Otium Life style

There are stories of mathematical models, romantically imprecise, that tell of an observable Universe in which there are roughly two trillion galaxies. Without being too precise, if we perform a simple, but by no means trivial calculation, we arrive at an approximate figure of two thousand billion billion existing planets.

Oh, indeed, two thousand billion billion planets! Yes, you understood correctly. But who, in fact, has devoted themselves to exhaustive counting? Observing the cosmic chaos and the extraordinary myriad of creatures that could populate such a scenario, I reflect on those who danced on the ephemeral stage of time, now reduced to echoes in the pages of memory. One hundred and seventeen billion souls, intertwined in the tapestry of destiny from the dawn of time until today, each with a unique story, passions, and dreams, now no longer among us.

Amidst this cosmic tumult, our anxieties and thoughts seem to fade into a barely perceptible whisper. Over the course of a lifetime, which is expected to reach the enviable 80 years, a man doesn’t mind consuming something like 315 billion and 360 million milliliters of oxygen.

Oh, the luxury of oxygen! During this temporal epic, he grants sleep a generous 233,600 hours, proving that the art of closing one’s eyes is by no means underrated. Of course, the mind is hungry for knowledge, and thus, about 4745 days, or rather, a generous amount of days on earth, are required to meet the demands of mandatory study.

But it doesn’t end there: the modern man, with his proud gaze and shoulders ready to bear the weight of the world, finds himself immersed in the dance of 900 working weeks. How many epic moments of meetings and spreadsheets! And not to forget the joy of parenthood, he dedicates careful attention to about 53,130 hours to raising his little ones.

So, here is the question to ask, with a good dose of irony: Who knows when our hero will cross paths with Kairos, that mysterious opportune moment, as he dances along the inexorable river of Chronos, our faithful master of temporal ceremonies.

Prometheus bestowed fire. The Gods have granted us leisure. As for me, amid the intricate weavings of Dionysus and the harmonious symmetries of Apollo, which permeate my curious spirit, I am drawn to the Epicurean concept of “live hidden” and take refuge in the words of Seneca, who proclaims that “He who desires little, possesses everything.”

Faced with this discomfort in the world, when we realize that we cannot contribute to the well-being of the imposed society – to say it in the manner of Simone Perrotti – ruled by a frivolous and consumeristic Leviathan, it is the duty of those who grasp this incongruity to serve the cosmic city that resides within us, putting our best at the service of the good of others.