Anais Nin makes a comment near the end of this diary entry: "Now will I construct a chaos of meaningless experiences as Kerouac does?" It made me wonder whether or not any experiences are meaningless. I have often said or thought, at least past the age of 30, that I'd rather have experiences than possessions. Life is a gift, meant to be lived and enjoyed, and to me, that means having fun and adventures. In other words, experiences.
So last year, I went to something like 30 movies in the theaters. Yes, some of these were not worthwhile, and I suppose they could be categorized as meaningless experiences. There are a few books I have read that have been meaningless for me. Sometimes I try a new recipe, hoping for a winner, and if it's not, does that make the experience of trying, experimenting meaningless? Is a meal more meaningful when shared with companions? When is going to the opera or a play or musical or ballet or symphony meaningless? When is traveling anywhere meaningless? Is visiting friends or family ever meaningless? Is it meaningless to get a massage or facial or manicure? What about visiting a museum or exploring an unfamiliar part of the city?
It's been said that it's better to regret what you do rather than what you don't do. To me, this means that it's better to have an experience and find it meaningless or not worthwhile than to never even try something in the first place. What do you think?
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