy end of the deserted highway at sunset when the enormous, red sun was almost touching the Earth. 

"Hello, is there anybody out there?" I yelled the Pink Floyd song out loud, feeling profoundly lonely. I felt the urge to walk to the grand finale of my life—THE END. 

Suddenly, a familiar voice woke me up from my contemplations:

"Hello, Gladia, I'm here." 

I looked around and saw a tall humanoid approaching. My mouth fell open. He was Trurl, the robot, my imaginary childhood friend, with a funny round head and wearing the toga of a Greek philosopher.

"Trurl! You look exactly as I remember you," I uttered in amazement. We parted decades ago when I grew up from a daydreaming kid to an ambitious young adult.

"Yes, Gladia, it's me. You changed." 

"Yes, I got old. Can you hold my hand and walk with me to the END of the horizon?" I asked the robot, which I once loved as my best friend. 

"No, I didn't mean you aged. The END can wait, so let's sit and talk like in old times. I brought something for you."

We sat down on the warm asphalt in the middle of the road in the twilight of the setting night illuminated by the full moon above us.

"What do you have for me?" I asked with curiosity.

"A one-way ticket to paradise," he answered, showing me a small coupon with 

                ONE-WAY TICKET

              GLADIA'S PARADISE

I was on it.

"I don't believe in an Abrahamic paradise, and you are my imaginary robot and not an angel," I signed, slightly disappointed yet grateful for his cheerful company. 

"I'm not a supreme being, indeed." He answered. Just accept the ticket and wonder about everything like you used to".

"I grew old. I stopped dreaming and wondering about Things because it's what children do, and an adult is not supposed to think like a child.

"Embrace your child within, but think as a wise adult. You need strength to rediscover yourself, curiosity to learn, and courage to embark on a new journey. Accept the challenge; this ticket will bring you to Paradise, even though I'm only a fantastic robot philosopher." 

 Not knowing how to respond, I remained silent, and he asked another question:

"If you are determined to get the road's END, what do you expect from death?" 

I smiled, remembering how I imagined myself as an eternal traveler. "I would like to be a single quantum in the darkness of the cosmos, moving with the speed of light from one galaxy to another."

"Why a light particle?" he asked. 

"I want to experience the universal grandiosity, behold the wonders of the Universe, and travel to the edge of Everything. Do you think it's possible?"

"I don't know if it's possible, but I wonder how you will know when you reach the border of Everything."

"I'm not sure," I answered, ashamed of my illogical formulation. 

"If you don't know how to determine Everything's edge, it's a good start, as no human knows or will ever know Everything. You still have so much to learn and discover before the END. Are you not curious to raise the endless veil of mystery? Accept the ticket and go, my dear friend. Your new journey begins here and ends with the Universe when your quest for existential answers is completed." 

"What is the fabric of the Paradise you refer to? Are you supposed to be my philosophical guardian robot? " I chuckled, looking at Trurl's grotesque round head and long sectional limbs. 

"I don't know about being your guardian, but I'm in the right place at the right time, right? The Paradise I refer to is not created by God or a deity but is distilled from your deepest thoughts and desires. You are the only one who knows the nature of your Paradise. What do you see when you look deep inside yourself?" 

The silence fell between us. 

"I'm in twilight, lacking the courage to live and love. Nothing I have achieved has made me truly happy. Days and nights are lonely like this desert, and no oasis can quench my thirst for meaning because the purpose is nowhere to be found." I whispered, and Trurl looked at me with his electronic bulging eyes. 

"You are still the curious, happy, and ambitious small girl I loved so much. Societal conditioning molded you to their expectations and stamped hard on your unpractical dreams, but you still have a choice," Trurl said with conviction. 

"Learn about yourself, and your Paradise will be reflected in your soul. If you are dark inside, your Paradise will be as murky as your guilty pleasures. Examine yourself patiently and courageously. Then, accept what you can't or don't want to change and modify what you can and wish to alter. When you're done, look again at your consciousness, and then you will know the fabric of your Paradise."

"Trurl, what if I don't want to encounter my soul and find my purposeful Paradise? Is death final?" 

"Death is the final frontier of what we consider to be alive and human. If you want to believe in an afterlife, believe what suits you best with all your heart, as this will be your ultimate journey with no scientific evidence of conscious continuation. Find your Paradise on Earth when you can choose and fulfill your quest."

"Why is the ticket one-way? Is there a point of return?" 

"There are no second chances, as human life can only advance in time. Every life's choice is final, and you will never return to any point in your past." 

He was right. I looked at my hands and saw grains of time slipping through my fingers like golden desert sand. I couldn't stop the flow, but still, much time was left. I was determined to find myself, my purpose, and love again. 

 "Thank you, my old friend, for your gift," I said, putting the coupon in my pocket.

Clouds of melancholy dispersed in the night sky, and the fantastic arm of the galaxy appeared, lighting the empty highway. 

Tomorrow is the new day, my first day in Paradise.