It was a cold, crisp night, not a black sky but a darker shade of blue, almost purple, dotted with the majesty of twinkling stars, long gone but never forgotten, an eternal visual experience. At least, in our lifetime, the remoteness of light from burnt out suns reducing our history to nothing more the blink of an eye.

And it was those eyes, my eyes, not yet furnished with the permanence of glasses but becoming closer as age takes precedence and distance has yet to become a challenge, that I could gaze upwards from the soothing warmth of the hot tub, wine in hand, comforted by the bubbles and the steam rising against the chilled air, and consider for that moment, to reflect, ponder, quizzical eyes trying to make sense, and question, ‘what is it all about’?

Maybe age makes us more reflective, looking back through our own midst of time, thinking of the past and mindful of the future, aware that without being remorseful, it’s ’downhill all the way’.

Of course, every epoch has its challenges, uncertainties are not exclusive to those of a mature age. But in many cases experience paints pictures, and it’s from those experiences that we learn. History is the foundation from which we define the path on which we walk, the road we take. And yet, often curve balls hit us out of nowhere, stop you in your tracks, and makes you wonder ‘why’, as you try to develop and understand, ‘what is it all about’?

So, as I admire the stars in awe and wonder, the vast universe that blows my mind and I feel a union with my ancestors who believed that the earth was flat, I wonder ‘what it’s all about’? Perhaps indeed, even why are we here, what is our purpose, what indeed makes us human? For on this same ground, 66 million years ago, other creatures roamed the ground on which we stand. Did they question, were they aware, was consciousness at such a level that the fundamentals of life became introspective.

I suspect not, if only that the brain of such creatures (and probably the rich diversity of life where existence remains natural, instinctive, reactive) developed for survival only. However, the human condition feels and desires association, and we often define ourselves by the measure of Maslow’s’ hierarchy of needs – physiological, safety, belonging and love, esteem and finally self-actualisation. It’s almost a gauge, something that we aspire to. But more than that, perhaps it’s the socialisation of those stages; the strength of us, as unique individuals, is so much dependent on the bonds we make with others. Those we love, those we care about, those others that need us too. Sometimes, something we easily forget. Of course it doesn’t mean we cannot fly solo, but most recognise the advantage of having a co-pilot.

Yet it isn’t always linear, nor necessarily an upward climb. Clear though that without the vital physiological ingredients necessary to sustain the body, the journey cannot begin. Without that foundation, nothing in the human psyche can grow. But maybe, the next levels are what makes us human and thus answers the fundamental issue of our reason for being. To feel, to progress, to share and experience the rich tapestry of life. We are the seeds that become the flower, and the flower yearns to blossom, the pinnacle of self-actualisation.

And ultimately to give love and yes, to take love too. As the lyrics from The End reflect, “the love you take, is equal to the love you make”.

We know it doesn’t always work out the way one hopes, wishes for, deserves. Yet when it does, it’s a sublime moment, a joining of spirits, body, and mind. It’s not exclusive to the human condition, - it’s probably a well-known fact that Swans often partner for life – but we search for something that at times feels more ethereal.

Perhaps that is the complexity; an innate commitment to further life, maintain the cycle, keep the world ‘ticking over’. But then we try and rationalise that motivation, to seek a sense of being that is more than a physical need.

So, ‘whatever it is all about’, and often life can be such a massive roller-coaster that it seems too much to comprehend with any sense of positivity, maybe the truth is that it doesn’t matter. Above the clouds, when the sun shines, the sky is always blue. And ‘what it’s all about’ is you. You are important, you are beautiful, you have a place in the world, and you mean so much to everyone.