Harold and Maude & the Meaning of Life

In 1971, a film came out far ahead of its time. The world was not ready for such a blatant, absurd violation of social norms. And yet, the leading characters, Harold and Maude, resonate so profoundly with the hidden parts of ourselves that there is no denying that none of us who are ready for change can resist falling in love with Harold and with Maude.

I promise I will avoid spoilers here. The premise, Harold is a young fella transitioning into adulthood and being pushed into all that that traditional destiny entails: the house with the white picket fence, the wife, the children, the normal job, the children, the dog, the cat, and etcetera. Harold is well off and attaining all of this is EASY for him, entirely effortless. But he cannot understand why any of those things are things for him. Much less when he is obsessed with Death.

Maude, quite opposite to Harold, is obsessed with Life. We don’t learn too much about her life, but we know she is connected to everything. And her connections to everything she experiences are exhibited for her. So much so, that she inspires life and living life in others. Needless to say, wherever Maude goes, so goes Life.

What we witness is a multi-faceted journey that forces us to reconsider what we truly value in our lives. How much does anything we do *truly* matter? The answer will always depend on the meaning that YOU give it. 

What others believe only matters up to the point that you decide. This is going be a silly example, but it will suffice. Let me preface by saying that I love my mom. In so many ways that she would deny, I consider her a bit of a saint. Nevertheless, when she makes comments about my attire (semi-theatrical ensembles), her words mean little to nothing to me. This is not because I don’t love her. It is because I decided she no longer has authority on this subject in my life. 

By the time you hit your 20s, you’ve been bombarded with enough information to really have a series of “standing on a desert hot mountain” epiphanies about who you are and what you decide you mean, what you decide your life means, what you decide anything in your life means. Whatever you decide, may it be a meaning and purpose that serves who you are, who you are becoming, and how you choose to live true to your bliss.

And the only way to discover your bliss is to live, to reflect, and to play. But don’t listen to me, or to Maude, or to Harold. While each of us has found our calling—the thing that makes life effortless and fun—the decision for what you will do with any guidance we offer is YOURS. How does any of this information fit with your understanding of yourself, the world, and your place in it?

There is no escaping the truth of what makes a life a fulfilling life. The answer to that….. is you.

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