Book 29 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title - Don't anchor your purpose to things or labels

Book - Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of loss, love, and the hidden order of life by LuLu Miller

Book Description: David Starr Jordan was a taxonomist, a man possessed with bringing order to the natural world. In time, he would be credited with discovering nearly a fifth of the fish known to humans in his day. But the more of the hidden blueprint of life he uncovered, the harder the universe seemed to try to thwart him. His specimen collections were demolished by lightning, by fire, and eventually by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake—which sent more than a thousand of his discoveries, housed in fragile glass jars, plummeting to the floor. In an instant, his life’s work was shattered. Many might have given up, given in to despair. But Jordan? He surveyed the wreckage at his feet, found the first fish he recognized, and confidently began to rebuild his collection. And this time, he introduced one clever innovation that he believed would at last protect his work against the chaos of the world. Part biography, part memoir, part scientific adventure, Why Fish Don’t Exist reads like a fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail.

Reflection: This was such an interesting and unique read. It weaves the story of a famous taxonomist's quest to find, label, and name every fish he can find in this world with the author's own struggle for order and purpose in her own life.

The irony of all irony's is that 100 years later, humans now say that the label "fish" isn't even really a thing anymore. All that blood, sweat, and tears of finding, labeling, and categorizing every fish by David Starr Jordan and his time was now spent on nothing...or was it? Such is life, I guess. Without purpose we are miserable and lost.

David Starr Jordan certainly had a purpose on this planet, no one can deny that. If David Starr Jordan were alive today to see that his life's work no longer was valid, what would he think? If his purpose was exploration, adventure, and experiencing the world with friends, then I don't think he'd care at all. If his purpose was being correct, establishing order, and leaving a legacy of labeled fish in his name, then he will most likely be devastated to learn that fish don't even exist anymore.

Be careful where you anchor your purpose. The universe doesn't care about things and labels. Nothing is sacred in this world. The universe runs on timeless principles and values. Principles and values are fluid and can morph / change with the times. Labels and Things can't.

Question: What is your purpose anchored on?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? - An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Why Fish Don't Exist

YOML Bookstore - Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller