The Side Effects of Endorphins

I think the expression everything happens for a reason is an expression used when we are at a loss of words.

Let’s examine something very simple in a day. We are taking the kayaks out in an hour or two. It will be high tide at 10 o’clock. 10 o’clock is not a random occurrence as it is determined by the location of the moon.

But no, a large part of the world is random and out of order. In this hypothetical example, we run into Michael Stipe paddling about on the Puget Sound. There is no higher power drawing us to cross ships on the sound. Michael could have been returning from nightswimming, or possibly read the same exact tide charts that I did and deemed the conditions perfect.

We are out there swimming around the Puget Sound and it starts to rain. The weather forecast had no hint of rain and Michael had a brand new guitar in his kayak. The rain caused his guitar to have a sweet, new, unique sound. The rain also allowed my wife and I to get off the water early and try out a vegan fish and chips restaurant up the coast.

It’s not the end of the world as we know it. It rained for many many reasons, but neither of them was to get a sweet sound out of a guitar or to get us to that restaurant.

And then far off in the Puget sound I hear these words.

And feel such peace and absolute
The stillness still that doesn’t end
But slowly drifts into sleep
The stars are the greatest thing you’ve ever seen
And they’re there for you
For you alone, you are the everything.

You Are everything . REM