Slings and Arrows

Call me cliche, but I'd like to ask the same question. To be or not to be.

Now, given the probably negative semblance of this post, I'd like to start off by saying I have little intention of killing myself despite the constant though.

Not to sound like a puddle-deep philosopher, but what's the point of life? Are we supposed to fulfill some kind of task? When people die, do they know if they've fulfilled this mystery task? Or do they acknowledge that their entire life was a waste? I remember my mom and I were talking and while the conversation had little to do with this question, it certainly gave me insight to how she may have answered this question.

I was forced to work, and of course, I complained (I'd like to call it voicing my opinion, but complaining is so much more qualified). There were a few big cases and despite her conviction, I could have cared less if there were half a million.Well, that's kind of harsh, but hey, I wanted to go home and be unproductive. Naturally, she played the guilt card, telling me that this would mean she has to do more work tomorrow and that I was being inconsiderate. Being the teen-ager I am, I replied with something along the lines of "well this is your job, not mine". Then, she answered my question. She told me that her job was to raise me.

Is that all there is to life? Procreation? Well, she didn't say that it was her job to pump out a bunch of kids, but it certainly can be interpreted that way. And if that wasn't what she meant, is it just to raise kids? To give way for another generation? I mean, that can't be fair. What about sterile men and infertile women? What about gay men and women? What about people devoid of the opportunity to adopt? What about families and environments unfit for children? Are all of these people supposed to die bearing in mind that they didn't achieve the one goal in life?

But I guess that's another thing. Is there only one goal in life? Is everyones calling the same? What scale do we use to measure success in life? Are we to tough it out until we achieve this (these?) goal(s)? If we're to never know our calling, why do people bother living? Are there social and cultural backlashes from suicide that people are afraid of? Is it in our nature to not kill ourselves? From a purely scientific standpoint, living organisms only live to pass on their genes. So I guess there's some part of us that tells us not to pull the plug. But at what point does life become too much to handle? Too hard to "tough it out" and become acceptable to commit suicide?

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what's the point?