To say “I am”
is to limit self
to one potential.
To say “I am not”
is to deny
self one potential.
To say “I am”
and “I am not”
repeatedly
and in tandem
is to cage self in.
To say “I may be”
is to leave
all options open,
most importantly,
the unknown ones
outside the cage.
Why must I be?
Newfound Lake,
9/5
Ah, the eternal question, “Why must I be?” Not to be confused with its equally philosophical cousins, “Who am I?” and “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” Now, the phrase “I am” has been given all sorts of importance. Spiritual teachers, philosophers, and self-help gurus throw it around like it’s the key to the universe.
“I am” seems to define us, put us in a box with a neat little bow on top. It’s like your Instagram profile but for your soul. “I am a vegan, yoga-loving, chai latte-sipping introvert.” Oh, you get the idea. It’s limiting, sure, but it’s also kind of comforting, right? It’s like saying, “Look, Universe, I’ve figured out one tiny corner of my existence. Let me have this.”
Then there’s “I am not,” the contrarian, the rebel without a cause. Saying “I am not” is the soul’s way of sticking it to the man, breaking free from societal norms, and basically announcing, “You can’t tell me who I am!” It’s like that teenager phase you go through, where you’re definitely NOT going to be a doctor like Mom wants. Except, we’re all kind of stuck in that phase, aren’t we?
But what about saying “I am” and “I am not” back-to-back? That’s like running on a cosmic treadmill. You’re moving but not getting anywhere, essentially trapping yourself in a cage of existential confusion. It’s like binge-watching a TV series only to realize it got canceled after a cliffhanger. Yeah, we’ve all been there.
But hold on, here’s where it gets interesting. “I may be.” Ah, that’s the sweet spot. It’s like having a buffet of life options right in front of you. You’re not committed to the pasta, but you’re not ruling out the sushi either. You’re in a space of infinite potential—kind of like Schrödinger’s human, both existing and not-existing, all rolled into one.
So, why must you be? Well, maybe you don’t have to “be” anything at all. Maybe life isn’t about finding yourself but about creating yourself, or better yet, experiencing yourself. And if you’re gonna experience, why not experience it all? The good, the bad, the weird, and the utterly inexplicable.
Let’s leave the doors open, folks. Who knows, the answer to “Why must I be?” could be waiting just outside that cage.