Most of what matters

"Most of what matters in our lives takes place in our absence"

Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

I've been thinking about a line from one of my favourite books, Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. This line has always resonated with me, and I've been trying to figure out why.

While mulling it over this morning, I was thinking that it was about design or fate, but upon finding the correct quote (it was slightly/mostly different in my memory), I don't think that's the case.

I guess this is a way of saying that the actions of others affect us far more greatly than any action we take ourselves.... In Midnight's Children this theme is relevant on a superficial level as the protagonist, Saleem, is a child for a majority of the book (and therefore a lot of 'what matters' happens without his input), but also because of India's political situation at the time. Based in the late 1940's onwards, during the birth of India's independence, the book details how major political forces and constant conflicts impacted on Saleem and his family.

I hope this statement isn't as true in my life as it is in Saleem's, and to be honest I'm pretty sure it isn't. Living in Australia in the 2010's I'm fairly privileged in that politics doesn't severely impact my daily life. Sure, getting a new PM today may mean the superannuation taxes change or my local hospitals may get more or less funding, all important issues, but it's pretty unlikely my life will be affected on such a seismic scale.

Sadly, when I tried to apply this to my life I could only imagine it on a more personal and petty level. If my local pub raises the price of a glass of house white, or the tram timetable changes - but I guess these things don't 'really matter'...so what does? What sort of things, outside of my control, could have that sort of impact? I suppose acts of terrorism, randomness or insanity could damage those I love, that would matter in my life, but other than that, I don't really know, and to be honest I don't want to find out!

All this thinking has made me like the statement far less, no more dissecting books for me!